From delivering meals to providing emotional support, Simply Angels Veterans Outreach has become a vital resource for hundreds of veterans living with disabilities in Virginia. Simply Angels Veterans Outreach, a nonprofit organization that supports disabled and homebound veterans, has been serving six Virginia counties for nearly 40 years.
Founded by veteran Susan Purks, the group began when she helped a severely burned veteran regain his passion for life. Over time, Purks expanded her efforts to assist other disabled veterans, focusing on career plans tailored to their physical and emotional needs.
Andrea Graham said, âThe name came about from the clients themselves who often referred to their visitors as âSimply Angels.ââ
Today, Simply Angels provides services in Hanover, Caroline, Spotsylvania, Stafford, Louisa, and King George counties. The organization has grown from assisting one individual to supporting 300 veterans, with many more on a waiting list. Volunteers deliver food, provide companionship, and assess veteransâ needs, including home repairs, transportation, and crisis intervention. Graham said, “we often respond to emergency situations in the middle of the night if the veteran canât sleep, has a medical crisis, or simply didnât make it to the bathroom in time. We build relationships and teach the clients to build relationships and become active in the community again.”
Many clients face barriers to accessing traditional food banks, so the group delivers canned goods and prepared meals directly to veteransâ homes. The drivers are trained in recognizing and dealing with PTSD, emergency mental health crisis care, and protecting the personal information of homebound veterans, who can be easy targets for criminal activity, Graham said.
New clients and those in crisis receive weekly visits, while others are visited monthly. Simply Angels also offers 24/7 support via a dedicated phone line for emergencies or other needs.
Referrals often come from friends, neighbors, firefighters, and social services. Volunteers initially visit veterans with a meal in hand, working to build trust and address their specific needs. If the first visit is refused, Graham said, volunteers will visit again until the meal makes it onto the kitchen table.
âMany [veterans] need food, and all need to know they have not been forgotten and that they matter,â Graham said. âLoneliness, not PTSD, is the major cause of suicide among vets.â
To expand their impact, Simply Angels collaborates with nonprofits, churches, and fraternal organizations. âWe never try to duplicate services but love to join forces,â Graham said. They exchange canned goods with local food banks to provide veterans with easier-to-open containers. Churches have also donated kitchens for meal preparations, and fraternal groups have led food drives and provided financial support.
This year, Simply Angels became a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, making contributions tax-deductible. Their current project is the annual Christmas meal, which will provide three meals each to 200 veterans. Volunteers are needed to assemble the meals on December 21 at 7 a.m. at Travelers Rest Baptist Church in Spotsylvania.
The group is also seeking long-term volunteers for fundraising, food collection, and specialized roles such as marketing and pet sitting for veterans who are hospitalized. Donations of canned goods, small appliances, and monetary support are welcome. Interested individuals can connect with Simply Angels through their Facebook page.
âWe can find a job for anyone,â Graham said, noting the organization is happy to have any and all volunteers. Volunteers can help with fundraising, collecting canned goods, or even shopping thrift stores for crockpots, coffee pots, and other appliances veterans may need.
Graham also said they are looking for volunteers with marketing and media skills, as well as pet sitters to assist when veterans are hospitalized.
The ultimate goal of Simply Angels is to eliminate the waiting list and ensure that all referred veterans receive immediate support. Volunteers, many of whom are former clients, remain unpaid, with all donations going directly to veteran services.
âThe biggest thrill for Simply Angels is when clients progress from needing services to becoming volunteers, which has happened on more than one occasion,â Graham added.
Simply Angels can be reached through their Facebook page, which also provides information about volunteers opportunities and contact emails.
Local families may have noticed an increase in children being diagnosed with pneumonia this fall. Virginia Department of Health (VDH) confirmed the increase in November with a statement noting Emergency Room visits with a pneumonia diagnosis tripled the week of November 10-17 compared to the prior two years.
Additionally, a number of public schools have reported clusters of students with pneumonia and unspecified respiratory illnesses to VDH.Â
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) issued several statements this fall regarding the increase in Mycoplasma pneumonia (M. Pneumoniae), a common cause of mild respiratory illness that has seen a significant resurgence in 2024. In the United States, cases have increased across all age groups since late spring, peaking in August and remaining high through the fall.
Notably, young children aged 2â4 years have seen a substantial increase in infections, reversing previous trends where older children and adolescents were most affected.
The CDC reported that cases are increasing most among children, with infections in those aged 2â4 years rising from 1% to 7%, and in children aged 5â17 rising from 3.6% to 7.4%. This rise in infections among 2â4-year-olds is significant, as M. pneumoniae historically hasn’t been recognized as a leading cause of pneumonia in this age group.
Dr. Lana Ismail, a Pediatric Hospitalist and Medical Director of the Childrenâs National Pediatric Hospital Medicine Program at Mary Washington Healthcare, confirmed that both Fredericksburg and Stafford hospitals are seeing a sharp increase in pneumonia cases, including both community-acquired and M. pneumoniae-related pneumonia. She noted that the 2â4-year-old age group has experienced a marked rise, although cases are up across all age groups.
Ismail said local pediatricians are likely handling the majority of milder cases, while more severe cases may visit the Emergency Room. Some pediatric patients required hospitalization, or needed to be transferred to Childrenâs National Hospital or VCU Childrenâs Hospital in Richmond. In some severe cases, patients can develop other issues not related to the lungs, like inflammation around the brain, and reactions in mucosal membranes that require more intensive treatment.
Antibiotics are commonly prescribed to treat pneumonia. Dr. Ismail advised that the period of contagion is generally tied to the onset of symptoms. If a patient has been on antibiotics for 24 hours and shows signs of improvement, they may be able to return to school. However, anyone exhibiting symptoms should avoid contact with vulnerable or immunocompromised individuals, as well as babies. Wearing a mask and practicing good hand hygiene can also help reduce the risk of spreading the infection to others.
The CDC noted that cyclical increases in M. pneumoniae infections are common every 3 to 5 years. Cases sharply declined during the COVID-19 pandemic but began rising again in 2023. By February 2024, cases remained below pre-pandemic levels, but the frequency of positive test results for M. pneumoniae increased from 0.7% in late spring to 3.3%.
Common symptoms of M. pneumoniae include fatigue, fever, headache, sore throat, and worsening cough. Children younger than 5 may also experience diarrhea, a stuffy or runny nose, sneezing, vomiting, and watery eyes.
M. pneumoniae infections are typically mild and often present as âwalking pneumonia,â a form of bacterial pneumonia where individuals may not feel sick enough to stay in bed. Outbreaks tend to occur in crowded environments, such as schools, college dormitories, and nursing homes, where the bacteria spreads through respiratory droplets from coughing or sneezing. Preventive measures such as good hand hygiene and covering coughs and sneezes can help limit transmission.
Although M. pneumoniae infections can occur year-round, they are most common in summer and early fall. The long incubation periodâranging from one to four weeksâand the bacteriaâs ability to persist in the respiratory tract for months can lead to prolonged outbreaks.
Dr. Ismail emphasized, âMycoplasma is one of the few prominent respiratory infections for which we donât have a vaccine. We have vaccines for many other contagious illnesses, like the flu, RSV, pertussis, and COVID.â She added that vaccines and good hygiene are the best measures to prevent the spread of highly contagious illnesses.
Healthcare providers diagnose M. pneumoniae infections through physical exams, respiratory swab tests, or chest X-rays if pneumonia is suspected. Treatment with macrolide antibiotics, such as azithromycin, is typically effective, while over-the-counter medications can help manage symptoms for mild cases.
A family of handmade snowmen, a tree luminary, and hand-sculpted ornaments: Corgi Clay Art Centerâs classes this month are focusing on the holidays. Corgi Clay has classes available for a wide range of ages and abilities, from teens learning to spin clay for the first time to advanced sculptors learning detailed techniques. Owner Deb Balestreri said the center is âStafford Countyâs first vibrant, creative community that offers ceramics and other art classes, firing services, artist residencies, teaching and exhibition opportunities, and memberships for potters.â
Balestreri, a University of Mary Washington alum, opened Corgi Clay in 2020 after serving as the Director of Visual Arts Education at the Workhouse Arts Center in Lorton. The center is hosting a holiday marketplace through January, featuring unique artwork, apparel, pottery, and more.
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After serving in the Navy for 10 years and working in corporate America building data centers, Dan Umpa has launched USA Ninja Challenge Stafford, an indoor obstacle course training program that combines basic skill sets from gymnastics, climbing, cross training, and track and field.
Umpa, who graduated from the Naval Academy, originally planned to open a gym. He had spent ten years working in the corporate world, building data centers, and knew this type of career didn't fit his needs for more time with his family or his active lifestyle.
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No sound, no touch, no light: Elysian Float Spa offers a sensory deprivation spa experience to take away the stress of the holidays. Located in Fredericksburg, Elysian offers 60 minute or 90 minute float therapy sessions. Owner Debbie Elkins said float therapy has three main targets: athletic recovery, chronic pain,, and mental wellness (anxiety, depression, PTSD).
Two couples, Mark and Debbie Elkins from Stafford and Jason and Christy Ostrander met 15 years ago at a small church group. After a float spa experience in Williamsburg, Mark and Debbie told Jason, a career massage therapist, that this type of wellness experience was needed in the Fredericksburg area.Â
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Stafford County Parks, Recreation and Tourism is hosting its annual Candy Cane Hunt on Government Island on December 14. The family-friendly event runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and registration is required in order to receive the activities bag, which contains the scavenger hunt information.
Giant candy canes will be hidden in the woods throughout the island. Participants can use a scavenger hunt map provided by Stafford Tourism to mark off their finds.
Stafford’s Community Engagement Program Manager Shannon Eubanks said the event began in 2018, when staff created the event as a way to promote health and wellness in one of Stafford’s parks in a fun hiking activity. There are seven sessions throughout the day, and each one lasts one hour. Stafford County employees will be on-site to assist the activities.
Registration is available online at the Stafford County Parks and Recreation website. The hunt is $11 per person, ages 3 to 15. As of December 6, several sessions have sold out.
Government Island is located at 191 Coal Landing Road. The 17-acre park is a historic 18th and 19th-century quarry site provided Aquia sandstone for the construction of the U.S. Capitol and the White House and other historic buildings in Washington, D.C.
We'll be featuring local businesses in our holiday gift-giving series. We've asked local businesses to tell us about their holidays, and to suggest gift ideas for a wide range of people.
Staffordâs Olde Virginia Gourmet recently celebrated its 20th anniversary. Open since 2004, owners Sean and Annabelle Tarallo run a gourmet and gift shop that focuses on Virginia products, including wines, beers, and other gourmet specialties.Â
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The Fredericksburg Free Press reports a developer plans to demolish a portion of the Greenbrier Shopping Center and put in mixed-use buildings.
The shopping center was formerly home to Burlington Coat Factory, now in Central Park, and Big Lots, which closed and has not been replaced. Several small businesses, including Taj Indian and Two Times New, still reside there. In March, Taj owner Sandeep Singh said he was not aware of any plans to develop the center that would affect the long-standing restaurant, and as of November 13, he had not been notified of any plans.
The center is located on Plank Road. Metro Diner, Royal Farms, CookOut, and M&T Bank are all located in the parking lot along the road. Decaturâs Crabs also uses some of the parking lot.
The plan would put 173 townhouses of two sizes on just over 16 acres.
In January 2024, the City Council discussed forming a committee to explore revitalizing or encouraging redevelopment of shopping centers. The idea was to explore how to encourage developers to shift one level shopping centers into multi-story, mixed-use developments that would allow more residents and attract more commercial businesses.
Councilman Jason Graham explained in a January email that âCurrently [shopping centers] provide retail options, which I want to maintain, but I think thereâs an opportunity to make the areas more economically productive. We received a report from our staff that showed us the tax revenue per acre across the city, and downtown outpaced every other area of town, including Central Park, by a wide margin. Iâm not saying we can recreate downtown along Routes 1 and 3, but because weâre a city of only 10.4 square miles we need to get creative about how weâre going to fund our growing need for public services.â
Virginia Department of Transportationâs (VDOT) Fredericksburg area Communications Manager Kelly Hannon said the development was not included in the plans to improve the areas where Route 3 reaches I-95, which was designed and initiated before the development was proposed. The development will not change VDOTâs plan, but Hannon said the improvements were based on traffic projections of what traffic volume may be in 2049.
Hannon explained that, unlike nearby counties where VDOT handles permits for state road projects, in Fredericksburg, the city reviews and approves land development projects and issues permits. The city follows VDOTâs roadway design standards and works with VDOT on major projects, like the proposed Greenbrier development, to evaluate traffic and road impacts.
NVR Inc. submitted the plans to Fredericksburg; the company is the parent company of Ryan Homes and other residential brands, and also offers mortgage banking services. The company is headquartered in Reston and builds homes in 16 states.
