• Prince William Soil & Water needs volunteers on Saturday November 10th, 9am-noon at the waterway near Bull Run Shopping Center and Costco. Please wear boots and they will provide gloves, grabbers and bags. Please email the office at: [email protected] to learn more.
• Leesylvania State Park needs volunteers for their monthly shoreline cleanups to pick up trash and drift wood. The work days are November 10th, 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 Lake Jackson Lions Club is having their Annual Shrimp Sale and Florida Citrus Sale. Please order the shrimp by November 11th with a pick-up date of November 17th. Please order the fruit by November 14th with a pick –up date of December 6-8th. Please call Joe at (703) 368-1096 for all the details. It’s very easy to support these great folks who do so much good in our community.
• Prince William SPCA is collecting pet food to support needy families this time of year. The Pet Food Drive runs through November 12th. Please visit their website at http://www.pwspca.org for all the drop off locations.
• The City of Manassas Parks, Culture & Recreation need volunteers to decorate the Manassas Museumon November 13th & 14th. Please call (703) 368-1873 for all the details.
• 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.
• 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 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. Please email Suzanne at: [email protected] for the times and locations of the information sessions for November and December.
• Keep Prince William Beautiful has lots of fun clean-up events this fall. Come get your hands dirty and have fun. November 10th they are at the Woodbridge Senior Center, 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.
• 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.

It’s a crime that is often under-reported, if at all.

That’s why Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center is hosting a seminar Tuesday, November 6, 2018, called “Hidden in Plain Sight: Education for the Community on Human Trafficking.”

Susan Bahorich spoke to the organizer of this can’t miss event.

What is your name and official title?

Rhonda Boyett, BSN, RN, CEN, SANE-A

Forensic Nursing Program Coordinator for SNVMC

What does that role entail?

As the program coordinator, I am part of multidisciplinary teams within our community that collaborate for the health and safety of our individual patients and the community at large. I am a liaison for our program to multiple community partners.

As a Forensic Nurse, I consult with patients that present to the Emergency Department that has been a victim of a violent crime. This looks different for different types of patients and crime. We provide victim and patient-centered care for each of our patients.

For example Sexual Assault patients, I may document a head-to-toe forensic medical exam (this may include using specialized equipment such as colposcopy with special filters, alternate light sources, toluidine blue dye application), collect and preserve evidence, work  with the police department, directly connect the patient with a victim advocate, discuss community resources, and help them with safety planning. When needed, I go to court and testify as an expert witness.

IF the patient is a competent adult victim of Human trafficking, they may be too scared to report to law enforcement, in which case I would provide healthcare to include emotional support and give them information and resources on safety planning and what to do when they are ready to report the situation to officials.

How did this Human Trafficking Seminar come about?

Human trafficking is one of the fastest growing criminal enterprises that our country is facing and there is a need to educate the general population on what it looks like within our community. This is Forensic Nurses Week (November 5-9^th) and I choose this topic to focus on because as a Forensic Nurse we are seeing more patients that are being trafficked.

In a survey of sex trafficked survivors, 88% of them said they had contact with a healthcare provider while they were being trafficked.

A lot of people may see this seminar and wonder if there’s really a problem. What would you say to those people?

Yes, this is happening within our community as we speak. Sex trafficking, labor trafficking, and domestic servitude.

“Hidden in Plain Sight” is the title of our presentation. Many people think that Human Trafficking victims are only those that are “locked/chained up” and operating in illegal underground industries, when in reality, it may be a teenage neighbor that is being forced to perform sex acts for someone that is threatening and/or intimidating the victim. In many situations, victims do not identify as victims because of fear, shame, or guilt.

There are a lot of young girls/women out there who are often preyed upon- what tips/advice would you offer them to keep themselves safe?

If anyone finds themselves in a vulnerable position where they feel threaten or forced into something they are not comfortable with, please confide in a trusted adult or contact the police directly.

For members of the public, how can they identify/realize that someone is being trafficked? How should they help in those situations?

Education is key to identifying potential victims!

For help or to report a concern or tip.

National Human Trafficking Hotline    

Call 1-888-373-7888 or TEXT – BE FREE (233733)      

(Never put yourself in harm’s way)

If people can walk away with one message about human trafficking- what do you want that to be?

I would like our community to become more educated on what Human Trafficking looks like in real life, so we can identify victims quicker and help get them out of “the life” and to a safer and healthier situation.

“Hidden in Plain Sight” will be presented by Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center’s Forensic Nursing Program November 6 from 6-8:30 at the Hylton Education Center, 2300 Opitz Boulevard, Woodbridge, Virginia 22191.

It’s free, open to the public and no RSVP is required

I believe email newsletters are the future of our local media business.

At Potomac Local, we’ve had a morning email newsletter since 2011. Two years ago, we renamed it “Breakfast Links” and its popularity skyrocketed.

Many tell me they can’t wait for it to land in their inbox each morning to catch up on local news.

In recent weeks we’ve launched new email newsletters like “Sunday Profile” and “Potomac Local List” to add to our offering of local features and events reporting.

We’re not the only organization that has embraced email. Many of our clients and others have asked if they could place their email newsletter content on PotomacLocal.com and in Breakfast Links.

Today that answer is yes, with a Boosted Email Post.

We’re very excited about this because when Potomac Local readers click the link to your Boosted Email Post on our PotomacLocal.com homepage or from the Breakfast Links email, they go right to your newsletter.

The user experience is great because they see your branding, in your environment, the same as if they are reading your newsletter from their inbox.

The Boosted Email Post is a great way to expand your reach to our 150,000 monthly readers, grow your subscriber list, and give a second life to your email newsletter content.

As an added bonus, we track the number of Potomac Local readers that click to view your content and email the information in an easy-to-read report directly to you. 

You can see an example of a Boosted Email Post from the city of Manassas by clicking here and then clicking on the headline on the page “In Manassas, office rates are nearly half of the regional average while flex space demand is booming.”

It’s effortless to do a Boosted Email Post if you’re using Constant Contact or MailChimp.

To place your Boosted Email Post, I’ll need the campaign URL.

Here’s how to get it:

From Constant Contact

1. In your Constant Contact email campaign, click MORE ACTIONS at the top
2. Click “SHARE URL”
3. Copy the URL in the pop-up window
4. Paste the URL in an email and send to us

From MailChimp

1. In your MailChimp email campaign list, click the drop-down button to the right of the campaign name
2. Select VIEW EMAIL
3. Copy the URL that appears in the new browser window displaying your email content
4. Paste the URL in an email and send to us

Potomac Local will charge $99 per Boosted Email Post. If you already have an advertising agreement with us, ask me how we can incorporate this into your plan.

Please let me know if you have any questions. Thanks for reading and supporting local news in our community.

Horrific headlines of devastating mass injuries seem to be commonplace these days. That’s why Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center, along with the American College of Surgeons and Department of Homeland Security are teaming up to provide a program to make sure our communities are better prepared. It’s called, Stop the Bleed.

“Stop the Bleed is a program which was created to help teach community members to respond to emergent medical events like hemorrhage control,” explains Dynette Rombough, RN, BSN, CPEN, Trauma Program Manager at Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center.

Motivated by the 2012 tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary, organizations realized precious moments between the time a catastrophic event occurred and the time professional first responders arrived were being lost. The group soon surmised, empowering the civilian bystander with skills and basic tools to stop uncontrolled bleeding in an emergency situation, could save lives.

Over the last several months, Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center has been hosting this free program in an effort to empower and educate the community. The hope is – if they come across an emergency situation they would be able to act and render aid until emergency personnel could arrive.

This one-time, 90-minute class is free and open to the public. Since there are some gory situations & mature subject matter, it may not ideal for children or young teens. Sessions are still available for November 1^st & 15^th and December 6^th & 20^th. They will be held at the Hylton Education Center at Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center.

If you’d like to host a Stop the Bleed event for your organization (larger than 10 people), please submit a request, here.

At the Community Center, one of our goals is to create and host a variety of events for families to come together as a community. This fall season, we have prepared a number of fun events for everyone!

To get into the spirit of Halloween, we’ve created a pumpkin patch in our pool! Our Floating Gourd Night takes place on October 19. Children will jump into the pool, find a pumpkin they like, and decorate it. Pack a swimsuit! This event is a perfect way to get children, and maybe even yourself, into the Halloween spirit!

Continuing with the fall spirit, our Fall Family Fun Night is filled with all kinds of themed activities for everyone! On October 20, visit us to take part in this family favorite celebration. We will have hayrides around the Community Center, as well as a variety of hands-on activities for children. We’ll finish out the night gathering around the bonfire and roasting s’mores. Pre-registration for this event is highly recommended, so be sure to reserve a spot for your family.

We’ll finish off our fall celebrations with our favorite fall event – Trunk or Treat! On Halloween day, pirates, ghouls, superheroes, and other creatures will come out to get Halloween treats at the Community Center! Vendors will line up their spooky-themed vehicles and hand out candy. This is a fun and safe alternative to trick-or-treating while enjoying costumes, music, and more!

Fall is all about family togetherness and being thankful, and we are thankful to be able to share our events with the community. If you have any questions regarding any of our fall events and programs, feel free to give us a call. See you soon!

The Manassas Park Community Center is located at 99 Adams Street in Manassas Park, VA. Managed by the City of Manassas Park Department of Parks and Recreation, the facility is home to basketball courts, a swimming pool, wellness areas, special events, and recreational classes. For more information visit us at www.ManassasParkCommunityCenter.com or call at 703-335-8872.

Kathy Baxter’s cancer diagnosis has been a journey.

Like many journeys, there have been twists, turns, peaks and valleys along the way.

Kathy and her husband of 43 years, Bruce, were longtime Northern Virginia residents who had moved to Puerto Rico.

It was there, she first detected the symptoms which lead to her breast cancer diagnosis.

“I noticed some retraction and I felt a lump right underneath my nipple” said Kathy. “I called my doctor and we scheduled an ultrasound. It came out fine. The doctor said it was because I have fibrocystic breasts.”

That was in December 2016. The decision was made to follow up with another scan in six months.

Kathy soon found things had drastically changed during that period. In July 2017, she received results from her Puerto Rican lab the test was “probably malignant” and she was referred to a surgeon. 

Kathy says over the next few months a combination of events lead to obstacles in her care — everything from a language barrier in her doctor’s office to Hurricane Maria and then Hurricane Irma, which devastated the island causing major power outages and nearly brought air travel to a halt.

The decision was made; Kathy would come to the states. After a turn of lucky events that Kathy credits as a “miracle,” she finally arrived in Northern Virginia in October 2017.

“When I got here in October, I was shell-shocked,” explains Kathy. “My sister lives in Stafford and she gave me the name of her oncologist.”

Kathy’s multi-disciplinary team of Sentara doctors helped her through the difficult transition. Dr. Hamed Khosravi, Medical Oncologist, Dr. Robert Cohen, Breast Surgical Oncologist and Dr. Susan Boylan, Radiation Oncologist worked together to develop a plan of attack after her diagnosis of Invasive Ductal Carcinoma which had gone to the lymph nodes. In addition to that diagnosis, her doctors discovered Kathy also had Triple Positive breast cancer.

Dr. Susan Boylan, a Radiation Oncologist for Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center and Medical Director of Potomac Radiation, explains, “This type of breast cancer tends to grow and spread faster than others. It is particularly aggressive and requires additional treatment.”

With that knowledge in hand, the team created a treatment plan. It was decided Kathy would do six cycles of chemotherapy, take several weeks off, get a lumpectomy and then proceed to radiation.

“Each tumor is unique. Each woman’s tumor has its own biology,” explains Dr. Boylan. “We try to personalize an individual’s treatment based on the biology of their tumor. Everybody’s treatment is going to be unique to them. It’s very personalized medicine. It’s not cookie cutter.”

Baxter, a former nurse, admits it was a lot to take in.

“I like to be able to process things. On top of that, I don’t like pain and I don’t like needles,” she said.

While her family has been by her side through it all, Kathy credits Oncology Nurse Navigator Deana Henry with helping her work through the process.

“Deana is such a delightful person. She would make her rounds through the infusion center and really seemed to care about me and my health,” she said. “She’s very friendly, she’s a very positive person and she was very sympathetic. She’s been a tremendous support.”

After chemotherapy, Kathy had her lumpectomy. She spent the summer recovering and is now working through radiation. As she nears the end of her treatment, she’s looking to the future and returning to Puerto Rico.

She offers this advice:

“Take each moment as it comes. Live for the moment!” she says smiling. For any woman who finds a lump, her advice is more serious: “If anyone shared they had any sort of lump, I would insist on a biopsy, because I can’t help but think had they biopsied my lump in Puerto Rico in December, they would have found my cancer. That would have changed everything, that would have put me a year ahead of it. But I’ve just been so pleased with my care here at Sentara. They were responsive when I called and just so professional, it made a hard time a little easier.”

To learn more about the Sentara Cancer Network and find the care team for you or your loved one, call 1-800-SENTARA or visit Sentara.com.