Hi there. It’s Amie.

When I said I was “thankful” last week, I thought I knew what that word meant. Hi, it’s me, your community editor with a degree in English, nearly eight years of reporting experience, and homeschool Mama—and I discovered over Thanksgiving weekend that I had no clue. You see, Kody (my husband), Colton (our son), and I were hit by a drunk driver Saturday night on our way home from taking C to urgent care. Talk about fear. Talk about panic. The very first responder on the scene was a guy I grew up going to church with—and speaking of thankfulness, I can’t tell y’all just how thankful I was to see a familiar face in those moments. Yes, it was scary. No, I’m not ready to fully process everything yet. And yeah, I’m bummed about Eleanor (my car). But here’s the amazing thing that I’m so thankful for: We all walked away, even the other driver.

Friends, y’all know I love the holidays. I acknowledge that they can be tough times, too—and that’s the only scenario my brain can cook up for driving under the influence. Whether you’re dealing with difficult family dynamics, battling depression amidst the holly jolly, striving for perfectionism during the “most wonderful time of the year,” struggling with sickness or the passing of a loved one, or anything that’s stealing your joy, I want you to know a few things: 1) Here’s your validation; if it’s upsetting you, then it’s okay to take time to process what you’re feeling in a safe setting. 2) There are people that care about you (I’m one of them), and are rooting for your joy and success. 3) In our home, we call negative feelings “big emotions.” If you’re feeling those, please find someone to talk to about what you’re going through. I promise, there will be people to listen, and you might even discover that you have friends who’ve experienced something similar.

Heading into the weekend, I’ll leave y’all with this: No matter who you are, where you come from, and where you’re headed, I’m so glad you’re here… and with love and compassion, please don’t drink and drive.

Amie Knowles

Community Editor, Dogwood

Where to volunteer and how to cultivate community in Hampton Roads

Here’s what you need to know: Being part of a community means being involved, and a good way to do that is to volunteer for a worthy cause. Those looking to get involved in the Hampton Roads area are in luck because there are countless volunteer opportunities. We’ve highlighted some of the top nonprofits you should consider donating your time to.

Our top picks:

Virginia Beach Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals—The SPCA has volunteer opportunities for adults, who can carry out a range of tasks including walking and feeding dogs, providing home-based foster care, and doing clerical work; or junior volunteers ages 14-17, who help with day-to-day operations like cleaning. Those who are interested must apply through the Volunteer Portal.
Hampton Roads Pride—This volunteer-led nonprofit focuses on holding community events and offering educational programming that prioritize building inclusive spaces. Hampton Roads Pride is happy to accept volunteers who want to contribute year-round as well as those who are only available to help with a specific event. A good way to stay up to date on opportunities is to sign up for the volunteer committee newsletter.
VersAbility Resources—This organization serves more than 1,800 people with disabilities and their families each year. Potential ways to volunteer include spending the day at one of the community living homes to help with projects like painting and landscaping, teaching classes or mentoring an individual with disabilities, or becoming a member of the organization and advocating for people with disabilities. Those who are interested in getting involved can fill out this form.

Ready to roll up your sleeves? We’ve rounded up incredible volunteer opportunities for you to experience this holiday season (and beyond).

Read this article

From now through Dec. 12, we are running our Holiday Supporter Drive—and we need your support to ensure we can continue to report the local stories that matter most to Virginians.

You can join us by donating to our newsroom today!

Any amount helps, and every dollar counts towards our goal.

You can also help by following Dogwood on social media if you aren’t already—we’re on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok.

Or share our newsletter with your friends and family. Let them know why supporting local journalism is so important in Virginia.

Thanks again for being part of the Dogwood community!

Donate here

Are there any great volunteer opportunities around you? We’d love to hear about them! Feel free to send me and note at amie@couriernewsroom.com or respond to this email.

Virginia State University was recently selected to host a presidential debate next year, making it the first HCBU (historically Black colleges and universities) in the US to ever do so. The debate will be held on Oct. 1, 2024, in the VSU Multipurpose Center.

VSU is “extremely honored and excited to be a part of meaningful conversations on important issues that impact the nation,” a media release about the debate said in part.

~ ICYMI ~

Have you ever driven on a Virginia road or lived in an area with terrible internet? Well, here’s a bit of good news: The commonwealth received more than $8 billion in infrastructure funding for more than 240 projects statewide. What are local governments doing with these funds? Dogwood correspondent Jessica Craven reports (WATCH HERE).
Heartwarming alert: President Joe Biden and First Lady Dr. Jill Biden hosted military families at a naval base in Virginia for a Friendsgiving dinner on Sunday, Nov. 19. The Bidens doled out food prepared by celebrity chef Robert Irvine and his staff to family members of sailors serving on the USS Gerald R Ford and USS Dwight D Eisenhower and single sailors assigned to units on Naval Station Norfolk (WATCH HERE).
Have you heard about “the Kennel?” It’s a cafe serving teachers and staff at Martinsville’s local middle school, operated by the city’s high school students who are studying entrepreneurship. From the initial concept last year to opening day this fall, students played an invested role in the business’s development. They even built a comprehensive business plan, which included market research, financial projections, and day-to-day operational details (READ MORE HERE).

Your Commonwealth Connection

Our weekly #ThisIsVirginia shares the stories of the people, places, and things that make us a commonwealth.

Have you ever wanted to learn more about preventive health but didn’t have a way to get to the doctor’s office? The Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center recently tore down that barrier for Virginians in traditionally underserved communities.

Two mobile health vans from “Massey on the Move” recently spread cancer education and awareness throughout central and southern Virginia, reaching about 1,000 people and sparking hundreds of one-on-one conversations.

The cancer center’s initiative led to 40 sign-ups for preventive health measures, including Massey’s free “We CAN Quit” tobacco program, “We Can Eat Well” nutrition program, and “We Can Take Action” health program. Additionally, the outreach helped approximately two dozen people set up referral services for health needs like screening tests, diagnostic follow-up tests, cancer treatment services, and clinical trials.

“We’re providing critical education about cancer prevention and screenings that we believe will help us address the higher cancer mortality rates that Massey has identified in communities the vans are visiting,” Michael Gesme, a senior program manager on Massey’s community outreach and engagement team, said in a media release. “To see connections being made between people and our trained navigators to make sure they can access the resources they need has been incredibly rewarding.”

📸: VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center

This email is written by Amie Knowles, community editor at Dogwood, lifelong Virginia resident, and mom to a fantastic five-year-old who loves monster trucks.
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