The summer before she turned two, Reagan took her first steps. They were small and shuffled, and she resembled her grandmother – slightly hunched over and slow – but she was walking. At the age of three, Reagan stopped trying…
At the Bellemeade Community Center in South Richmond, a fifth grade student had a message to share with the world. “That’s my birthday twin!” Niq-Niq called out across the room. On the receiving end of the greeting was Julia Warren,…
Grace Hessberg, a junior at Glen Allen High School, is one of three recipients of the JA Future Laureate scholarship, awarded last year through JA of Central Virginia. Grace’s experience in the JA Finance Park program – sessions in savings,…
Marie whispers her story with tears in her eyes. “I was walking on eggshells all the time. I never knew what mood he would be in when he walked through the door. I was afraid of what he would do…
Side by Side in Richmond hosts youth group meetings most days of the week. Here, young people ages eleven to twenty gather and discuss things like healthy relationships, role models, and body image. Some of the meetings – built around…
When we come here, we start from zero.” For people coming from different experiences and refugee communities, zero can mean different things. For a young refugee from the Democratic Republic of Congo or Bhutan who has spent his lifetime in…
When Stephanie Kirksey first heard her daughter’s eating disorder diagnosis, she remembers feeling discouraged, angry, scared, and unsure where to turn. Her primary care physician suggested she contact Beth Ayn Stansfield, founder of Stay Strong Virginia. “After that first phone…
The fight against cancer has changed dramatically since the American Cancer Society was founded more than one hundred years ago by a group of doctors in New York. In 1913, the ACS’s field army sought to educate people about the…
Eight months ago, Leroy Markland was sitting in his car in a Lynchburg parking lot. He felt like that car was all he had left. “I hit bottom. Things were falling apart,” he said of his substance abuse. “My wife…
It's incredible to see a child's self-esteem grow, just because a trusting adult told them, ‘I believe in you.’” That's the ultimate power of mentoring, according to Laura Leporati, a mentoring program coordinator for AMP! Metro Richmond. “It is important…
