SimVentions recently completed our 8th annual Day of Service with activities and donation collections in Fredericksburg, Stafford, Ruther Glen, and Virginia Beach (VB)! Individual volunteer activities were made available for those unable to participate in the group volunteer opportunities. Individual efforts included donations to Servants at Work (SAWs) VA, Steadfast Trail Farm, Beauty for Ashes, Zoe Freedom Center, Loisann’s Hope House, and Samaritan House VB. On October 10th, employee-owners and family members gathered in six different locations in Fredericksburg and VB to make a difference.
SimV provided the materials and volunteers to build a ramp for a Fredericksburg family through SAWs, “a faith-based nonprofit organization dedicated to providing freedom to low-income, permanently disabled individuals through the construction of wheelchair ramps” to the exterior of their homes.
Employees helped Steadfast Trail Farm in Spotsylvania with morning chores. Steadfast Trail Farm is a non-profit organization formed to offer Equine Ministry and “Life on the Farm” for “kids and families from all circumstances of life.” They utilize horsemanship to reach kids where they are and help them to gain confidence in finding who they are created to be in Christ.
Our volunteers were able to help spend the beautiful day outside at the Beauty for Ashes home and assist with cleaning the property and painting projects. Beauty for Ashes provides “a safe, stable, and loving home environment for women with life-controlling problems. Beauty for Ashes offers help, hope and healing to both mother and child. An effective and comprehensive Christian faith-based curriculum, life skills training, life applications, and Church and community involvement lead to mental, emotional, social, physical, and spiritual wholeness.”
The Zoe Freedom Center envisions “a world where anyone who seeks freedom from addiction would find it, realize their God-given purposes, and lead productive, fulfilling lives.” They provide certified substance abuse counseling, Narcan training and doses, group meetings, and other resources free of charge to individuals seeking freedom from addiction. SimVentions volunteers helped setup the new counseling and volunteer areas by assembling desks, storage units, and file cabinets. SimV employee, Rachael Orzechowski, said, “This ministry is near and dear to my heart. A close family friend lost his battle to addiction this year. It was our honor to give something back to this organization that is coming alongside those battling this disease, giving them dignity, hope, and sharing God’s love for them.”
Volunteers brought an arsenal of tools prepared to cut, trim, dig, pull, scrub and clean the landscape at Loisann’s Hope House. They even went back on their own two days later to complete the fence as it had to dry. Loisann’s Hope House is the region’s oldest and largest family homeless shelter, having opened its doors in 1987. SimV employee, Doug Hertle, said, “While these same tasks might have seemed daunting if tackled alone, the SimV team was enjoying our time together. While smiling and making jokes, the entire experience was very positive, and we could see the difference we were making.”
Some of our Virginia Beach employees cleared out and revamped the entrance way of the VB Samaritan House’s offices. Samaritan House is committed to fostering personal safety, growth and self-sufficiency in adults and their children through freedom from sexual assault, domestic violence, human trafficking, and homelessness. “Since 1984, Samaritan House has provided emergency and permanent housing, support services and community outreach to victims of domestic violence and homeless families.” SimV’s Rhoda Carroll said, “As you can imagine, they have seen a lot of ugliness, so to be able to bring just a small bit of beauty into their lives really resonated. The area we worked on is at the entrance to Samaritan House so will be the first thing they see as they arrive. We are continuing to grow our relationship with Samaritan House and have discussed doing similar projects in the future for their various shelters in the area.”
About SimVentions
SimVentions is a 100% employee-owned defense contractor focused on developing, integrating, and transitioning new technology to our county’s warfighters. SimVentions has offices located in Fredericksburg, King George, and Virginia Beach, Virginia. For additional information about
SimVentions, please visit https://www.simventions.com/.
Due to continued success and planned growth, SimVentions is always looking for qualified candidates across DoD engineering and cybersecurity disciplines to work in the Fredericksburg, VA; Dahlgren, VA; Washington, D.C.; Charleston, SC; Virginia Beach, VA; and Pax River, MD areas. Apply online at https://www.simventions.com/careers.