Your Support. Their Future. Our Community.

Welcome to the Southside Health Education Foundation (SHEF) — a nonprofit organization dedicated to expanding educational opportunities in the health professions and strengthening the future of healthcare across our service region. Our vision is simple and powerful: a homegrown healthcare workforce—future professionals shaped by our communities and committed to caring for them.

SHEF proudly serves a broad region stretching from southern Chesterfield County to the North Carolina border, including the cities of Colonial Heights, Hopewell, and Petersburg, as well as the counties of Dinwiddie, Prince George, Sussex, Chester, Enon, Ettrick, Matoaca and beyond. These communities are the heart of our mission and the source of the talented students we support.

We are committed to transforming lives by providing deserving students with the financial resources they need to pursue meaningful careers in healthcare. Through scholarships and forgivable loans, SHEF removes financial barriers, opens doors to education, and helps build a highly skilled, compassionate healthcare workforce. This investment strengthens the overall well‑being of our service region by ensuring access to qualified professionals who understand and care deeply about the communities they serve.

Your support makes this possible. Every contribution empowers students to achieve their goals, return to their hometowns, and make a lasting impact. By investing in their future, you are shaping the healthcare landscape and creating meaningful change that will benefit families and communities for generations.

At SHEF, every scholarship awarded and every student supported reflects a shared commitment to building a healthier, stronger region. When you give, you are not just funding an education — you are investing in the next generation of nurses, therapists, technicians, and healthcare leaders who will care for our families, neighbors, and communities. Your Support. Their Future. Our Community. – this is the promise we fulfill together.