Fredericksburg Parent & Family: Stories of Strength (Special Issue)

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Volume 22, No. 1 • Special Issue

™

& family

A Tribute to Fredericksburg During COVID-19 in

2020

Zoom Meeting ID: 626-111-212 Host: Fredericksburg Parent and Family

D. Cooper

R. Littrell

T. Harris

Stories of

H. Hurd

J. Cooper

STRENGTH and S URVIVAL

A. Harris

M. Hurd

M. Cooper

www.FredericksburgParent.NET 1

what % of US adults say they read magazines in the last 6 months?

91

This includes 95% of those under 35 and 95% of those under 25.

228.7

MILLION THAT’S AN INCREASE OF 18 MILLION SINCE 2012.

(MRI-Simmons, Fall 2012-2019)

THE MAGAZINE ROAS OF $6.51 WAS DOUBLE THAT OF THE TV ROAS OF $3.23, AND MORE THAN DOUBLE OF THE DIGITAL ROAS OF $2.43.

(NCSolutions 2005-Q12019)

(MRI-Simmons, Fall 2019)

HOW MANY ADULTS AGES 18+ READ MAGAZINES?

when advertisers were asked which medium offers the highest ROAS, which was the highest overall?

THE PRINT MAGAZINE INDUSTRY IS GROWING 139 new print magazine brands with a frequency of quarterly or greater were introduced in 2019 (Samir “Mr. Magazine” ™ Husani Monitor 2020)

PRINT READERS

REMEMBER MORE.

MAGAZINES REACH PREMIUM AUDIENCES IN HIGH-INCOME HOUSEHOLDS*

At a greater rate than newspapers, internet, radio or TV * Household income $250K+ (MRI-Simmons, Fall 2019)

compared to top tech sites MAGAZINES outperform reaching

WOMEN AGES 18+ (MRI Media Fusion)

PRINT STIMULATES EMOTIONS AND DESIRES PRINT IS PREFERRED BY THE MAJORITY (EVEN MILLENNIALS) PRINT READERS EXPERIENCE MORE FOCUSED ATTENTION AND LESS DISTRACTION, WHICH DRIVES SENSORY INVOLVEMENT CONTRIBUTING TO GREATER READER IMPACT, COMPREHENSION AND RECALL. (MPA, Scott McDonald, Ph.D. Nomas Research)

2 Fredericksburg Parent and Family • Stories of Strength Special Issue

www.FredericksburgParent.NET 3

4 Fredericksburg Parent and Family • Stories of Strength Special Issue

on the cover

Special ISSUE Our special issue cover models are from top left: Daniel Cooper, Rylan Littrell, Trinity Harris, Henry Hurd, Maggie Hurd, Jackson Cooper, Autumn Harris, and Matthew Cooper.

At right is model Trinity Harris.

Photos taken by M&JPhotography.

View more of their work at: facebook.com/mandjphotos @melissaandjennphotography

Stories of Strength and Survival 10 Fredericksburg Academy 13 Amy Cherry Taylor & Associates 17 Dogtopia 20 Fredericksburg Christian School 22 Rappahannock Area Community

features 6 Editor’s Note

Reflections of 2020

7

Services Board - Parent Edication Infant Development Program

24 Robert B. Payne 27 Grymes Memorial School 30 Mary Washington Healthcare 33 Community Bank of the Chesapeake

34 Rappahannock Area Community Services Board

37 Children’s Home Society 38 Smart Beginnings 40 Coldwell Banker Elite 42 Fredericksburg Orthodontics

8

UMW Small Business Development Center Guiding Small Businesses Through a Global Pandemic Mental Health American There Will Always be Helpers

12 Zion Baptist Church Helps Test for COVID-19

14 Germanna Community College We All Kept Our Eyes on the Goal

16 Hinesight Healing the Community from Within

21 Stafford Junction Tutoring Kids in Need During COVID-19 26 Rappahannock Rotary Club Helping Girl Scouts, Local Families And Friends Abroad 28 How Area Public School Teachers Adapted on the Fly

32 DaVita Kidney Care Giving Light and Life to Vulnerable Patients

36 Fredericksburg VA Main Street Floating Businesses During the Pandemic

18 Fredericksburg Area Museum History is Being Made Every Day...

Everyone’s Story Matters www.FredericksburgParent.NET 5

parent fredericksburg

editor’s note

REFLECTIONS REFLECTIONS

& family

PUBLISHER Leigh Anne Van Doren Tabitha & Jamie Nelle’s mom

of

EDITOR & WEBMASTER Chris Jones Quincy, Hayden & Olive’s dad MEDIA & ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Megan Walsh: Mia, Noelle & Adelaide’s mom DESIGN & PRODUCTION Cheryl Carter, Owner, Carter Creations Alex, Kate & Jackie’s mom

2020

Photo by Corey Miller Photography WRITTEN BY CHRIS JONES

SOCIAL MEDIA AND MARKETING MANAGER Lovedy Carroll: Meredith’s mom CALENDAR & COOL THINGS TO DO ELETTER Leigha Pecher: Jake & Luke’s mom EDUCATION AND INFANT ELETTERS Debra Caffrey: Aidan’s mom

Happy 2021!

In 2020, we watched our communities, state, nation and the world change right before our eyes. COVID-19 changed the way we interacted within our community whether that was school closure, grocery shopping, dining out or gathering with family and friends. It gave us new tools like Zoom, Google Meet, FaceTime and other virtual meeting software and apps. And what about the new glossary of terms? We learned words and phrases such as wear a mask, curbside pickup, contact tracing, quarantine, social isolation, shelter in place, pandemic, droplet transmission and asymptomatic. Sanitizing went from terminology primarily used in janitorial and health care circles to our everyday life. It shows how quickly and how rapidly things can change.

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CALENDAR & SOCIAL MEDIA webmaster@fredericksburgparent.net

EDITORIAL 540-429-3572 E-MAIL fredparenteditor@gmail.com SNAIL MAIL P.O. Box 7884, F’burg, VA 22404 www.fredericksburgparent.net PHONE

The publishers reserve the right to reject any advertisement, editorial or listing that does not meet the publication’s standards. No part of this magazine may be reproduced with out permission. Listing and advertising rates are available upon request. Every effort has been made to assure the accuracy of the information contained herein, however, the publisher cannot guarantee such accuracy. Listings and advertisements are subject to typographical errors, ommissions and/or change without notice. For terms and conditions please visit our website at www.fredericksburgparent.net © Copyright 2019 Nurture, Inc. All rights reserved.

Entrepreneur of the Year

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We salute you.

I hope you enjoy this issue. It’s our way of giving you a small time capsule from an anomaly of a year that we won’t too soon forget, but that will be in our rearview just as swiftly as the great panic of 2000.

PROUD FOUNDING MEMBER

LIKE

The issue you hold in your hands was something our staff was passionate about creating for you—a 2020 commemorative issue. The last year of life and parenting was so unique we felt a special issue highlighting the life during the pandemic within our community was a worthy pursuit. Within these pages, we share inside perspectives of how businesses responded, how teachers innovated, how higher education got creative, and how many other people within the community rose to the challenge of solving problems for others during the COVID-9 pandemic event.

And we would be remiss to not acknowledge those heroes within the healthcare community who guided us through, cared for us, saved lives and worked tirelessly while putting their own health at risk for the good of others.

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UMW Small Business Development Center:

Guiding Small Businesses Through a Global Pandemic WRITTEN BY ERIN FRYER Kickstarting and maintaining a small business is a challenging but rewarding endeavor, but never has it been more difficult than in 2020. That’s where the University of Mary Washington Small Business Development Center (UMW SBDC) comes in.

UMW SBDC is a resource center that aids the small business community in Fredricksburg and beyond via management training, industrial and demographic research, and confidential one-on-one consulting with a focus on capital access and management planning.

Comprised of former business owners, the UMW SBDC is run by an experienced staff of people who have been there, done that.

However, no one could have anticipated the impact COVID-19 would have on small businesses, and the UMW SBDC staff had to undergo special trainings to help them guide small business owners through these turbulent waters.

In the wake of the pandemic, the staff had to become experts in Economic Industry Disaster Loans—a loan that provides economic relief to small businesses and nonprofit organizations that are currently experiencing a temporary loss of revenue. Aside from helping businesses obtain loans like the EIDL, the UMW SBDC has been focused on applying for grants like Rebuild VA, which launched in August for small businesses and nonprofit organizations whose normal operations were disrupted by the pandemic, as well as the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. UMW SBDC even obtained some CARES act grants of their own in order to provide more training and assistance. They grew an initiative called UMW Cares and had professors do one-on-one advising in their areas of expertise for UMW SBDC clients.

The state goal is to serve about 320 different businesses a year, and the UMW SBDC always exceeds that number by serving nearly 500.

While they always tend to be over the goal, COVID has brought more people to them for funding help. So far, the UMW SBDC has helped small businesses apply for $5,650,000 in grants this year.

In the months since the pandemic hit, UMW SBDC director Susan Ball says there have been many lessons learned by her staff. Most of all, they recognize the importance of being flexible and adaptable. “The businesses who figured out how to do contactless deliveries have done well,” she says. “Some downtown shops immediately offered curbside pickup. Once they adapted instead of just closing down, they thrived.

“Everybody has seen the importance of being online,” says Susan.

“Social media has always been important, but the businesses who weren’t already utilizing those platforms are having a harder time finding new customers.”

The UMW SBDC is available to anyone who is thinking about starting a small business, and Susan encourages everyone to visit umw.edu/ sbdc to fill out a request for consulting. “We’re here for you and it’s much better for people to have someone to talk to if they’re thinking of starting a business instead of going out on their own,” she says.

“We are all former business owners, and we love to help and see people succeed.” www.FredericksburgParent.NET 7

Mental Health American Fredericksburg

“There Will Always be Helpers”

WRITTEN BY DIANNA FLETT

When Fred Rogers was inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame in 1999, he shared some advice his mother gave him: “Always look for the helpers. There will always be helpers.” He added, “If you look for the helpers, you’ll know that there’s hope.”

The demands of the past months have tried us all. We are dealing with fears of illness, fears for our children, and unending adjustments to our schedules. We are dealing with the stress and limitations that come from reducing our social interactions. Sadly, the senior population has suffered more than most. They are often bearing the brunt of the pandemic in terms of isolation because of health concerns. One local support system, the Senior Visitors Program of Mental Health American Fredericksburg, Virginia (MHAF) responded to the challenges and demands leveled on their senior clients by the pandemic with determination to continue in their mission to provide companionship to the 115 enrolled members. They are the helpers Mrs. Rogers spoke of to her son—those providing hope.

“Working with seniors at this time is especially challenging. Both the COVID virus and the isolation necessary to protect seniors from getting COVID can have devastating effects. The Senior Visitors Program had to make the difficult decision to suspend in-person, in-home visits. However, it is no surprise that our dedicated volunteers still find ways to stay connected and bring cheer to the seniors they visit,” says Laurie Black, acting program coordinator of the Senior Visitors Program at MHAF. Steve, one local volunteer, got very serious about his behaviors so he could ensure he protected his friend, Chuck, 78 who lives in Fredericksburg.

Steve runs errands for Chuck, who has a hard time getting around because of the pandemic and his mobility limitations.

“Our going out together opportunities diminished, but I didn’t think about stopping. We just learned to adjust our interactions,” he says. Steve switched their connections from the normal weekly calls and outings to routine front porch visits and even more frequent phone calls. Like many of the program’s volunteers, Steve continued their relationship while promoting the healthiest of outcomes for his friend of 14 years.

8 Fredericksburg Parent and Family • Stories of Strength Special Issue

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AND HOW’S THE RESULTING EXPERIENCE, EVEN WITH THE ADJUSTMENTS?

“I feel gifted by his efforts. He makes me feel safe and has reduced the loneliness of it all,” says Chuck.

“Steve helps me set boundaries to wake me up to the dangers of this crisis. We have a trust born from a strong bond of many years. The relationship allows me to give a voice to the stress of it all and gets me out of my own head.”

As Black talks about the program’s volunteers and their response to the challenges of 2020, you can hear her pride and joy in the way the program has shifted since late March. The resilience and grit of those involved to move forward with their mission to support their vulnerable friends have created a lifeline for many in our community.

“One volunteer began writing a weekly newsletter which included photos of projects around his home.

He delivered the newsletter to his senior’s porch,” she says. “They’d call and talk about the work being done and their senior friend offered their inputs as to the projects and ways to work the effort.”

Another volunteer helped celebrate her senior’s birthday by leaving flowers on her doorstep and singing happy birthday to her from the sidewalk. Who doesn’t enjoy being serenaded on their birthday?

There are phone calls, Zoom calls, window visits, socially distanced visits on the porch, etc. At times, the technologies other generations take for granted are brand new to seniors. Things like virtual chat

The demands of the past months have tried us all.

hope starts here.

RAPPAHANNOCK AREA

COMMUNITY SERVICES BOARD

WORKING AT THE INTERSECTION OF HOPE AND HELP.

The resilience and grit of those involved to move forward with their mission to support their vulnerable friends have created a lifeline for many in our community.

540.373.3223

WWW.RAPPAHANNOCKAREACSB.ORG

rooms and Facetime calls may not be on their scope before their volunteers tutor them through the process. One volunteer and her senior choose a movie to watch “together” each week and use the phone to talk about the movie.

When phone calls are not practical because of hearing issues, volunteers stay in contact through extended family members, using notes and cards, and drop-offs of goodies and correspondence at client’s homes. Many volunteers drive by their senior friend’s houses at prearranged times to each other from their windows.

Any connection is important and reminds their clients they are not alone.

MHAF is always looking for more “helpers” to support the spirit and health of our local senior population. Without question, our seniors are benefitting from the ingenuity, strength and dedication of area volunteers. Our volunteers give their clients hope.

In times like these, our community bonding together and giving each other hope is exactly what we need in the New Year.

To find out how to volunteer with the Senior Visitor’s Program or how to send a smile greeting yard sign to anyone you’d like to lift during the new year, visit the MHAF website at mhafred.org, or call the office at (540) 371-2704. www.FredericksburgParent.NET 9

Fredericksburg Academy Giving Spotlight: Golf Tournament

Leading with Strength, Determination and Grit

Friday, October 25th was a wonderful day for FA and students thanks to the incredible golfers who p pated in FA's annual Golf Tournament! Falcon Jessica Addis once again kept the golfers powe on the course with delicious breakfast bags, an generous sponsors teed the day up for success!

Falcon Sponsors:

The Norair Family KGITSEC Giving Spotlight: Golf Tournament The Payne Family Friday, October 25th was a wonderful day for F Bodyworks and students thanks to the incredible golfers who It’s often said that teaching is so hard because Driving Range Sponsor: Calypso Kennels pated in FA's annual Golf Tournament! Falcon it matters so much. We’ve never felt this truth Putting Green Sponsor: Skinkept andthe Spa Boutique Jessica Addis once again golfers pow on the course with delicious breakfast bags, more acutely than throughout the COVID-19 generous sponsors teed the day up for success

pandemic. Fredericksburg Academy has relied on strength, determination, and grit to keep our mission Falcon Sponsors: moving forward throughout theThe pandemic.

Norair Family

KGITSEC First Place Team: Fixture Specialist, Inc

In Honor of:

The Payne Family Thanks to the foresight of HeadBodyworks of School Karen Moschetto, Terry Luce, Keith Larimore, Dave Walzak, Shanno Fredericksburg Academy was ahead the curve in planning DrivingofRange Sponsor: Calypso Kennels Second Place Team: KG ITSEC for remote learning and a safe reopening.

Our teachers Putting Green Sponsor: Skin and and Spa Boutiqu Kevin Joens, Dave Clements, Jay Spitler, Steve C teams have quite simply moved mountains to maintain the Third experience Place Team: at TheFredericksburg Dawson Family 0 t;::: • • of the student learning ---' integrity � (J) .

Bob Dawson, Kyle Dawson, Ron Downs, Nick Hay � CJ) Academy. a

Mr. & Mrs. Alexander George -All FA teachers Mrs. Hope D. Kent -Anne Day Flythe Ms. Jessica M. Cowdin -Archie PoeppelIV Mr. & Mrs. Michael G. Blashford* -Austen Dunn '11 Ms. Amanda L. Gage -Austen Dunn '11 Mrs. & Mr. Brittany Austin* -Beckett and Lola

Mr. & Mrs. Tyler N. Houston* -Brian Hong '10 > Mr. John Neumann - Cambria Neumann Longest Drive: Jim Steve > .-1 Ms. Charla Beckett -Ceeja Beckett '17 C/J April 27, 2020 marked a decade of service to Fredericksburg Academy as Head of School Closest the Pin: Terry Luce i:d CJ) Honor-Charlotte of: Ms. KathyInKirwan Kolodgie First to Place Team: Fixture Specialist, Inc d 1--1 quietly because more pressing April 27, 2020 marked a decade of service to by Karen.

This milestone passed matters prevailed, butWalzak, we Mr. & Mrs.Mr. Chaucer L. Hwang -Chelsea & Mrs. Alexander George -AllHwang FA teachers TheTerry Fixture Specialist, Inc. Team top honor Luce, Keith Larimore, Davetook Shann Mr. William P. 0.

Moss '06 -Class of 2006 Mrs. Hope D. Kent -Anne Day Flythe would now like to invite you to join us in congratulating Karen on ten years and countFredericksburg Academy as Head of School Second Place Team: KG ITSEC Rev. David C.Jessica DrebesM. - Joe Coll -Archie PoeppelIV Ms. Cowdin ing of extraordinary commitment to and exemplary leadership of Fredericksburg Acadby Karen.

Kevin Joens, Dave Clements, Jay Spitler, Steve Mr. & Mrs.Mr. Eli&D.Mrs. Pirozzi -Karen Moschetto Michael G. Blashford* -Austen Dunn '11 work of our teachers.

Amanda L. Gage -AustenFA Dunn '11and well for future generations!emy, and also in recognizing the amazing Mr. & Mrs.Ms. Matias Kennedy - Keeping alive Third Place Team: The Dawson Family t;::: • • 0 ---' & Mr.E.Brittany and Lola Mr. & Mrs.Mrs. James Leahy -Austin* Lucian-Beckett & Alex Santillo � (J) .

Bob Dawson, Kyle Dawson, Ron Downs, Nick H � CJ) & Mrs.T.Tyler N. Houston* -Brian Hong '10 Mr. & Mrs.Mr. Bradley Payne -Lydia Payne a> Mr. John Neumann Cambria Neumann Longest Drive: Jim Steve Ms. MariaI. Turpin -Max McGowan > .-1 CharlaJ.Beckett -Ceeja '17 C/J Mr. & Mrs.Ms. Andrew Sentipal* -My Beckett co-workers Closest to the Pin: Terry Luce i:d CJ) Kathy Kirwan -Charlotte Kolodgie Mr. & Mrs.Ms. Jorge P. Ibarra* -Patty Estes d 1--1 Mr.Diskin* & Mrs. -Sydney Chaucer L. Hwang -Chelsea Hwang The Fixture Specialist, Inc. Team took top hon Ms. Lisa A. Ann Schapel '18 Mr.F.William MossDaw '06 -Class of 2006 Ms. Kelsey Walsh P. '080.-The Brothers Rev. David C. Drebes - Joe Coll Mr.of: & Mrs. Eli D. Pirozzi -Karen Moschetto In Memory Mr. & Mrs. Matias Kennedy - Keeping FA alive and well for future generations!

Mr. & Mrs.Mr. Gerald Phillips & Mrs.Thrasher James E.-Elnora Leahy -P.Lucian & Alex Santillo Mr. & Mrs.Mr. Tyler N. Houston* Dunn Payne '11 & Mrs. Bradley T.-Austen Payne -Lydia Dr. Christopher D. Newman & Dr. Heather L. Newman-Gay Lela Byer, Ms. Maria I. Turpin -Max McGowan loving grandmother Lucy, J.Miles, Lily, and Newman Mr. & Mrs. of Andrew Sentipal* -My Molly coworkers Karen Moschetto has worn many hats during her 24 years at FrederMr. Mike Purello andJorge Ms. Stephanie Hanchey -Austen Dunn '11 Mr. & Mrs. P. Ibarra* -Patty Estes Academy: Athletic Director, Varsity Field Hockey Coach, Head Mr. Alexander G. Kalinowski and Ms.icksburg Retta M. Williams Kalinowski Ms. Lisa A. Diskin* -Sydney Ann Schapel '18 -Sonia Mrs. Carey S.Kelsey Amberger -Paul berger Ms. F. Walsh '08Am -The Daw Brothers of Middle School, Interim Head of School, and now, Head of School.

Mr. & Ms. Robert J. Burnett* -Debbie Cooley Memory of:-Debbie Cooley Other titles also come to mind—counselor, mentor, champion, teacher, Mr. & Mrs.InPaul Higgs* Mr. William Moss '06 -Sharon Mr.P.&0.

Mrs. Gerald Thrasher O'Bannon -Elnora P. Phillips confidant, leader, friend. Karen has undertaken these responsibilities Mr. & Mrs. Tyler N. Houston* -Austen Dunn '11 kindness and strength Dr. Christopher D. Newman with & Dr. Heather L. Newman-Gay Lelasince Byer, her arrival at FA in 1996 and we are loving grandmother of Lucy, Miles, Lily, and Molly Newman fortunate to have been there to experiene all of it. Our family congratuMr. Mike Purello and Ms. Stephanie Hanchey -Austen Dunn '11 Mr. Alexander G. Kalinowskilates and Ms. Retta -Soniadecade Kalinowskias Head of School, and we thank her her onM.anWilliams incredible Mrs. Carey S. Amberger -Paul Amberger for Mr. her& unwavering dedication this community we love. Well done and thank you, Karen. We 12 Ms. Robert J. Burnett* -Debbieto Cooley Mr. benefitted & Mrs. Paul Higgs* -Debbie Cooley have immeasurably from your leadership and are honored to call you our Head of Mr. William P. 0. Moss '06 -Sharon O'Bannon

'.

'.

A DECADE OF LEADERSHIP: 2010 - 2020 FREDERICKSBURG ACADEMYʼS FOURTH AND LONGEST-SERVING HEAD OF SCHOOL

School and our friend. We cannot imagine Fredericksburg Acadey without you!

- Cheryl & Dick Hazel and Family 12 careers on the same day of the same year. Upon our first meeting, I knew she was destined to be Karen and I began our Fredericksburg Academy more than a colleague to me and more than an athletic director to FA. As a leader and a person, Karen has a quiet strength about her; a strength balanced by intellect and compassion. I’ve needed that strength countless times over the years, as has FA. I’ve benefited from that strength countless times over the years, as have we all. It’s been a tremendous honor to work alongside Karen throughout her career and it gives me great joy to celebrate this milestone with her. She’s an extraordinary person, an amazing leader, and a dear friend. Congratulations, Karen!

- Patty Estes, Head of Lower School 10 Fredericksburg Parent and Family • Stories of Strength Special Issue

Sponsored Material

WE HONOR ALL OUR FREDERICKSBURG ACADEMY TEACHERS

Congratulations, Karen, and thank you for all that you have done and continue to do for our students, staff, and community. Teachers, thank you for your superhuman efforts to ensure Fredericksburg Academy Falcons have continued to grow in mind, body, and spirit.

In the spring of 1996, as the interim Head of School or a very young Fredericksburg Academy, I was looking to hire an athletic director. Among several candidates, one stood out. She was an All-American field hockey player with excellent coaching credentials; she was clearly well-educated, well-spoken, and intelligent; and she had a calm, positive manner that impressed all who met her. Hiring Karen Moschetto was a no-brainer!

Now (egad!) 24 years later, FA has benefitted immeasurably from the work of this talented woman in many phases of its life and growth. She continues to lead with integrity, to give of herself in order to bring out the best in others, and to work tirelessly toward high standards for FA. As a fellow educator and friend, I happily add my voice to the cheers and congratulations for Karen on her decade as a gifted and visionary Head of School at FA and look confidently to the next decade!

- Elizabeth B. Hardy

Kellie Amberger (2019-20) Debra Anker Camille Atkins Brittany Austin Tim Barzditis Katelyn Blashford Caroline Burnett Kathryn Crowder Lisa Diskin (2019-20) Angela Dunmire (2019-20) Anthony Durso Cristina Escotto Patricia Estes Jennifer Clark Evans William Evans Eyal Fierst Corey Fischer Dana Fischer David Fischer Amy Flowers (2019-20) Elizabeth Forde (2019-20) Cora Freeman Jennifer Garbutt Deborah Grabfelder Susan Grigg Linnea Haase Diane Harmon Casey Hawkins Karen Higgs Brian Hobbs Kelly Hogan Cheri Hoover Tyler Houston Abigail Ibarra Cathy Keating (2019-20) Joseph Kohlman Darlene Kolotos (2019-20) Zoe Kolotos (2019-20) Chelsea LaMonica Stephen LaMonica

Sarah Larochelle Michele Llufrio Jesica Lontor (2019-20) Rozelle Magee Dolores McCluskey Kimberly McGehee Richard McGrady David Mersiovsky Michelle Midkiff Carmen Mims Kelly Mueller Amy Muraca LeAnn Newman (2019-20) Joey Porcelli James Potter Todd Pristas Amber Pritt (2019-20) Sylvia Raniella (2019-20) Beth Raust Gregory Reed Michele Redding Mirinda Reynolds Patricia Rosnick Leah Ross Mark Rubino Shirley Santulli Zachary Santulli Vincent Schwarz Nancy Sentipal (2019-20) Susan Sims Anne Soybel David Steinberger Ashley Thornton Susan Valentine Gregory Vickrey Lisa Walsh Keith Wamsley Shelley West Rosemary Wilcox Alpana Wilson Nora Wilson Sheila Wimble Jessica Wyatt

www.FredericksburgParent.NET 11

Zion Hill Baptist Church Helps Test for COVID-19 WRITTEN BY AMY TAYLOR On October 8, 2020, Zion Hill Baptist Church partnered with the Fredericksburg Health Department to offer free COVID-19 testing.

They provided 50 tests for parishioners and people in the community.

The health department administered tests for free to patients ages 16 and over for free.

Rev. Dwight Hargrove, the church’s senior pastor, says, “This was a one-time event; however, we are in continuing communication with the health department to be of service for our community.”

The church also gave back to the community in other ways during the holidays during this pandemic.

“As the pastor of Zion Hill, we are about community service; we provided meals for families for Thanksgiving; blessed families with toys and clothes for Christmas. We partnered with Marine Toys for Tots as one of the locations to bless our community as well. In addition, we had several donors donate brand new clothes for Christmas and any time during the year provide help to persons in need.”

540.370.8504

www.pearlfamilydental.com Dr. Saumitra Saravana 754 Warrenton Rd, 103 Fredericksburg, VA 22406

12 Fredericksburg Parent and Family • Stories of Strength Special Issue

“We are about community service...”

Amy Cherry Taylor & Associates

Stay-home Orders Emphasized the Importance of Choosing the Right Home

Sponsored Material

“Relationships are the basis of everything we do,” Taylor said. “It was hard to not be able to see people in person, so we quickly sought ways to adapt so that we could still provide that personalized service people have come to know us for.”

The team doubled down on time spent— virtually—with clients new and old. They put processes in place to create more touch points and check-ins to make sure they understood their buyers and sellers and could advocate for them.

“We realize now more than ever that relationships matter the most. People want to trust who they are working with.

They want to feel protected and know they have an advocate,” Taylor said.

INTERVIEWED BY EMILY FREEHLING

Stay home.

That prescription for combatting the spread of COVID-19 turned homes into multi-purpose venues like never before. Almost overnight, Virginians were learning, working, exercising socializing and shopping without leaving the walls of their abodes.

For Amy Cherry Taylor & Associates of Avery Hess Realtors based in Spotsylvania County, this unique moment in time shone a light on why they do what they do.

“The idea of ‘home’ has always been the core of our business,” Amy Cherry Taylor said. “We don’t see ourselves as selling ‘houses’ or facilitating ‘transactions.’ Our team is here to guide people through that process of finding the place where they feel at home.”

The COVID-19 pandemic was a milestone moment for many people, who used the pause in life as they knew it to take stock of how they could improve their lives with a change of address.

Taylor and her team saw people make all kinds of adjustments to their lifestyles that translated to a new definition of home. Forgoing a daily commute to Washington, D.C., meant that some could move closer to the small-town pleasures of Fredericksburg. A calendar wiped clean of extraneous obligations allowed others to envision spending more time maintaining land, or a swimming pool.

“We have had so many people move for so many different reasons,” Taylor said. “There have been so many redefinitions of what home is and what home means to people.”

Helping people make solid decisions about one of the biggest investments most Americans make is more than just a sales job.

The Amy Cherry Taylor team has always placed a strong focus on building relationships with their clients—more than 80% of whom are repeat business and personal referrals—and forging authentic connections. That became harder when the pandemic turned the face-to-face meeting into a high-risk activity.

Taylor said she worried when she saw people struggling during the shutdown with two opposing factors: a flood of information and opinion, and limited options to connect with trusted experts who could help them sort through the noise—especially as the area housing market heated up.

Taylor wanted to help people make sense of the data, and not get wrapped up in different “expert” opinions.

“We realized how important for it was for us to provide statistics, not just opinions, so that individual buyers and sellers could arm themselves with knowledge, and take some of the emotional stress out of it,” Taylor said.

She started publishing a weekly market report online at fredericksburgmarketreport.com that provides clear and easy-to-read statistics on what has sold over the past month and throughout the year.

“We want people to be able to do the analysis for themselves,” Taylor said.

“This has been very popular among our existing clients, but has also been helpful to people moving in from out of the area. It’s helped build their comfort level in this important decision-making process.”

Because ultimately that decision affects the place that has now become more central to our lives than ever. And making the right decision makes it a pleasure—not a burden—to stay home.

To learn more, visit: amycherrytaylor.com www.FredericksburgParent.NET 13

Germanna Community College

We All Kept Our Eyes on

WRITTEN BY BRANDY CENTOLANZA Like most colleges and universities, Germanna Community College was tasked this year with conducting a virtual graduation ceremony for its students due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Many of us who are graduating today could not have fathomed the challenge that arose during our journey toward achieving academic excellence.”

The fall graduation ceremony, which was taped a few weeks prior to the December 14 graduation, featured a plethora of students, faculty and staff donning the traditional cap and gown and offering inspirational speeches and words of wisdom for the graduating class of 2020. It was an atypical year for college students, especially seniors, as they were forced to quickly switch to online instruction and attempt to meet graduation requirements amidst the chaos of the quarantine because of the pandemic.

LeAndre Blakely, a U.S. Army veteran who graduated in the fall with an associate degree in nursing, was selected as student speaker for the fall virtual commencement.

“What a year,” he told his classmates during the roughly hour-long commencement video. “Many of us who are graduating today could not have fathomed the challenge that arose during our journey toward achieving academic excellence. COVID-19 presented an unprecedented challenge that none of us could have foreseen. It was difficult for all of us. Yet we are here. We all kept our eyes on the goal.”

One of the students who persevered despite the COVID-related challenges was Chris Chira, speaker for the fall virtual nursing and health technologies pinning ceremony.

Chira, the son of Romanian immigrants, served as student nursing council president during his final semester at Germanna. He decided to pursue a career in health care due in part to his older brother, who was born with spina bifida and had to be flown to America for treatment.

“The pandemic definitely made life as a student more difficult,” Chira says. “From learning in a classroom setting to having lectures delivered online it was a difficult transition for a lot of people in my class and for me. Fortunately, we had some professors that were cognizant of that and tried their best to transition us and to constantly motivate and encourage us to do our best despite the obstacles. To those professors, I have utmost respect and am thankful for them for going above and beyond for their students’ success.”

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the

OAL

Chira’s speech for the virtual pinning ceremony focused on the resiliency of his classmates. Chira witnessed peers who struggled to meet graduation requirements because of cancelled clinicals, as well as those who worked in various areas of health care taking care of COVID patients and others who contracted the illness themselves.

“One of the rewards from this year has been seeing how my class has handled this pandemic.”

- Chris Chira, Student nursing council president

“One of the rewards from this year has been seeing how my class has handled this pandemic,” Chira says. “Nursing school was already difficult with a lot of them having families and jobs to support their families. Throw a pandemic on top of a very stressful life trying to balance all the hats people have to wear and it can be very trying as a student. I only have one word to describe this class: resilient.”

Chira virtually addressed a class of roughly 70 nursing students during the 30-minute pinning ceremony. Being chosen as a speaker “is an honor I cannot express. To see this class overcome so many obstacles to get to this point is so inspiring and I could not be prouder of them.”

Among those who also spoke during the fall graduation and nursing pinning ceremonies were representatives from the college board, student services and the Germanna Educational Foundation, as well as Dr. Patricia S. Lisk, dean of Nursing & Health Technologies and Dr. Janet Gullickson, president of Germanna Community College.

Meanwhile, Jessie Harper, student government association president, was the spring virtual commencement speaker.

“Talking about Germanna is one of my favorite things to do because of how much this college means to me,” Harper says. “So, to be asked to be a speaker for the viral ceremony was an absolute honor. I was both excited and terrified.”

Harper turned to Gullickson for inspiration.

“She always speaks from her heart,” Harper says. “That’s how I tried to prepare mentally.

The experience of getting to be a part of the virtual ceremony was phenomenal. It was like many other opportunities that I have been blessed to have had at Germanna: exciting, nerve racking, something I will never forget, and something I will be showing everyone I know because of how cool I think it is.” www.FredericksburgParent.NET 15

Healing the Community From Within WRITTEN BY RHIANNON ELLIS

During a summer of record heat, a worldwide health crisis and explosive civil unrest, one local not-for-profit organization rose to address two pandemics: coronavirus and racism.

Hinesight, a family-owned operation that provides youth mentorships and adult empowerment programs, teamed up with the Fredericksburg Area Museum to put on a program in response to events surrounding and following the death of George Floyd. Every Friday night in June, “A Night of Black Stories” took place in Fredericksburg’s historic Market Square, where keynote storytellers shared their experiences living and leading in communities of color.

After each speaker, the organization’s staff and city leadership shared ways individuals could get involved by making changes at home and within the community through programs at Hinesight and government policy.

“We knew that both black people and white people, and all types of people wanted to do something but the large majority either felt paralysis by polarization or didn’t know what to do,” says Jaraad Hines, executive director at Hinesight.

Hinesight’s mission is to reshape communities of color by permanently uplifting families and individuals from poverty. What originally began as youth-focused is now an all-encompassing approach to empower the entire family by assessing their goals and connecting them with the short-term and long-term resources.

The Fredericksburg Area Museum was honored to create a space for members of the black community to share their perspectives. “The oral histories that were shared at a Night of Black Stories are a part of our community’s history. The FAM plans on preserving these stories for future generations,” says Theresa Cramer, Education and Public Programs Coordinator for the museum.

Another important element of the event was the cohesion between the facilitators and the Rappahannock Area Health Department. They provided support by implementing social distancing measures as well as giving out health information to educate attendees about the coronavirus.

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Health education is an important topic at Hinesight, and one that’s importance has become increasingly more apparent during this pandemic. The effects of health inequity are being played out in real-time as studies continue to show that people of color are at higher risk of contracting the coronavirus. Hinesight’s Getting Ahead program aims to help people understand the roots of certain challenges and how they can overcome them for themselves and future generations.

“What good is it to have a job but either be sick all the time or drowning in medical debt because you are always at the hospital receiving treatment you can’t afford,” says Hines. It is Hinesight’s goal to show their clients how employment and health are equally important.

Through a partnership formed between the organization and the YMCA, graduates of Getting Ahead receive a free one-year membership to their local YMCA branch so they can put into action some of what the course teaches about health and well-being.

Volunteers are the superpower behind their organization.

Volunteer Joan-Diaz Mendez desired to respond to the summer’s unrest that birthed A Night of Black Stories. Their strategy is to have a 3:1 volunteer ratio for each client family.

“We are on a mission to reach 10,000 families, online and in-person,” says Hines.

“Hinesight is empowering everyday people—volunteers—to get involved in the fight to ensure that those who are less fortunate have support systems in place to build their resources.”

If you are interested in joining Hinesight to fulfill their vision of building a community that ensures no one STAYS in poverty, follow them on Facebook or Instagram for more information about their upcoming volunteer-interest sessions.

Insta: @hinesight_fxbg FB: facebook.com/hinesightfxbg

Dogtopia of Fredericksburg

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Dogtopia Provides Dogs Safe Socialization During COVID-19 Dogtopia has COVID-safe procedures in place! Pet parents can use our curbside drop off/pick up; our lobby is limited to three pet parents at a time and masks are required!

We’re proud to be strong supporters of the Dogtopia Foundation and we were honored with the Noble Cause Award at Dogtopia’s 2020 virtual conference! We’ve raised over $18,000 to sponsor three service dogs in training and our goal is to sponsor two more in 2021. Our pet parents are the best for their continued support of the Foundation and helping us reach our goals!

INTERVIEWED BY EMILY FREEHLING

While 2020 social media memes joked that dogs were living their best lives as people hunkered down at home to stop the spread of COVID-19, the pandemic brought big changes for dogs.

Suddenly pandemic life means: • Humans were home all the time, and they were talking to computer screens and didn’t have time to play. And, for some reason barking or jumping on their lap when they were talking was a bad thing!

• Kids were no longer in school and they wanted to play all the time which meant no naptime for the dogs • Vet appointments changed a lot—dogs had to separate from their humans in the parking lot before going in to see the vet.

Through all of these changes, Dogtopia of Fredericksburg remains open, giving pet parents and dogs the same trusted care and socialization they have come to expect since opening in 2014.

“We have been able to stay open and provide a much need service to the community because of our pet parents and their support,” said Lynn Konetschni, owner of Dogtopia of Fredericksburg.

“We’re happy we can be a partner in helping them adjust to their new life routine.”

While COVID-19 has severely limited opportunities for human gatherings and in-person socialization, dogs are able to safely socialize and play. As much as dogs love being with their humans, they are pack animals and the behavior they learn from being with other dogs can’t be replicated when they’re home alone.

“Paired with dogs of similar size and temperament, pups will have a fun-filled day of socializing, interacting with our certified Canine Coaches and burning off all their energy,” said Konetshni.

This means less mischief happening at home.”

Konetschni and her team have experienced another pandemic trend—the puppy adoption boom.

“So many people got puppies during quarantine, and as these puppies reached the age where they could come play with us, we started getting a huge influx of dogs coming to daycare for socialization,” she said. “It’s been rewarding watching these puppies learn and grow into good canine citizens.”

As people start venturing outside of the home, Konetschni advises dog owners to pay attention to how their dogs respond.

“Dogs, young and old, have adjusted to everybody being home all the time,” she said. “When you start leaving again, they may exhibit separation anxiety that might not have existed before. Daycare is a great option to give them socialization and exercise. You’ll pick up a tired but very happy dog.

Interested in scheduling your dog for daycare? Visit: dogtopia.com/fredericksburg www.FredericksburgParent.NET 17

Fredericksburg Area Museum

History is Being Made Every Day … Everyone’s Story Matters

WRITTEN BY BRANDY CENTOLANZA Since the start of quarantine back in the spring of 2020, Fredericksburg Area Museum (FAM) has been collecting stories and artifacts in an effort to archive the coronavirus pandemic’s impact on those in the Fredericksburg community.

“I realized that our community is currently living an historic moment, and that the museum needed to start collecting stories for the future,” explains Theresa Cramer, FAM’s education and public programs coordinator and one of the organizers of the collection project. “Objects tell a story. We want to ensure that today’s community stories and voices are preserved.”

FAM honors the art, culture and history of Fredericksburg and surrounding areas. So far, six items and five stories related to the pandemic have been shared with the museum.

“The project is a work in progress,” Cramer says. “So far, we have heard some great stories from the students at the University of Mary Washington (UMW) who had to leave campus in March, a community member who began a garden at the start of the pandemic and many others. Everyone has their own story.”

The museum encourages anyone and everyone to reach out with their tales of what life has been like for them due to COVID-19.

“Future visitors to the museum will have you to thank for sharing your experiences with them as they work to understand this moment in Fredericksburg history,” Cramer says. “We already had a few people contact us about potential donations.

Fredericksburg Parent magazine has offered us editions published during the pandemic. Some community members have saved distance learning materials and safety signs from UMW.” 18 Fredericksburg Parent and Family • Stories of Strength Special Issue

Cramer also has photos from the museum’s socially-distanced programs and events to add to the collection.

“The museum is saving some of its COVID-related objects like our banner with George Washington wearing a face mask,” she says. “We will not be able to take everything collected but we are looking for objects to help tell the complete story of this time.”

Museum staff are looking for objects and stories with a personal touch.

“As a community museum, FAM is responsible for preserving and interpreting our local history,” Cramer says. “We are all experiencing this year together. But we all bring different perspectives, and we respond differently.”

Cramer keeps busy speaking with potential donors for the collection project and sharing COVID stories from the community on social media.

“We do not have any specific ‘dream objects’ on our list,” Cramer says.

“We are interested in objects that tell a personal story about how our community has faced the pandemic. We don’t want a random mask, but one with a story like a mask worn by a local essential worker.”

As soon as it is safe, the museum will host a Collection Day for community members to bring in any COVID-related items they wish to donate to the project. Dropping off objects without approval is discouraged.

2021family FredParents’

FAVORITES

7th Annual

Coming Soon!

Earlier this year, FAM also encouraged families to capture their own memories from 2020 through an at-home DIY time capsule activity.

“I hope that people realize that history is being made every day and that everyone’s story matters,” Cramer says.

To share stories for the FAM project, email infor@famcc.org. To donate objects, contact Theresa Cramer at tcramer@famcc.org.

Collecting Pieces of History Fredericksburg Area Museum is in the process of obtaining objects to commemorate the year 2020 and the COVID-19 pandemic for future generations. Among the items that have been collected so far or will soon be collected for possible use as artifacts are: ·

Campus safety signs and other materials from the University of Mary Washington

·

Four issues of Fredericksburg Parent & Family featuring stories related to the pandemic

·

Instruction materials from local schools

·

Objects from the museum including a banner and poster of George Washington wearing a mask with the quote “The harder the conflict, the greater the triumph,” and the words “Stay Safe Fredericksburg.” “It’s become our signature image during the pandemic,” says Theresa Cramer, the museum’s education and public programs coordinator.

www.FredericksburgParent.NET 19

Fredericksburg Christian School

Printed Mask Extenders for Area Hospitals

Sponsored Material King held daily virtual meetings with teachers to answer questions and trouble-shoot problems. Both Emily and Brian also helped parents navigate the ins and outs of online learning and addressed any technical issues that popped up. As both Mr. and Mrs. King worked to support all aspects of this new way of conducting school, the couple’s home turned into the tech nerve center of FCS. All the while, Emily and Brian managed the virtual schooling needs of their son, who is deaf-blind.

In addition to addressing the academic need of their students, it was also very important to FCS to keep students engaged and connected, and they actively sought out ways the school could contribute to the broader community response to the pandemic.

Part of the technology curriculum at FCS exposes students to 3D printing as early as kindergarten. When the Kings learned that 3D printers were being used to help augment hospitals’ supplies of personal protective equipment, they saw a role for the school to play.

INTERVIEWED BY EMILY FREEHLING In the midst of adjusting to an abrupt shift to online learning, innovative staff members at FCS led an effort to give back to the community.

In the weeks before schools closed across Virginia to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus, Emily King, Instructional Technology Administrator at Fredericksburg Christian School (FCS), had an inkling that things were about to change.

It may have been at least partly due to reports from her brother, who works for Microsoft in Seattle. As someone living in the area that saw some of first US cases of COVID-19, his reports provided a preview of what was likely on the horizon for the rest of country. Emily remembers him “telling us schools were starting to shut down, making it necessary for educators to quickly adapt and learn new skills.”

King, along with her husband, Brian, who serves as the Director of Technology at the same school, didn’t hesitate to begin work on a contingency plan that could quickly be put in place in the event of a long-term school closure. Within a few days, “we had put together a comprehensive training day that made use of various online learning tools. We wanted to be ready if anything happened,” King recalled.

Their timing could not have been better. “In the middle of our training day, our superintendent announced we were closing.”

While no one knew how long schools would be closed, staff members at the preschool-12th grade school worked through the weekend to make the shift to online learning. By Wednesday of the following week—less that one week after schools closed—FCS was up and running with a virtual version of its full course load. “I was amazed at how our teachers stepped up,” Emily said.

“They didn’t complain, but were committed to learning the strategies and skills necessary to help their students finish the year strong.”

20 Fredericksburg Parent and Family • Stories of Strength Special Issue

As FCS staff, along with some students, contacted local hospitals, a common need emerged: plastic face mask extenders. These extenders make masks more comfortable as they hold the elastics away from the ears.

Using two of the school’s four 3D printers, Emily and Brian began printing the extenders throughout the day on their dining room table. They also set up systems to safely deliver the finished extenders to local hospitals. As a result, FCS provided hundreds of mask extenders to Mary Washington Hospital, Stafford Hospital, and Spotsylvania Regional Medical Center. An additional 500 mask extenders were provided to area doctor’s offices.

Fostering a sense of community—both within and outside of the school—was an important part of maintaining a healthy learning environment at FCS during a school year like no other. This was done not only through service projects like the 3D printing, but also within the school through the distribution of a prayer list to the school community, extending support to students and families, and encouraging collaboration among teachers.

“Building relationships and ministering to the community have always been key priorities at FCS,” King said, “and I’m thankful we were able to work together to support medical professionals on the frontline of COVID response efforts.” She adds, “even when we were unable to be together, we were able to contribute the community in our own way.”

Stafford Junction

Tutoring Kids in Need During COVID-19 WRITTEN BY AMY TAYLOR Stafford Junction, a local faith-based nonprofit that serves high-need children, youth and their families in Stafford County, stepped up to help during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Within 48 hours of our governor closing schools this Spring, Stafford Junction developed and executed our Four-Core Areas of COVID-19 Response to address food insecurity, educational learning loss, knowledge of available resources and virus prevention information,” says Stafford Junction Executive Director and CEO Mark Cartledge.

Their Brain Builders Program helps 40 students, and their enrollment continues to climb.

“We have eight students in the learning lab each day at Stafford Junction. Brain Builders focuses on tutoring students who need extra help and assistance. These same students would fall behind if it were not for our staff and volunteers that provide free tutoring. This is one of the ways we help lift children out of poverty—through education,” Cartledge says.

Beyond tutoring older students, Stafford Junction provides learning resources for preschool children as well.

“When schools close or practice virtual learning, we address educational needs through face-toface tutoring, virtual tutoring and the delivery of educational kits. We have created educational kits for preschool children to combat learning loss during COVID-19. An educational kit is filled with worksheets, learning games and supplies for each preschool child. We provide face-to-face and virtual tutoring for our students at seven area schools,” Cartledge share.

“Our focus may have changed to respond to this public health crisis, however, our mission of serving families who live in poverty and need a critical hand-up has not. We continue to lift kids and families up through education, empowerment and healthy living. Stafford Junction is providing a safety blanket of critical services to our seven low-income neighborhoods during this public health crisis.”

Stafford Junction offers critical services to Olde Forge, Meadows Mobile Home Park, England Run North, The Village at England Run, Jefferson Place, Foxwood Village and Garrison Woods.

Besides the Brain Builders Program, Stafford Junction also provides “Tide Me Over Bags” of shelf-stable food to families experiencing food insecurity; shares knowledge of resources to help families meet their needs, like rent assistance or filing for unemployment; and offers COVID-19 prevention information.

“We could not make the positive impact we do without our staff, volunteers and donors who give of their time, talent, treasure and trust,” Cartledge says.

If you would like to help, there are many ways you can donate.

Visit staffordjunction.org/how-you-can-help/.

If you would like to Adopt A Family or have questions, please contact Rachel Feldman at rfeldman@staffordjunction.org or by phone at 540-993-1760. www.FredericksburgParent.NET 21

Rappahannock Area Community Services Board

Parents are Empowered Through Virtual Early Intervention Services During Pandemic

INTERVIEWED BY EMILY FREEHLING When you’re in the business of helping children overcome developmental obstacles in their first three years of life, 10 months—the amount of time COVID-19 has disrupted daily life so far—is an eternity.

So when in-person, home-based therapy was shut down in March 2020 to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus, the staff of the Parent Education – Infant Development Program (PE-ID) program, part of the Rappahannock Area Community Services Board, took a mere 48 hours to find a way to replicate their services via secure Zoom calls.

“We had never delivered services virtually before—we hadn’t even watched it before,” said Alison Standring, Part C Coordinator of the Infant & Toddler Connection of the Rappahannock Area. “We took a leap of faith. Our staff were fantastic, and families were right there with us.

Here we are several months later, and we are completely in it and it is awesome.”

PE-ID, known to many as “Early Intervention,” has provided multi-disciplinary support to parents and young children in the Fredericksburg area for more than four decades.

Early Intervention provides services for children from birth to age 3 in Stafford, Spotsylvania, Caroline and King George Counties and the city of Fredericksburg. Parents can contact the program directly, and pediatricians and hospitals also refer families to the program, which provides support—from occupational and physical therapists, speech pathologists, educators, and service coordinators—to parents and children.

22 Fredericksburg Parent and Family • Stories of Strength Special Issue

When those services had to transition from in-home visits to Zoom calls, Standring and program coordinator Suzanne Haskell initially worried about being able to continue to deliver effective interventions to keep children’s development on-track.

They were surprised to learn that the virtual delivery of speech therapy, physical therapy and other specialties actually gave parents a confidence they might not have gained if the specialist had been in the home holding the child.

“It has been very empowering for parents, because they don’t have the extra person in their house doing it for them. They are doing it themselves,” Haskell said.

One father who might have been reluctant to get down on the floor with his child in front of a stranger was able to engage with his provider virtually from the privacy of his home and succeed in getting his son to say his first words.

But overall, these virtual offerings have allowed Early Intervention’s providers to deliver continuous services to families during the pandemic, while unlocking new capabilities that will continue to be useful when the crisis is over.

As 2021 begins, Standring and Haskell urge parents not to delay taking their children to see pediatricians for well visits, which are a major source of referrals for Early Intervention services.

“The provider said to me, ‘I don’t know that Dad would have been on the floor that day if it wouldn’t have been on Zoom,’” Haskell said.

A mother was able to follow suggestions from a physical therapist to help her child take their first steps, transforming a moment that would traditionally have involved the therapist holding the child to a bonding experience shared only between mother and child.

“Parents are seeing more of their own influence on their child’s development, as opposed to that provider coming in and having the influence over what is happening with their child,” Standring said.

“I think that is really meaningful for parents.”

She and Haskell also said that these experiences are more easily repeated by parents, meaning that they are more likely to be able to repeat exercises or strategies many times throughout the day when they—and not a visitor to the home— have done the initial work themselves.

The virtual services are possible because Virginia is one of several states that have relaxed rules related to telehealth coverage during the COVID-19 pandemic. Telehealth services are currently approved under Medicaid because of Virginia’s state of emergency. But after seeing the benefits and flexibility these virtual delivery methods offer, there is a growing call to continue telemedicine post-pandemic.

Standring said virtual delivery has allowed Early Intervention to connect families with highly specialized providers outside of the Fredericksburg area, to continue to provide services when families travel, and to work around ever-changing schedules as school and work hours have shifted during the pandemic.

It hasn’t been without its limitations. Some families served by Early Intervention do not have internet access. Some have had limited connectivity when multiple older children must attend virtual school during the day. There will always be some aspects of services that must be delivered in-person.

The American Academy of Pediatrics has been sounding the alarm throughout the pandemic that pediatric well visits have declined to a level that poses serious health risks to children who are not being screened for developmental delays, given important immunizations or other health services.

In the Fredericksburg region, Early Intervention staff have seen a decline in referrals from pediatricians because of this trend. Standring said referrals ticked up in the summer when parents felt more comfortable going out to a doctor’s appointment, but that level subsided again toward the end of the year.

This trend—combined with other important experiences children are missing right now—is worrisome for Standring and Haskell.

“We think there is going to be a big group of children that have some developmental hiccups because they don’t get to go to playgrounds, they don’t get to climb and they don’t get to run,” Haskell said. “They’re not seeing other kids, going to story times and daycares and other important experiences at this age.”

Standring said parents with concerns about children ages birth to 3 should not hesitate to call 540-372-3561 to talk about a screening. Parents who have questions can find developmental milestones posted on the RACSB website at https://rappahannockareacsb.org/portfolio/earlyintervention/.

“Ten months out of a little one’s life is a long time,” she said. “We want to maximize what is going on in those first three years.”

PARENT EDUCATION – INFANT DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM A service of the Rappahannock Area Community Services Board 540-372-3561 • 877-268-4169 (toll-free) Rappahannockareacsb.org

www.FredericksburgParent.NET 23

Robert B. Payne

Safety Was Paramount While Keeping Homes Comfortable for Quarantine

INTERVIEWED BY EMILY FREEHLING Robert B. Payne has always taken very seriously the trust customers put in its workers when they welcome them into their homes to install or service heating and air conditioning equipment. The Fredericksburg company celebrated 90 years in business in 2020. Over that time period, the family-run company has seen many changes as it evolved from delivering wood and ice to local homes by horse and buggy in 1930 to providing state-of-the-art solutions to residents’ indoor comfort needs in the 21st century.

Stay-home orders meant people were now in their homes more than ever—and many started to realize they needed to upgrade or replace their home air systems during this time.

When the COVID-19 pandemic fundamentally changed life for everyone in the Fredericksburg region, Robert B. Payne’s team continued working. March and April—when the virus began spreading rapidly in the U.S.—are a busy season for air system tune-ups, installations and other important work.

Robert B.P. Thompson, who now leads the company his grandfather founded, said the company immediately put measures in place to protect customers and employees.

Now, more than ever, it would be critical for Robert B. Payne’s technicians to show customers they could trust them to safely work in their homes.

“We kept training, we kept encouraging,” Thompson said.

24 Fredericksburg Parent and Family • Stories of Strength Special Issue

“We were very liberal on sick leave and said we don’t want you to come to work if there is any symptom or any question whatsoever.”

Workers learned new protocols for wearing masks and other protective gear in customers’ homes. Trucks were wiped down regularly, tools were cleaned and technicians were instructed to wipe down any surface they touched in a customer’s home.

In the office, staff members spread out and increased cleanings. Working with local health officials, the company developed a set of questions about potential COVID exposure to ask customers before sending a tech into the home.

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For one COVID-positive customer whose heat went out, workers found a way to diagnose and fix the problem from outside the house.

“I am so thankful for the team we have...it is our privilege to continue to move forward in serving our community” But because Robert B. Payne provides emergency service to those without heat or air, the company had to find ways to continue to serve customers in need, even when the risk was high. For one COVID-positive customer whose heat went out, workers found a way to diagnose and fix the problem from outside the house.

The company made portable window units available to customers when it couldn’t get to their needs immediately.

Stay-home orders meant people were now in their homes more than ever—and many started to realize they needed to upgrade or replace their home air systems during this time.

“We were inundated,” Thompson said. “It was kind of a double-edged sword—we had all this work to do, but we were putting guys in harm’s way every day.”

As the pandemic wore on, Thompson acknowledges that the stress level of his employees rose. The company doubled down on training and re-training employees in how to be safe at a time when many people didn’t want to leave their homes.

“We as a management team said, ‘Should we keep going or should we shut down?’” he remembers. “Everybody said no. We can’t live in fear. We have to move forward.”

Thompson said he won’t forget the 65-year-old salesman who continued to meet with customers to give proposals, despite the risks.

“He was exposed to more people than anybody in the company,” he said. “I never heard a single complaint.”

As spring gave way to summer, Thompson said technicians worked in hot attics while keeping their face masks on.

Thompson praised the Rappahannock Area Health District for the guidance it gave the company to help it continue to work safely.

But as COVID-19 spread in the community, inevitably some members of the staff were affected.

When one technician tested positive, Thompson said it effectively took 20 percent of the company’s installation workforce out of commission for the 14-day quarantine period, in the midst of its busiest season.

Still, Thompson said he feels lucky that more of his staff haven’t had to quarantine, and that the cases that have occurred have reinforced to staff members how important the new safety protocols are.

He’s also thankful for how supportive the Fredericksburg community has been throughout the crisis.

“I am so thankful for the team we have,” Thompson said. “It is our privilege to continue to move forward in serving our community.”

To learn more, visit www.robertbpayne.com. www.FredericksburgParent.NET 25

Helping Girl Scouts, Local Families and Friends Abroad WRITTEN BY AMY TAYLOR The Rappahannock Rotary Club has been helping members of our community and communities around the world since 1985. So, it came as no surprise when the COVID-19 pandemic hit they stepped up to assist people in need. Among their service projects this year they helped distribute unsold Girl Scout cookies, delivered meals to local families and donated ventilators to hospitals in Ecuador and Guatemala.

“The Girl Scouts were limited in how they have traditionally sold cookies as an annual fundraiser and were therefore left with a lot of unsold cookies. So, they came up with the idea of distributing the unsold cookies to first responders, hospitals, food banks and other non-profit organizations, but did not want to call on their Scouts and families to bear the delivery burden as that would expose them to the virus,” Rappahannock Rotary President Darryl Barnes says.

The club initially identified organizations who could benefit from the cookies and committed to delivering half of a tractor-trailer load. As the ball got rolling on this project, they helped more than they anticipated.

“Once we got our members in motion, it turned out that we were able to identify and deliver the entire truckload across our community. Our volunteers handled all the logistics and deliveries in a socially distanced fashion,” says Barnes.

VENTILATOR DONATIONS TO ECUADOR AND GUATEMALA

Along with other clubs and Rotary International, Rappahannock Rotary Club sent funds to Ecuador and Guatemala to purchase ventilators their hospitals desperately needed during this time.

“We have a very strong International Service Committee that is expert in navigating the ‘red tape’ inherent in these processes and combined our local talents with other clubs around America and the clubs with whom we have connections in Ecuador and Guatemala, based on the assistance we have provided to them in the past. In short, our club donated some of the funds that we have raised and combined that with funds from other clubs and Rotary International,” says Barnes.

FINDING NEW WAYS TO HELP DURING THE PANDEMIC

As the pandemic stretches into 2021, the club continues its normal work, even amid the COVID ‘disruption.’

“We are still building things, delivering dictionaries to every third-grade student in Spotsylvania county schools, as well as providing funding for teachers, schools and other non-profit organizations. We have to engage in these projects a little differently, due to the virus, but we continue to get them done. We have the ‘will,’ and we are finding the ‘way’ to continue to provide a positive impact on our community,” shares Barnes.

MEAL DELIVERY TO HELP LOCAL RESTAURANTS STAY AFLOAT

During the early portion of COVID-19, when restaurants were operating under more restrictions, the new Satellite Club had the idea to help keep our local restaurants in business.

“The goal was to help connect downtown restaurants with folks that did not wish to venture from their homes for meals. Ultimately, it benefitted the restaurants by selling additional meals, and allowed folks to have delicious meals without venturing outside their homes,” states Barnes.

In addition to this meal delivery program, they also delivered Thanksgiving meals to families in need that were identified by their club.

26 Fredericksburg Parent and Family • Stories of Strength Special Issue

THE CLUB ENCOURAGES PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY TO JOIN THEM IN SERVICE PROJECTS.

“You do not have to be a member of Rotary to support our work. We invite folks to attend our meetings and engage in our physical service projects. Once you see Rotarians at work, you typically feel the energy emanating from our members, and many folks decide to join our club. We have 35 years of success that we build upon, which has also made our club one of the largest in Virginia,” he says.

Grymes Memorial School

Grymes Teachers Worked Through Pandemic to Ensure Student Progress Continued

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Activities like these are indicative of the emphasis Grymes places on getting children into the outdoors to learn—something that continued when in-person classes resumed in September on the school’s 42-acre campus overlooking the Blue Ridge Mountains in Orange County.

After celebrating graduating eighth graders with a virtual graduation ceremony and reception, Brand and his team turned their focus to getting students and teachers back to campus in the fall.

One blessing of the closures was the fact that an empty building allowed Grymes to move forward with school renovations that included new flooring, touchless water fountains, new ceilings, lights and sprinkler system.

The school offered a two-week program free of charge to its students in late August that brought them back to campus three hours a day for four days a week for review and enrichment that would get them ready to hit the ground running in the new school year.

INTERVIEWED BY EMILY FREEHLING While the novel coronavirus transformed daily life for students in the spring of 2020, it didn’t change the underlying priorities that define learning at Grymes Memorial School in Orange County.

From learning to teach virtually, to holding graduation via Google Meet, to rolling out a new math program alongside back-to-school CDC protocols, staff, teachers and families at Grymes in 2020 focused on keeping students engaged and progressing academically while maintaining school community bonds.

“I am proud of the way our community rallied together,” said Head of School Jonathan Brand.

“Parents were incredibly understanding and supportive. Our teachers were heroic in their efforts to finish out the year as well as we could. Our students adapted very well, although it was hard for them, and they missed their friends and teachers.”

With 150 students in junior kindergarten through eighth grade and an average of 15 students per class, Grymes was well-positioned to provide individual attention to students and families when Virginia schools closed abruptly in spring 2020. It would be weeks before anyone knew that campuses would not reopen before the end of the school year.

In that time, Brand said, teachers built an engaging virtual learning program that would continue students’ progress in key academic areas without tying them to screens for too long each day.

Regular class meetings became important check-in times for students, and teachers put together activities designed to build community.

One teacher’s short video about birdwatching led families across the school to make a habit of looking for birds in their own yards each day and sharing their discoveries with the school community.

Another teacher’s video about hiking the Appalachian Trail started the school on a goal to collectively hike 554 miles—the length of the Virginia portion of the trail. The 52 participants ended up covering 1,269 miles.

“It was well-received by our parents and it did serve that purpose of ensuring that students were academically prepared,” Brand said.

It also gave everyone a trial run with the safety protocols that made on-campus learning possible. This helped ease some of the anxiety about coming back in-person.

In addition to learning the safety protocols necessary for returning to school, Grymes teachers worked over the summer to prepare to start the new year with a new math program that the school believes will better prepare students for real-world math applications and give them a deeper understanding of the concepts behind mathematical operations.

Singapore Math launched in the fall, and Brand credits teachers for continuing with its rollout despite all the other added responsibilities they had during the pandemic.

“Our teachers really wanted to adopt this new program,” he said. “It really teaches students to understand and articulate the math concepts they are learning, and it fits very well with our school’s philosophy and approach to instruction.”

That approach in 2020 was defined not

by COVID-19, but by working through ever-changing limitations to deliver quality, engaging learning.

To learn more, visit grymesschool.org www.FredericksburgParent.NET 27

The Pandemic & Education:

How Area Public School Teachers Adapted on the Fly WRITTEN BY LENORA KRUK-MULLANAPHY The coronavirus extended its tentacles in every part of our lives last March, and one area that’s been turned upside down is education. Computers have replaced schools, and wherever students log in is the classroom.

Fredericksburg area teachers shared their thoughts on virtual learning and what they’ve found in this unique situation.

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

The first reaction to virtual learning for Christina Koerper, a Virginia Preschool Initiative/ Pre-K teacher at Riverview Elementary School, was panic, worry and sadness for her students. She worked with them all year to build connections and relationships, and they were making wonderful progress.

When schools first closed, she thought it meant a few weeks to a month.

Since then, Koerper has had to learn how to use Google Classroom and Meets. She’s had to be creative and work harder to build working relationships with parents, since she’d be counting on them to do what she couldn’t in person.

“I don’t think virtual learning is for everyone,” she says. “Some students may do better, while some don’t. It’s difficult with preschoolers because they need an adult to sit with them at the computer and guide them when doing asynchronous work.”

For Koerper, the experience has increased her technology ability, particularly because she had no choice but to learn so much in a short time. She will never take in-person learning for granted because some things are hard to teach and experience virtually, especially with preschoolers where there’s a lot of hands-on exploring and learning.

28 Fredericksburg Parent and Family • Stories of Strength Special Issue

MIDDLE SCHOOL

Dave Yablonski, science teacher at Dixon Smith Middle School, says in the virtual classroom he and his colleagues are discovering, sharing and implementing an array of technological opportunities.

“I’ve had to video some of the demonstrations I’d normally do during class to solidify students’ understanding of them, and virtual labs had to replace hands-on ones,” he says.

Yablonski uses collaboration for a third or more of his class. The opportunity for students to work together on warm-up questions, labs and assignments is gone.

Even the best platforms, he says, just don’t engage everyone.

While he understands the need to be virtual, Yablonski says he doesn’t like it. He finds it hard to get to know his students and believes that building relationships with them is the foundation for successful teaching.

It’s especially hard when video is muted, and he can’t get a student to participate in a virtual activity. The transition times, such as homeroom, where teachers get to know students outside the classroom, are gone.

Yablonski knows all sides of the situation—the teachers and students—are doing the best they can, but virtual learning is just not meaningful like in-person learning.

He feels that students are missing out on a lot more than academics.

HIGH SCHOOL

James Noll, a Courtland High School English teacher, was just a little surprised when schools closed because of coronavirus, but he thought it would be the entire school year.

“Face-to-face instruction is hands down the best way to teach and learn,” says Noll. “While online assignments are a good stop-gap method, they’re in no way equal to interaction between students and teachers.”

Amy Hamm, a U.S. History and Sociology teacher at Stafford High School, was first overwhelmed by the number of new systems and programs teachers had to learn in a short time. Once she learned the basics, it became rewarding. It led her to make a conscious decision to be positive about the situation.

Knowing what the coronavirus numbers were and listening to news reports, Hamm knew school wouldn’t be back last year. However, she thought students would be back with a hybrid model in August.

By tweaking her curriculum to make it “online friendly,” Hamm switched from using worksheets to Google Suite so students could fill work in online.

...they’re willing to try new things and are open-minded... ...the virtual setting has allowed students who rarely participate in class to shine.

I’ve seen a lot of hope and kindness...

They’re making the best of it...

“I’ve tried hard to maintain my personality through online learning, which is much different because students often don’t interact,” she says. “It feels much more like I’m center stage reading a monologue. It’s taken time to get students comfortable enough to write ‘I don’t know’ in the chat, because usually I can tell on their faces.”

Communication with students is different virtually. Hamm finds she’s emailing much more often than she imagined at many different hours. She wants to ensure students and parents get the information and answers they need, so her day doesn’t stop when she walks away from the computer. Hamm tries to let her students and parents realize how much she cares about them, just as if they were back in the classroom.

“I’ve noticed students who are successful in the virtual environment are the ones who typically are successful in the in-person classroom,” says Hamm. “Students who are self-motivated tend to work better in this setting. Those who struggle with organizational skills have also done much better because they don’t have to find a specific piece of paper. They can find everything they need by searching their Drive or Canvas.”

The new way of teaching has shown resilience in students, teachers and parents. Hamm says she’s amazed by how much has been tackled and overcome in a short amount of time, completely overhauling education as we know it. She’s able to see what a change, when necessary, can do to provide an equitable learning environment for all.

Natalie Griffiths, World History and Government teacher at Stafford High School, found it surreal when she was told to pack up classroom materials in March. She initially thought it would be an extra week of spring break, which seems laughable to her now that she knows about coronavirus.

Griffiths was lucky to have a set of Chromebooks at school for classes, and most of her materials had a digital version plus hard copy. The transition to virtual learning has been less about creating new materials and more about finding new ways to increase engagement and how to migrate from the Google Classroom platform to Canvas.

While she loves virtual learning, Griffiths says she’d prefer to be in the classroom with students.

“My students are getting to explore history in new ways we may not have thought to try until we were thrust into this setting,” she says. “They’ve gone on virtual field trips, listened to lectures from historians and created their own empires. The big thing is they’re willing to try new things and are open-minded with this new experience.”

While it isn’t ideal, the virtual setting has allowed students who rarely participate in class to shine.

It’s removed many distractions of brick-and-mortar teenage drama. While students may lose some socialization, they’re connecting through virtual clubs.

“I’ve seen a lot of hope and kindness in this environment that these age groups weren’t willing to express face to face,” says Griffiths. “They’re making the best of it by bringing the things they love about their homes into the virtual classroom, such as pets becoming class mascots.”

www.FredericksburgParent.NET 29

Mary Washington Healthcare

With the Community’s Help, Mary Washington Hospital Rose to the Pandemic Challenge

HELP POURS IN

“Food started rolling in,” recalls Meri Jones, who at the time worked as executive assistant for Mary Washington Healthcare’s chief human resources officer.

INTERVIEWED BY EMILY FREEHLING As the world came to grips with the severity of the novel coronavirus in February and March of 2020, so much was unknown. But as it became clear that the Fredericksburg region needed to prepare for rising cases of COVID-19, Anita Shell, DNP, RN, CENP, knew the unit she leads at Mary Washington Hospital would play a major role in coordinating needed care.

Shell, who is the director of the Medical Surgical Care Center at Mary Washington Hospital, knew that the renal respiratory unit she oversees would be caring for many COVID-19 patients.

“Everything was unknown,” Shell remembers, “But we knew we needed to work together to ensure we had good clinical practice guidelines. We had to ensure that our staff was put in a position to be successful in caring for this vulnerable population.”

ALL EYES ON THE HOSPITAL

The COVID-19 pandemic put Fredericksburg’s locally owned, not-for-profit health system in the forefront of public discussions of how the community should respond to a new and highly contagious respiratory virus that changed life as people knew it across the globe.

Through open letters to the community, live town hall meetings and other venues, Mary Washington Healthcare President and CEO Mike McDermott, M.D., MBA urged community members to stay home, socially distance, wash hands, wear masks and take other practical measures to slow the spread of the virus.

“We must do this together,” he urged in a March 23 letter. The community heeded that advice.

Individuals, schools, businesses, churches and groups from all over the Fredericksburg region immediately began looking for ways to help support the area’s healthcare workers.

30 Fredericksburg Parent and Family • Stories of Strength Special Issue

“We had food donations daily, multiple times a day,” Jones said. “The community support we had was huge.”

She and others in the executive office coordinated to log and track each donation, and ensure it got to workers across all of Mary Washington Healthcare’s locations in the Fredericksburg region.

“We were able to take it in and make it work,” she said. “Everybody got a little treat at least once.”

A major challenge brought by the pandemic during the spring and summer of 2020 was supplying healthcare workers with sufficient personal protective equipment.

In April, Mary Washington Healthcare challenged the community to donate 5,000 hand-made masks to keep workers safe as cases surged.

“Our community was amazing and went above and beyond—we got more than 10,000 masks,” Jones said.

The hospital’s supply chain team worked to distribute the masks, coordinating with teams at Mary Washington Hospital,

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Stafford Hospital, the Outpatient and Emergency Center at Lee’s Hill and other locations.

Mary Washington Healthcare collected enough masks that the healthcare system was able to distribute some to outside community groups, including the Rappahannock Regional Jail.

Early in the pandemic, the A. Smith Bowman Distillery donated hundreds of bottles of hand sanitizer to be used wherever they were needed.

Mary Washington Healthcare’s Innovation Council brainstormed the best way to distribute the sanitizer, and once volunteers and Project Search student interns were allowed back into the hospital in August, they helped fill and label 10-milliliter bottles with this locally made sanitizer for distribution at hospital entrances.

“They were taking care of the patients... we had to make sure we took care of them.”

A MISSION TO CARE

For Mary Washington Healthcare employees, 2020 was defined not by fear but by pride.

“We pride ourselves on caring for our community, and we did that,” Shell said. “This pandemic has stretched us outside of our comfort zone. We have taken on new things, and we have learned from it.”

SUPPORTING HEALTHCARE WORKERS

Jones was impressed at how the entire organization banded together as a family would to respond to the crisis.

“They were taking care of the patients,” Shell said. “We had to make sure we took care of them.”

“COVID-19 has drastically changed our world in many, many ways,” she said. “It’s times like these that you see that we are all in this together.”

As the pandemic shut down schools and led individuals to sequester in their homes, healthcare workers still needed support as they came to work every day.

Jones and her colleagues sent out surveys to gauge the need for childcare among employees.

Shell said it was important to make sure nurses and other workers had some form of work-life balance and could talk about their own fears of catching or spreading the virus.

As the 2020-21 school year opened to 100% virtual learning across the Fredericksburg region, Mary Washington Healthcare’s childcare facility, Kids’ Station, stepped up to help families with school-age childcare and the needs of virtual learners.

In September, Kids’ Station teachers set up virtual learning stations to provide daily support for the various needs of more than 20 kindergarten through fifthgrade children within the center, which serves healthcare workers and other members of the community. www.FredericksburgParent.NET 31

DaVita Kidney Care

Giving Light and Life to Vulnerable Patients WRITTEN BY RHIANNON ELLIS DaVita Kidney Care’s mission of helping people towards better health has never been more obvious than during the coronavirus pandemic.

Its health care professionals remain are on the front lines providing dialysis treatments to over 200,000 End-stage Renal Disease patients worldwide, some of whom are COVID-19 positive. There is no way around it; ESRD patients require treatments three times a week. One missed treatment could lead to hospitalization and negatively affect their mortality.

“Our commitment is to our patients,” says Jai-Leah Kamenicky, facility administrator at DaVita. “We have not closed or decreased capacity at any of our facilities.” DaVita has over 2,600 locations—two in Fredericksburg—and serves 11 countries.

DaVita aims to keep patients out of the hospital, but it’s even more concerning with hospitals’ resources and staff stretched thin.

“We believe the best treatment for our patients is in their home facilities with the nurses, patient care technicians, social workers and dietitians who know them best,” says Kamenicky. Each patient is carefully monitored to reduce their risk of hospitalization through frequent lab and medication reviews, as well as follow-ups with their primary care physician.

Though DaVita is committed to the health of its patients, it is equally dedicated to its employees. Davida has implemented a thoughtful approach to supporting its staff during this time, which includes emergency backup childcare and elderly care, and an Employee Assistance Program designed to provide emotional support and answers to questions about resources. “We are all one village working hard together to provide great care to our patients,” says Kamenicky.

Sufficient access to face masks and other personal protective equipment remains an ongoing concern amongst medical personnel. PPE is constantly monitored to ensure no DaVita facility is ever lacking. This is vital at their COVID-positive cohort facilities where patients who have tested positive receive their treatments. Working shifts at these facilities is optional for DaVita employees.

“We have some fabulous teammates who have stepped up and volunteered to work COVID-positive shifts,” says Kamenicky. One such teammate is longtime DaVita employee and patient care technician Stevie Rose Martinez Maez.

“I felt it necessary to do as much as I possibly could for my patients, my tea and my community,” says Maez, who credits her faith as one of the things that keep her going and helps her to stay positive.

DaVita is Italian for “giving life,” something the company and Maez take to heart.

32 Fredericksburg Parent and Family • Stories of Strength Special Issue

“We have some fabulous teammates who have stepped up and volunteered to work COVID-positive shifts

“I don’t have to worry about whether or not what I‘m doing with my life is making a difference because each day that I go to work, I am helping someone to stay alive just a little bit longer,” she says.

The company has earned several recognitions, including being named as a distinguished member of the 2019 Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index for its efforts in gender equality, and for 13 years it has made the list of Fortune’s World’s Most Admired Companies.

For teammates like Maez, the greatest honor is the life they give.

“My biggest reward is watching the patients recover.

Nothing makes me happier than seeing a patient able to go back home to their families and loved ones,” Maez says.

Community Bank of the Chesapeake

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540-940-2202 • 925 William Street But despite all of this physical distancing, the Fredericksburg community’s ties became stronger than ever, as volunteers distributed meals, beautified downtown streets and performed count1 Cellless phone protection, personal identity protection, and buyer’s protection and extended warranty are subject to other acts of kindness. additional terms and conditions.

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3 Participating on BaZing are not sponsors of the program, are subject to change without notice, may not APART, merchants BUT NOT ALONE beItavailable in alltoregions and may choose to limit deals. was a joy participate in Fredericksburg VA Main Street’s efforts to lift spirits. From decorating downtown windows at the onset of the pandemic shutdowns in March, to participating in the “to-go” version of Main Street’s annual Downtown Affair dinner, to decorating scarecrows for Halloween and posting riddles for Holidays in the Burg, Downtown Fredericksburg kept us smiling in 2020.

When it became clear that spring shutdowns were hitting restaurantsGrocery particularly hard, we saw a way to help through shoppingour Cash Mobs. A Cash Mob is an organized group of bank employees who visit a business on a set day and time, and spend an allotted amount of funds, donated by the Bank, at the chosen business.

We Oil ran a Digital Cash Mob in early April changes that encouraged people to place takeout

orders at their favorite local restaurants by contributing $5 toward eachPrescriptions order at any of eight participating restaurants in the Fredericksburg area.

Later in the spring, we were excited to be able to return to in-person Cash Mobs—with social distancing—and ran several throughout the year, including a Small Business Saturday Cash Mob on Nov. 28 that supported four different Dinner tonight Downtown Fredericksburg businesses.

HEART OF THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY

Banking where and when you need it It was hard to have to shut down our lobbies during Virginia’s stay-home order in spring 2020, but in June, we welcomed customers back into our Downtown Fredericksburg branch, with heightened health and safety protocols.

Many people discovered our robust online banking options as they sought ways to limit contact during the pandemic. We are proud to offer the sophisticated mobile banking options of a larger bank, with the personal service of a small local business.

“Community Bank of the Chesapeake stepped up for our business and community by expeditiously completing our PPP loan application and assisting us in immediate funding that, in part, saved our business,” said April Peterson, owner of River Rock Outfitters located at 215 William St. “While larger banks were struggling to execute the PPP guidance, the Community Bank team was ready and capable to support small businesses in saving their dream.”

Despite the distancing that 2020 required of us all, 2020 was a year of coming together in Fredericksburg. We have been inspired by all of the ways individuals and businesses in this community rallied to support each other during the pandemic. We know great things are to come as we recover, because we are all #FXBGStrong.

Payroll Protection Program (PPP) loans were a lifeline that kept many small businesses alive—but the loan process was complicated and difficult to navigate. Community Bank of the Chesapeake was thankful to be able to play a role in helping small businesses access these loans quickly, getting the cash they needed to keep their doors open.

www.FredericksburgParent.NET 33

Rappahannock Area Community Services Board

Everybody Came Together

RACSB is proud of the community collaboration that got food to those who needed it during the pandemic

Planning District 16, which includes Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania, Stafford, Caroline and King George counties.

INTERVIEWED BY EMILY FREEHLING When the Kenmore Club—a program of the Rappahannock Area Community Services Board— was forced to close its in-person operations offering psychosocial rehabilitation to individuals with persistent mental illness due to the COVID-19 pandemic, then-director Amy Jindra at first thought it was a brief pause in normal operations.

But from that mid-March day on, as shutdowns across the state and nation became longer-term, Jindra realized that the pandemic would impact not only the mental health needs of her clients, but also their basic need for sustenance.

Under normal operations, the Kenmore Club provides breakfast and lunch to its community members—two meals that would not be served amid the shutdown.

This was just one example of the impact that the shutdown of schools, businesses, nonprofits and other groups would have on food access for people in need.

As she looked around the community in spring 2020, Jindra learned that food banks were experiencing shortages, and that Micah Ecumenical Ministries was having to curtail its meals—a move that would impact many of Kenmore Club’s downtown members.

“All of a sudden, three meals a day are gone,” she said.

By late March, it was clear that business as usual wasn’t going to resume any time soon. The Kenmore Club began packing lunches out of its commercial kitchen and driving them to members throughout 34 Fredericksburg Parent and Family • Stories of Strength Special Issue

“It meant almost half of our workday was dropping food off,” she said.

Other community groups, such as the Fredericksburg Area Food Bank and S.E.R.V.E. in Stafford County, began to report shortages and a downturn in donations.

As a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Jindra had heard that the church had a supply of food from its farms and dairies that it was making available to groups around the country in need. She contacted her bishop and asked if it would be possible to get donations for the Fredericksburg area.

“Within a week, I was being contacted by our church’s distribution center, and they told me they could bring 37,000 pounds of canned goods,” Jindra said.

As she quickly learned, it takes a team effort to distribute that much food to those who need it.

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Several of RACSB’s programs became distribution points when Virginia Community Food Connections helped the Table at St. George’s Episcopal Church distribute crates of locally grown fresh produce throughout the community.

Borst said Virginia Community Food Connections got to work with many new partners as it helped The Table distribute fresh produce at 10 different sites around the region.

The first need was a loading dock equipped with forklift operators where a giant tractor-trailer could unload the 17 pallets of food bound for Fredericksburg.

A colleague reached out to HDT Global, which offered the use of its Spotsylvania County warehouse and loading dock.

“They had a great space and cleared it all out for us and were able to have forklift drivers unload the food,” Jindra said.

The challenge of how to get the food to those who needed it brought Jindra in touch with a wide array of groups in the Fredericksburg region who were seeing the need first-hand.

Working with Elizabeth Borst of Virginia Community Food Connections, a group that coordinates food needs and resources through the Fredericksburg Food Access Forum, Jindra became aware of a much larger network of groups that serve people’s needs.

During this time when financial stress was hitting households as businesses cut workers and paychecks disappeared, many of these groups collaborated to find the best routes to get the food to individuals—even if it meant bypassing their specific organization.

“Everyone’s focus was on getting it to people, not to a specific group,” she said.

In all, the food ended up going to 18 different organizations, representing a broad array of nonprofits serving those in need in the Fredericksburg community.

Jindra enlisted her colleagues at RACSB and family members to help coordinate the distribution, dividing the food up and making sure groups got a good selection of the different items—from beef stew to tomato sauce to sugar and flour—to help people build complete meals.

Volunteers organized the food and scheduled organizations’ time slots to allow for social distancing, and within two days, all 37,000 pounds had been sent out in various directions across the Fredericksburg region.

“We realized we had put more than 18 tons of food out in the community,” Jindra said. “We were smiling and happy. It was a neat thing.”

The collaboration necessary to distribute that amount of food continued to pay dividends as the pandemic wore on.

She hopes the collaboration can be a catalyst to help the Fredericksburg region build a stronger safety net for combatting food insecurity going forward.

“How, as a community, do we look around and say, ‘Where are the needs and how do we connect them?’” she said.

Jindra, who has since transitioned to lead RACSB’s Program for Assertive Community Treatment, said it was fulfilling to see different community groups come together.

“It was an interesting time when thinking outside of the box had to happen,” she said.

The following organizations received part of the 37,000-pound food donation brought to Fredericksburg in April by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: • S.E.R.V.E. Inc., of Stafford County • Fredericksburg United Methodist Church • Virginia Cooperative Extension of Caroline County • Community Ministry Center of Fredericksburg • Micah Ecumenical Ministries • Fredericksburg Area HIV/Aids Support Services • Healthy Generations Area Agency on Aging • King George Public Schools • Beth Shalom Temple • RACSB Programs: - Mental Health Case Management - Parent Education Infant Development - Healthy Families - Mental Health Residential Services - Kenmore Club - Child and Adolescent Services - Program for Assertive Community Treatment To learn more, visit www.rappahannockareacsb.org

www.FredericksburgParent.NET 35

Fredericksburg VA Main Street

Floating Businesses During the Pandemic WRITTEN BY ERIN FRYER When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in March 2020, some of the first businesses to feel the intense economic impact were the small businesses on Main Streets across the United States, and downtown Fredericksburg was no exception.

Lucky, they have Fredericksburg Virginia Main Street (FVMS). FVMS is a chapter of the Main Street America Program, an initiative originated by the National Trust for Historic Preservation that focuses on the revitalization of traditional downtowns to enhance the appearance and economic stability of the commercial district, and to improve community pride and quality of life for residents and visitors.

Ann Glave, executive director of FVMS, is a staff of one who has been helping businesses stay afloat during the pandemic. According to Glave, COVID wreaked havoc on Fredericksburg’s main street, but she’s acted as a connector for business owners seeking the grants and funding needed to survive.

We were able to offer $25,000 in grants fairly quickly... and have been able to grant over $82,000 for technology and COVID expenses...

“When the pandemic hit in March, our board of directors made the decision to take our zero-interest loan program and convert it into a grant for downtown businesses,” says Glave. “We were able to offer $25,000 in grants fairly quickly. We continued to apply for other grants and have been able to grant over $82,000 for technology and COVID expenses to help businesses with eCommerce and negotiated bulk orders of hand sanitizers for our businesses as well.”

Glave says they also developed signage for the different reopening phases that the business owners could customize to let consumers know what they were doing in terms of COVID safety.

“It made things easy for consumers to see the same poster and check what each business owner was doing,” she says. “We also worked with the city to do sandwich boards to encourage shopping local, mask-wearing and social distancing.”

Nearly one year into the pandemic, Glave says downtown is looking great, and she is excited for the creativity she has seen from the business owners who have easily pivoted to make their businesses accessible and safe.

36 Fredericksburg Parent and Family • Stories of Strength Special Issue

To incentivize the public to support downtown businesses during the pandemic, FVMS did events like the Holiday Stroll, virtual Scarecrow Contest and Small Business Saturdays. Another new initiative called Scan and Love allows consumers to scan a QR code that takes them to a video of business owners introducing their business.

“Consumers are walking by, but businesses may be closed, or the shoppers may feel uncomfortable walking in, so the videos give insight to the business owner and business itself and takes you directly to their website,” says Glave.

FVMS also obtained a grant in March for new bike racks, benches and planters because more people are outside and moving around so they want to cater to the outdoor elements of main street as well.

Glave says that some businesses like City Vino, River Rock Outfitter and R & R Antiques have thrived despite the pandemic, mainly because of their positive attitude and how they are marketing their business by being creative and thinking out of the box.

Children’s Home Society

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Pandemic Shone a Light on the Importance of Connections because they have missed growing up with the positive influences, supports and opportunities being part of a permanent family provides,” Marsh-Carter noted.

Post-Adoption Social Worker Anna Yates said the training and post-adoption support Children’s Home Society provides is key to making new adoptive relationships successful.

Children’s Home Society continued its work to build permanent families for foster youth INTERVIEWED BY EMILY FREEHLING When schools, offices, restaurants and family gatherings were closed or cancelled to slow the spread of COVID-19, many of us struggled with the loss of regular connections with the people in our lives.

“The pandemic has definitely shone a light for all of us on the challenges that come with feeling isolated, with feeling separated from families or not having someone there for us,” said Nadine Marsh-Carter, CEO of Children’s Home Society of Virginia and an adoptive parent of two. “These are feelings that the population that we serve—children who are waiting for families—experience every day.”

For more than 120 years, Children’s Home Society of Virginia has worked to place foster children in permanent adoptive homes. The organization recruits families, trains them to thrive in their relationships with their adoptive children and provides post-adoption supports to both parents and children.

All of these activities were made more challenging when the pandemic shut down most in-person activities in 2020, but staff members pressed on. They used Zoom and other virtual tools to interview prospective families and understand the needs of individual children. Socially distanced in-person meetings helped ensure that adoptions could continue as the crisis wore on. Training and post-adoption support were delivered virtually as the year went on.

That continuity is important, because Virginia ranks 50th among the nation’s 50 states in its rate of finding adoptive homes for children before they age out of the foster care system.

“This very high percentage of youth who are aging out of foster care without the supports and connections they need to thrive ultimately has a negative impact on our entire community,” said Marsh-Carter.

Children in the foster care system have already suffered the trauma of abuse, neglect and abandonment. The support of a permanent adoptive family can change their lives forever, and set them on a path of healing and growth. “Children who are not adopted into permanent families are at higher risk for incarceration, homelessness, teen pregnancy and dropping out of high school

“These children have been through a lot of loss and a lot of hurt,” Yates said.

“What they need are families coming into it with a full understanding. That is where the training comes in. We are big on making sure the families we train really have an understanding of what it is going to look like.”

The agency continues to provide training and post-adoption support, and to recruit new families. Marsh-Carter says it’s important that the needs of these children not get lost amid the huge flow of pandemic-related events and information.

While many of the most severe impacts of pandemic closures on society, such as depression, food insecurity and learning loss, can be traced to a lack of family support, strong families can act as a preventative for these ills as the country emerges from this crisis.

“Finding homes for these amazing young people is a win-win-win,” Marsh-Carter said. “Children win when they are with a permanent family. Families win when they bring children into their home. And society benefits. Healthy families are a cornerstone of a healthy community. When children are in stable, loving homes, the whole society wins.”

While adoption is the primary goal, Children’s Home Society also provides support to young people as they age out of the foster care program. CHS’s My Path Forward program is a partnership that offers housing and support services to aged-out foster youth in Virginia. The Children’s Home Society team has worked diligently to help youth in this program overcome the many challenges COVID-19 created as they work and attend college.

For more information, visit CHSVA.org. www.FredericksburgParent.NET 37

Smart Beginnings

Early Childhood Educators Pressed on During Pandemic From figuring out how to socially distance toddlers to building virtual learning labs... these dedicated providers were there every step of the way...

INTERVIEWED BY EMILY FREEHLING As the world shut down in March 2020 to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus, child care center owners and early childhood educators had a unique perspective on the challenges and trade-offs that this unprecedented effort to stop contagion imposed on families and children.

Daycares, family home providers and preschools play an essential role in the crucial brain development that happens from birth to age 5—development that doesn’t stop during a pandemic.

In addition to providing important care to allow parents to work, quality child-care providers are essential to fostering kindergarten readiness among Virginia’s youth.

But good child care cannot be delivered virtually, and social distancing takes on new meaning in a classroom where learning is accomplished through playing on the floor, handling objects and interacting with teachers.

Virginia Quality, a free program that provides resources to help child-care and early-learning programs improve, is proud of the innovation and dedication that the Fredericksburg area’s child-care centers, preschools and home-based care providers showed throughout the various stages of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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“From figuring out how to socially distance toddlers to building virtual learning labs from scratch in the fall, these dedicated providers were there every step of the way for their families and children,” said Jenna Martin, Virginia Quality Regional Coordinator at Smart Beginnings Rappahannock Area.

“We hope their work shines a light on just how essential quality early childhood care providers are to our society.”

As public and private K-12 schools across the state closed, many early childhood educators never stopped coming to work to deliver essential care to children from birth to age 5, as well as full-time care for schoolaged children who were no longer in school.

Leah Spruill, owner of Always Sonshine Learn & Play, a Virginia Quality participating provider, in Spotsylvania County, remembers how hard it was to keep operating in the weeks of mid-March, after schools closed and much of the country retreated to home.

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“I think it just enhanced what I already knew about how essential I am and how important this is and how we have to be there for each other.”

As she managed the emotions of her families, she also watched her operating expenses increase tremendously, as the need to purchase personal protective equipment, cleaning supplies and hire an outside service to clean the center regularly squeezed the center’s budget.

Keeping teachers in the classroom was also a challenge. When Gov. Ralph Northam ordered all public and private schools in Virginia closed for the remainder of the school year, Spruill said some of her teachers questioned the safety of coming to work at the center.

“These wonderful teachers who are the heart of my team were understandably worried,” she said. “I reminded them that we are essential.

Everybody stuck together, and we pulled through.”

This is certainly the case for Bridget Johnson, owner of Tiny Tot’s Town Learning Center, a Virginia Quality participating provider, a family day home provider in southern Stafford County. She saw many of the families of the 12 children in her care keep their kids home during the early weeks of the pandemic, and she worked closely with families over the weeks and months, allowing them to use vacation and sick credits and arranging payment plans to let them hold their spaces during challenging times for household budgets.

“Everybody stuck together, and we pulled through.”

When it became evident that schools were not going to re-open for in-person learning in the fall of 2020, Always Sonshine made another investment—adding an additional router and upgrading its WiFi service to accommodate virtual learning.

As the center’s staff continues to work through the trial and error of this new reality, Spruill takes pride in the strength of her team and the close connection she has with all of her families. She’s also been thankful for support from Smart Beginnings Rappahannock Area, which has provided care packages, outdoor toys, individual materials so children don’t have to share and other resources. Smart Beginnings and Virginia Quality have also provided virtual training, shared provider listings and facilitated other networking to support providers during this time.

“We wanted to make sure these providers felt supported, because this year has been extremely challenging,” said Courtney Harris, Virginia Quality Expansion Coordinator at Smart Beginnings Rappahannock Area. “It is important for us to recognize that while many people were able to isolate at home during the pandemic, these providers in many ways carried on with providing the level of quality care they have been trained and educated to deliver.”

For families staying home, she created curriculum packets and drove to deliver them on a weekly and then monthly basis.

“It was a way of having the children continue to learn, but also have something to do, and it gave the parents something to do to connect with their kids.”

While the pandemic brought new challenges, new safety protocols and new ways of conducting pickup, drop-off and other interactions, Johnson said in many ways this time period highlighted for her just how important the role she plays in her families’ lives is.

“I think it just enhanced what I already knew about how essential I am and how important this is and how we have to be there for each other,” she said.

Learn more about Virginia Quality, and see a list of participating providers in the Fredericksburg region, at virginiaquality.com.

www.FredericksburgParent.NET 39

Coldwell Banker Elite

Keeping Buyers and Sellers Safe With Innovative Certifcation Program

INTERVIEWED BY EMILY FREEHLING The COVID-19 pandemic coincided with a surge of activity in the Fredericksburg-area housing market.

While this was welcome news for the local economy, the heightened level of activity posed new questions for how to conduct real estate consultations, showings, closings and open houses safely.

Coldwell Banker Elite recognized that putting clear, safe practices in place was important, not only for the safety of buyers, sellers and agents, but also for the overall impact that real estate activities could potentially have on community spread of the novel coronavirus.

“We realized that this was a matter of public safety,” said Vice President of Marketing Angel Piontek. “A lot of companies were relying on individual employees to take responsible actions. We wanted to be proactive and make sure we were going about safety in an organized, researched way that could ultimately contribute to slowing the spread of the virus in our community, while allowing buyers and sellers to continue to conduct business.”

The result is the Home Safe Certification Program, which Coldwell Banker Elite debuted in September.

To create the program, Coldwell Banker Elite team members took a comprehensive look at every part of the process of buying and selling a house, and how it could be made safer amid a pandemic. They quickly put together a course that agents could take for certification that would give buyers and sellers peace of mind.

“The agents just jumped at the opportunity to get this certification,” said Managing Broker Robin Marine. “It has really given our clients comfort in knowing that their safety is our top priority.”

Coldwell Banker Elite Executive Vice President Matthew Rathbun, who helped develop the certification, said the Home Safe Certification includes a training course and asks agents to sign an agreement committing to abide by Home Safe guidelines.

As of December, Coldwell Banker Elite had certified more than 170 agents—more than 70% of the firm’s active agents.

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The changes in how agents conducted business under the Home Safe Certification were far-reaching. Sellers, for example, are now told to turn all of the lights in their house on and open doors before a showing, so that potential buyers don’t have to touch light switches and door handles unnecessarily. They are also coached to leave hand sanitizer, wipes, booties and other protection and cleaning items in the home to make safe practices convenient.

Instead of placing marketing books inside the house, Home Safe certified Realtors prominently place a QR code that potential buyers can scan to access images and information digitally.

The certification also gives Realtors access to addendums to listing agreements designed specifically for the current crisis.

Sellers can stipulate that potential buyers wear masks or booties or take other precautions if they are going to visit the home in-person. They could also grant permission for buyers’ agents to give virtual tours— since photography by a buyer’s agent isn’t legal without a seller’s explicit permission.

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“My clients all said they felt so much better about the process when they could have some control over the parameters for how their home would be shown.”

Door hangers on lockboxes remind all agents who show a house of the specific guidelines its owners have requested. Marine said this was especially useful as she worked with sellers during the pandemic.

“My clients all said they felt so much better about the process when they could have some control over the parameters for how their home would be shown,” she said.

Coldwell Banker Elite keeps a database of resources for its agents to access and has kept it updated as guidance has continued to evolve over the course of the pandemic.

Adapting to this new reality quickly was especially important, as a combination of low interest rates and homeowners with more time to think about what they really wanted out of their home led to a very busy real estate market for much of 2020.

That made it especially important to find a pandemic-friendly way to conduct closings.

Coldwell Banker Elite has equipped all of its offices with technology to allow for virtual closings.

Instead of going to a settlement office, a buyer or seller can come to Coldwell Banker Elite, where the documents from the settlement office will be waiting to sign, and the closing attorney will be present via Zoom conference. All offices have notaries present, so that documents can be signed and then delivered by the agent to the settlement office.

This keeps in-person interactions strictly between the client and the Realtor, and avoids the increased exposure that comes from travelling to another office.

Coldwell Banker Elite realizes that the buying and selling of homes is a vital activity for a thriving community.

Rathbun points out that Coldwell Banker has been a trusted guide in the process of buying and selling a home for more than a century. Coldwell Banker Elite has been part of that legacy for the past 40 years.

“We have thrived for that long largely due to our commitment to our clients and community,” he said. “Protecting our clients during the home buying and selling process is engrained in our ethos.

Reducing transmission of COVID-19 is literally a matter of life and death for some, and we are making every effort to be a socially responsible business.

“We want a safer community that comes out stronger on the other side of the pandemic.”

To learn more, visit coldwellbankerelite.com/homesafe

www.FredericksburgParent.NET 41

Fredericksburg Orthodontics

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Finding the Joy Amidst COVID-19

tion about their smile goals and treatment options. These Virtual Smile Assessments have been a total hit, and they remain an ongoing, integral part of our COVID-19 response. Even after we reopened our doors, our patients have loved having a virtual alternative to an in-person consultation!

How This Local Orthodontic Practice is Giving Back to the Fredericksburg Community The pandemic has hit our nation hard, and the Fredericksburg Orthodontics family felt its effects along with the rest of our wonderful Fredericksburg community. As an orthodontic practice, our team works to transform our patients’ smiles and maintain proper orthodontic health, which means we are often working in close proximity to our patients’ faces, noses and mouths. Because of this, the moment the virus reached our community, we took immediate action to ensure the health and safety of our patients and orthodontic team.

In such a difficult and trying time, we wanted to give back to our community, even from afar. On social media, we asked our patients, families and community to #SpreadTheJoy and #FindTheJoy amidst the pandemic, highlighting the positives that came from this tough situation such as enjoying time with family or spending more time outdoors. Our own team members joined in on the fun, sharing pictures of family, pets and outdoor adventures. We also provided our Fredericksburg Orthodontics family with fun activities like the “My 2020 COVID-19 Time Capsule” printable pages to give our patients’ families something new and entertaining to do, even during the lockdown.

We were incredibly sad to close our doors in March, just before our practice celebrated fifteen years of service to the Fredericksburg community. All of us at Fredericksburg Orthodontics find so much joy in helping our patients transform their smiles, and the thought of not seeing them for a while was crushing. Still, we remained dedicated to ensuring the safety of our team, our patients and their families, and we watched the news closely for the latest updates to keep informed while we began preparing for the months ahead.

Our practice was thrilled to reopen on May 1st. After the time spent away from our patients and their families, we were eager to see their smiling faces again! With the help of our wonderful team and stellar community, we successfully implemented a series of precautionary measures with safety as our number one priority, including curbside appointments to limit the amount of patients and family members in the waiting room, usage of face masks and other protective equipment and the continued use of virtual smile assessments for new patient consultations.

Even amidst shutdowns, we found a way to serve our community and keep our patients’ smiles bright. Thanks to the incredible work of our team, we were able to transition to Virtual Smile Assessments through our website, allowing patients new and old to receive professional care right from the comfort of their own homes. Using instructions on our website and YouTube channel, new patients take a few guided pictures of their teeth and mouth, then send them off to our orthodontic team to receive a professional, virtual consulta-

Now, as we turn the page into the new year, our team hopes to return to normalcy. We remain ever vigilant of new information regarding the virus and preventative measures we can take as a practice to keep our patients safe and healthy. Mostly, we’re thrilled to have patients back in the office and continue being a part of their individual journeys to a bright, beautiful smile.

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BACK TO SCHOOL WITH THE YMCA! Before & After School at the Branches Massad Family YMCA & King George Family YMCA

SACC Programs In all Stafford, Spotsylvania, and Caroline County Elementary Schools (With an “8th Period” option for older kids in some counties) Children have talents to explore, skills to develop, energy, and huge reservoirs of creativity. Let our well trained staff work with your child to help them learn and grow through our programs. Each activity incorporates at least one of our core values: Caring, Honesty, Healthy Living, and Social Responsibility. At the Y, we are for Youth Development, Healthy Living, and Social Responsibility. For more information, please visit:

www.family-ymca.org

Pictured with Pouches are Lathan, Liam, Teagan, & Riley Fairchild. Photo taken by M&JPhotography.

View more of their work at: facebook.com/mandjphotos • @melissaandjennphotography

Thank you, Fredericksburg, for your strength and resilience! www.FredericksburgParent.NET 43

WE’RE HERE TO HELP

WIC helps families by providing: z Personalized nutrition education to

help the whole family eat better z Breastfeeding support through lactation

experts, classes, peer groups and breast pumps for moms in need

z WIC food benefits that can be used at the

grocery store to help provide the right foods to families z Referrals to local health and community

organizations to connect families with the resources they need

Contact your local WIC office or call the Virginia WIC office at 1-888-942-3663

VirginiaWIC.com This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

44 Fredericksburg Parent and Family • Stories of Strength Special Issue