• Youth for Tomorrow needs volunteer mentors to spend a couple of hours a week with young person. We’ve all had good people support us along the way- here’s your chance to do the same. You can apply online at:www.youthfortomorrow.org <http://www.youthfortomorrow.org/> or by calling Vernell at (703) 396-7203 to learn more.
• The City of Manassas needs volunteers at the Winter Wonderland Train Show at the Center for the Arts. It’s a fun opportunity for all including teens age 16+. The show is December 12th-14th from 5-8pm, December 15th from 10am-5pm and December 16th 10am-4pm. You can register online at http://www.signupgenius.com/go/70A0E48A8AE2DA1F49-volunteers or email Christen for more info at [email protected].
• The Un Trim A Tree Holiday Gift Program is in full swing and needs your help to provide toys and warm clothes to needy kids in our community. We still have 300 little people who are waiting to be “adopted!” It’s simple and fun to share the joy by buying 2 gifts for each child from their wish list. Please visit http://www.volunteerprincewilliam.org to learn more.
• The Sweet Julia Grace organization is spreading Christmas Cheer to children and families with cancer. Please visit their Facebook page http://facebook.com/sweetjuliagrace for all the ways you can help.
• Literacy Volunteers of America are gearing up for their next volunteer tutor training on January 5th and 19th. Come learn all the skills needed to make a significant impact on another’s life. Please call (703) 670-5702 for more info and to register for this training.
• The Retired and Senior Volunteer Program is looking for volunteers age 55+ to deliver noon meals through the Meals on Wheels Program. Shifts are just 2-3 hours and available in throughout the greater area. RSVP members receive a mileage reimbursement and additional insurance coverage at no cost to the volunteer. Please call Jan at (571) 292-5307 to learn more.
• Leesylvania State Park needs volunteers for their monthly shoreline cleanups to pick up trash and drift wood. The work days are January 19th, February 16th, March 23rd, April 13th and May 18th. Please register by calling the visitor center at (703) 583-6904 so they have your name to waive the entry fee of the park.
• The Greater Prince William Medical Reserve Corps needs both medical and non-medical volunteers to join their ranks. These volunteers are trained to respond to public health emergencies as well as day to day activities. They offer tons of training topics to build your skillset. Please call Amy at (703) 792-7341 to learn more.
• The Center for the Arts needs volunteer docents Monday – Friday during the day. This volunteer opportunity includes greeting visitors and sharing the Center’s history and programs. Please call Jordan at (703) 330-2787 to learn more.
• House of Mercy also needs lots of help and food donations year-round to feed over 400 families a month. Hold a food drive, share this on all your outlets and give them a call at: (703) 659-1636 to learn more.
• Catholic Charities Hogar Center is looking volunteers to assist students with job applications, resumes, and mock interviews to prepare them for the workforce. Please email Arielle at [email protected] to learn more.

The December Competitive Edge Athlete of the Month is Kieara “Kiki” Edwards.

Flosoftball ranked Edwards, a senior at Osbourn Park High School in Manassas,
number 88 for the class of 2019 softball players. Athletes are selected based on the AthPro360 performance index, interviews with elite club coaches and scouts, and general high school and travel statistics.

Edwards was a key player for the East Cobb Bullets. She helped them win the 2018 Triple Crown 18u National Championship last summer.

Edwards’ high school softball team won the 2016 Virginia 6A State Championships and was runner-up in the 2017 Virginia 6a State Championships.  In over 200 at-bats, Edwards has only had five strikeouts in her high school seasons. She has received All-Conference and All-Region titles.

Now Edwards plays for the 18U Birmingham Thunderbolts who ranked number one in the 16U National NPS Ranking.

In Fall, Edwards will be attending Mississippi State University where she is committed to play softball.

Q: How long have you been training at Competitive Edge?
A: I began training at Competitive Edge the summer before my tenth grade year in 2016.

Q: What makes Competitive Edge unique?
A: Training at Competitive Edge provides an environment that develops and feeds competition. On any given day, you will train with/around District One (D1) and D1 bound athletes. Also, the facility layout for softball/baseball allows me to get an amazing workout for both offense and defense.

Q: What is your favorite type of workout and why?
A: I am constantly working to become a better hitter. Regardless of how I perform, I can always be better. I hit five days a week at Competitive Edge, mainly focusing on improving my swing and correcting any issues. In a normal session, I will hit between 250-400 balls. I also enjoy the Vertimax and agility classes. As an outfielder, it is important to keep my reflexes quick and my body strong and balanced.

Q: What has been your greatest athletic success?
A: Softball is typically known as a game of failure, so anytime you have a great game, win a tournament, or have an overall awesome season, it is a huge accomplishment. My greatest athletic success was during my 2016 softball season: My high school team, Osbourn Park, won the Virginia 6A State Championship, and my travel team, East Cobb Bullets, won the prestigious Independence Day 16U Championship in Boulder, Colo. During that summer season, I hit a grand slam off of a pitcher headed to play in the PAC 12 which was huge in my recruitment to Mississippi State. My ultimate success was my verbal commitment to play softball at Mississippi State University in October 2016.

Q: What has been the most difficult part of your journey to fitness?
A: In Sept. 2017, I had surgery on my left foot to correct a bone issue. The physical and mental recovery after the surgery was one of the most difficult challenges I had to deal with as an athlete. After not being able to run or bear-weight on my foot for over 6 months, I had to re-teach myself, along with the help of my physical therapist, how to engage the lower half of my body in my swing and while running. I spent numerous hours training at Competitive Edge.

Q: How did you initially react when you learned that you were Athlete of the Month?
A: When the Competitive Edge staff shared that I was going to be recognized as the Athlete of the Month, I was surprised and elated. I immediately shared the news with my family.

Q: What does being the Competitive Edge Athlete of the Month mean to you?
A: There are tons of athletes in the Prince William County area, and for Competitive Edge to want to recognize my accomplishments was a huge honor. As competitive athletes, we train extremely hard, we don’t have the same social life as a regular teenager, and we spend hours training, competing, and traveling, so to be recognized is amazing and heartwarming.

Q: What motivates you to get out of bed and workout each day?
A: Knowing that someone else is out of their bed working to get better motivates me. My parents have always told me that everyone is your competition and that there is someone out there that wants it just as bad or more, so don’t stop grinding.

Q: What is the most beneficial part of being an athlete?
A: Being an athlete keeps me focused and dedicated to my goals, both academic and athletic. There are no days off when you are grinding to get better and be successful.

Q: How will you continue to maintain your fitness in college?
A: At Mississippi State University, we have a conditioning coach that is dedicated to the softball program. I am certain my fitness program will intensify, and I look forward to becoming more physically fit and a better athlete.

Q: What are your goals in the next ten years?
A: My goals are to become 2019 6A State Champions,  2019 Independence Day National 18u Champions, and 2019 PGF 18u National Champions. I also want to win an NCAA National Championship, have a successful softball career at Mississippi State University, graduate with a BS in Kinesiology, obtain my Ph.D. and become a Physical Therapist, work for the NFL as a Physical therapist, and get a Super Bowl ring!

Q: Do you have any advice to up-and-coming athletes?
A: To all of the younger softball players and those aspiring to play in college, keep working hard and dreaming big. The sky is the limit as long as you are willing to outwork the competition!

This post is sponsored by Competitive Edge Athletic Performance Center in Woodbridge.

If you had seen John Reed earlier this year, you would have seen a man taking one painful step after another, leaning heavily on a cane.

Months later, it’s a different story for the 69-year-old from just across the Potomac River in Waldorf, Md.

“I didn’t take this lightly. I was in increasingly severe pain for almost the last 20 years, mainly my right knee, but in the last few years, my left knee has also bothered me,” explains Reed.

It’s that pain and the desire to have a Bilateral Knee Joint Replacement which led him to Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center.

“When I was a teenager, I had been through knee surgery and rehab on one knee, so I knew I wanted to get both my knees done at once,” says Reed.

Replacing knees at once is an uncommon procedure, one in which Reed was uniquely qualified.

For most patients, over time, a condition known as severe osteoarthritis develops where the cartilage in the knee joint that creates a natural cushion between your bones breaks down.

“It’s bone on bone,” said Sentara Orthopedics Manager Julie Billingsley. “It’s excruciating.”

As part of the procedure, the old joints are replaced by new, durable synthetic materials. It can take up to six weeks of recovery time for the average patient.

It’s people like Julie and the Sentara Patient Care Services staff members and the time they dedicate to patients like Reed is what makes all the difference.

Julie says in most cases like this, people are not only blinded by their pain, but they have a lot of fears about proper recovery.

The Sentara OrthoJoint® Nurse Navigator, Ada Vega-Diamantis, RN, begins meeting with her patients two to three weeks before the operation to give them a bright outlook on what to expect before they’re admitted to surgery, and then what to know and prepare for during recovery.

While Reed mentally prepared himself for surgery, the experience at the Sentara OrthoJoint® Center was beyond his expectation.

“If it weren’t for the staff at Sentara, I wouldn’t have gotten to where I am,” exclaims Reed. “From the moment I walked in to register, to the moment I left, each and every member of the team had a positive attitude and treated my family and me with respect and grace.”

It’s that dedication to caring which is the hallmark of the Sentara OrthoJoint® Center.

“Our focus is to provide extraordinary, individualized care and provide constant communication for patients and their families to ensure seamless coordination and excellent outcomes,” explains Vega-Diamantis.

In the seven months since his surgery, Reed’s range of motion has returned, he’s walking more than three miles a day, and he’s stronger than ever before. He says it’s all due to his care team, “They’re angels from God!”

To learn more about the Sentara OrthoJoint® Center and find a specialist, call 1-800-2ORTHOJT.

The City of Manassas has just completed and received the results of the third City Citizen Satisfaction Survey. This survey is performed every two years by ETC Institute to assess resident satisfaction with the delivery of City services, to help determine priorities for the future of the community and to measure trends from previous surveys and benchmark against other communities.

The 2018 City of Manassas Citizen Satisfaction Survey shows that 81 percent of residents rated the City as an excellent or good place to live. Overall, the survey results showed that satisfaction with City Services is much higher than in other cities. The City of Manassas rated above the U.S. average in 51 out of 64 areas and above the regional average in 49 of 64 areas that were compared.

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Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center is partnering with Postpartum Support Virginia (PSVa) to help women overcome postpartum depression by providing a free peer support group for new mothers. 

The support group will meet the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays of the month from 10:00-11:30 at the Hylton Education Center at Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center, 2300 Opitz Boulevard, Woodbridge, VA 22191.  The first meeting will be Tuesday, December 11.  For information about the group, email: [email protected]

Postpartum depression and other perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (PMADs) are the MOST COMMON complications of pregnancy and childbirth, affecting 1 in 5 new mothers.  According to Adrienne Griffen, MPP, Founder and Executive Director of PSVa, “Left untreated, PMADs can have long-term negative impact on mother, baby, and entire family.  Fortunately, these illnesses are relatively easy to diagnose and treat.”

Driving along Route 1, you may notice a new sign on your commute. It’s a topic not many women want to talk about.

Susan Bahorich, Communications Advisor for Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center, talked to Dr. Allyse Weltman of About Women OB-GYN to learn more.

What is your name and official title? Allyse Weltman, MD, MA

When someone hears the term “Uro/Gyn,” what exactly does that mean? It usually means a problem involving the pelvic floor, which would include the uterus and bladder. 

How big of an issue is this? It can be a huge issue for many women, many of whom their lives are compromised because of it. 

What are some symptoms of these problems? The symptoms can include pelvic pain, pelvic pressure, urinary leakage, overactive bladder.

Are these problems just for women 55 years or older? These problems can affect women of any age, especially after having children; but many women who are menopausal experience worsening of symptoms. 

Many women may be dealing with these issues and feel embarrassed. What would you say to those women? There is nothing to be embarrassed about. It is very common and there are many treatment options, so there is no reason they need to suffer.

What treatment is available for these issues? Treatments range from pelvic floor physical therapy, medication options, and a range of surgical options. 

If someone is dealing with these issues, what advice would you give? That there are many options depending on the issue they are having and if their symptoms are interfering with the quality of their lives, it is worth addressing.  

How should someone go about learning what treatment is right for them? Women can give our practice, About Women OB-GYN a call at 703-878-0740, or visit Sentara.com to learn more about pelvic floor disorders.

• The Un Trim A Tree Holiday Gift Program is in full swing and needs your help to provide toys and warm clothes to over 5,000 needy kids in our community. It’s simple and fun to share the joy by buying 2 gifts for each child from their wish list. Please visit http://www.volunteerprincewilliam.org  to learn more.
• Friends of SERVE are collecting turkeys on Wednesday November 14th, 4:30-7:30pm at the VA Gateway Promenade Fountain. Look for the waving turkey! Come help with their ambitious goal of 700 turkeys. If you can’t make it that day your donation is always welcome at the SERVE food pantry in Manassas
• The Retired and Senior Volunteer Program is looking for volunteer’s age 55+ to deliver noon meals through the Meals on Wheels Program. Shifts are just 2-3 hours and available in throughout the greater area. RSVP members receive a mileage reimbursement and additional insurance coverage at no cost to the volunteer. Please call Jan at (571) 292-5307 to learn more.
• The Trillium Center is hosting their Annual Christmas Party at the Drop-In Center and is looking for gifts such as gift cards, hats, gloves, pet supplies, book bags or anything else fun you can think of to share. The Center provides stress-free, stigma-free atmosphere for people 18 and over who are mental health consumers. Please call Cynthia at (703) 763-3865 to learn more.
• Home Life VA is hosting a Thanksgiving Dinner for the homeless in the Manassas area on Sunday November 18th. Donations of food or prepared dishes are needed for this event. Please email Jamary at: [email protected] for all the latest news on this splendid event.
• Leesylvania State Park needs volunteers for their monthly shoreline cleanups to pick up trash and drift wood. The work days are December 1st, January 19th, February 16th, March 23rd, April 13th and May 18th. Please register by calling the visitor center at (703) 583-6904 so they have your name to waive the entry fee of the park.
• The Woodbridge District invites you to their Big Cleanup & Education on Plastic Pollution event on Saturday November 17th 9am-12pm at Veterans Memorial Park. Please register on line at http://www.pwtsc.org.
• Saved Hands Foundation is having a free resume writing workshop from 10am-12:30pm on November 16th at the Virginia Workforce center on Minnieville Road, Woodbridge.
• The Greater Prince William Medical Reserve Corps needs both medical and non-medical volunteers to join their ranks. These volunteers are trained to respond to public health emergencies as well as day to day activities. They offer tons of training topics to build your skillset. Please call Amy at (703) 792-7341 to learn more.
• Youth for Tomorrow needs volunteer mentors to spend a couple of hours a week with young person. We’ve all had good people support us along the way- here’s your chance to do the same. You can apply online at: http://www.youthfortomorrow.org  or by calling Vernell at (703) 396-7203 to learn more.
• Virginia Cooperative Extension is having a First Time Buyers Seminar on Saturday November 17th in Manassas given in Spanish and in Woodbridge given in English. Please call Joanne at (703) 792-5891 to register.
• Wreaths Across America invite you and your family to the Annual Wreath Laying event on Saturday December 15th at both Arlington National Cemetery and our own Quantico National Cemetery. You can register to volunteer on their website http://wreathsacrossamerica.org . Come Remember, Honor and Teach our youngsters these values.
• The Center for the Arts needs volunteer docents Monday – Friday during the day. This volunteer opportunity includes greeting visitors and sharing the Center’s history and programs. Please call Jordan at (703) 330-2787 to learn more.
• House of Mercy also needs lots of help and food donations year-round to feed over 400 families a month. Hold a food drive, share this on all your outlets and give them a call at: (703) 659-1636 to learn more.
• Court Appointed Special Advocates- CASA needs volunteers to advocate for a child who has been abused or neglected. Come join one of their information sessions to learn more about this outstanding program. You’ll receive extensive training to match your special heart for a child. Sessions will be held on Wednesday 11/14 at the CASA office in Manassas and at the Mason Enterprise Center on December 12th please email Suzanne at [email protected] for more info.
• Keep Prince William Beautiful has lots of fun clean-up events this fall. Come get your hands dirty and have fun. November 17th they are at Veterans Park and lastly, December 5th is the quarterly litter survey. Please call Nicole at (571) 285-3772 to join in where you can.
• Catholic Charities Hogar Center is looking volunteers to assist students with job applications, resumes, and mock interviews to prepare them for the workforce. Please email Arielle at [email protected] to learn more.
• Virginia Service invites you to nominate your favorite volunteer for the 2019 Governor’s Award inVolunteering Excellence. The categories include Adult, youth, senior, family, faith-based organization, educational institution, community organization, small business and corporation. Nominations are due by December 15th. Please visit http://www.virginiaservice.virginia.gov  for all the specifics.