Nonprofit

Stafford

Stafford High FBLA students raise funds to sponsor litter of rescue puppies

By Mauriah Church-Barbour
Stafford High School’s (SHS) Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) students raised nearly $450 that will go toward sponsoring a litter of puppies at Old Dominion Humane Society (ODHS). [Submitted Photo]

Students at Stafford High School raised nearly $450 to sponsor a litter of rescue puppies through the Old Dominion Humane Society. The school’s Future Business Leaders of America chapter led the fundraiser, which covers the $300 sponsorship fee and provides additional funds to support the nonprofit’s mission of rescuing dogs from neglect and mistreatment.

The students chose an Anime theme for the litter, naming the mother dog Maki and her seven pups Toji, Gojo, Todo, Yuta, Mahoraga, Sukuna and Yuji. The effort was organized by FBLA sponsor Maggie Bautista, an economics and personal finance teacher at the school, who said her students spent months planning, creating posters, and promoting the fundraiser through school announcements.

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Fredericksburg

Cutting a New Path: Faded & Co. Gives Second Chances Through Barbering

By Caitlyn Meisner
Antoine Carey launched Faded & Co. and the F.A.D.E.D. Foundation as a second chance advocacy organization. [Courtesy photo]

“I earned my barber license while incarcerated at Haynesville Correctional Center. That program changed my life — it gave me more than just a trade; it gave me a vision of who I could become,” Carey said. “When I was released in 2014, I didn’t just walk out with a record — I walked out with a barber license and a new sense of direction.”

Carey, founder and owner of Faded & Co. Barbershop and CEO of the F.A.D.E.D. Foundation in Fredericksburg, was inspired by his own story to begin a home for second-chance advocacy for those released from incarceration.

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Press Release

Willing Warriors to Celebrate 10 Years of Serving Veterans at Retreat near Haymarket

By Uriah Kiser
Dominick speaks at the Prince William Board of County Supervisors meeting.

Willing Warriors, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting recovering service members and their families, will hold a community-wide event this spring to celebrate a decade of healing and hope.

The organization will mark its 10-year anniversary with a celebration on Monday, May 26, 2025, at 11 a.m. at the Warrior Retreat at Bull Run near Haymarket. The retreat provides free, week-long stays for wounded service members and their families, offering them rest, reconnection, and recovery in a peaceful setting.

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News

Hire Heroes USA Brings Hope and Opportunity to Woodbridge Veteran

By Jazbia Chaudhry

The organization provides free, comprehensive assistance beyond securing a job through tailored programs and services, offering veterans and military spouses the tools and guidance needed to thrive in their new careers.

Since its inception, Hire Heroes USA has celebrated over 100,000 job placements and confirmed hires—a testament to its transformative impact. “Each hire is more than a statistic—it represents a life change, a family stabilized, and a community strengthened. This is the heart of our mission,” said Ross Dickman, the organization’s CEO.

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Features

A Renewed Mission at Habitat: Prince William Focuses on Repairs and ReStore Revamp

By Uriah Kiser

Habitat for Humanity in Prince William County, under the interim leadership of Steve Liga, is recalibrating its mission to tackle the unique challenges of expensive real estate and a community need for home repairs rather than new builds.

Liga, who stepped in as the interim director, detailed how his experience with other nonprofits led him to this role. He explained his immediate focus on stabilizing the organization’s financial footing and reconnecting with the community after a slow period exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic.

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Fredericksburg

Zoe Freedom Center’s Fourth Annual 5K to Fund Future Residential Care Home for Women

By Kelly Sienkowski
Zoe Freedom Center

The Zoe Freedom Center is gearing up for its fourth annual 5K run, a fundraising event supporting its mission to assist those struggling with addiction. The event on Aug. 24, 2024, will begin and end at the University of Mary Washington’s  Jepson Alumni Executive Center, with participants running a course that stretches to the halfway point near Lafayette and Blue & Gray Parkway before looping back.

Founded by Dana and Mark Brown in March 2020, the Zoe Freedom Center launched the same day widespread shutdowns were announced for the COVID-19 pandemic. “We were surprised by the happenings, but we knew we were called to open this organization,” said Dana, “It proved to be the perfect time to open.” As other addiction services were forced to close or transition to virtual operations, the Zoe Freedom Center remained an in-person resource for those in need.

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