What does it mean to give back? For some, giving back means supporting one of the hundreds of nonprofits and faith organizations in our area who are the boots on the ground, serving our community day after day. For others, giving back means rolling up their sleeves and doing the work themselves. Each year, we have the privilege of honoring the latter—the businesses making a big impact outside of their day-to-day responsibilities and giving back to our community in tangible and sometimes unexpected ways.
Berkshire Hathaway Home Services
Dawson Ford Garbee & Co., Realtors®
Founded: 1905
Number of Employees: 40
How has your business recently impacted the community?
Most recently, our company has started a podcast to provide a platform for nonprofits and those alike. We provide, weekly, a media space for these groups to engage with the community, and to let people know all about their mission and needs. The podcast is called “Community Love”. People are excited and we are booked six months out.
Why does your business prioritize giving back?
Our company is over 118 years old. It is because of our community and the people who live here, we have been allowed to service folks in their real estate needs for over a century in south-central Virginia. It only makes sense to give back to those who have allowed us to make that happen, and to invest in this community that we hold so dear.
Black Dog Sporting Goods
Founded: 2013
Number of Employees: 3 with 1 full-time and 2 part-time
How has your business recently impacted the community?
We help local charities and Volunteer Fire Departments raise funds through numerous raffles each year. The raffles are an excellent way for the groups to raise much-needed funds to carry on their charitable and life-saving work. A few examples include college scholarships, youth sports gear, and First-Responder gear and equipment.
Why does your business prioritize giving back?
When you are in a position to help someone, it isn’t just a nice thing to do, it’s the right thing to do. We strive to give back to the community by helping others including many charities and Volunteer Fire Departments.
Collaborative Health Partners
Founded: 2014
Number of Employees: 310
How has your business recently impacted the community?
Our VTO (volunteer time off) Program allows for employees to volunteer up to 4 hours per calendar year on company time at a charity of their choice. We also highlight one non-profit per month to educate our teams on our local resources, as well as to make them aware of opportunities where their VTO can be used. Isaiah House 117, Parkview Community Mission, The Center of Excellence for Polytrauma, YWCA’s Domestic Violence Program, and the Blue Ridge Pregnancy Center have all benefited from our team members’ generosity and/or time this year.
Why does your business prioritize giving back?
Excellence, Professionalism, Integrity, Compassion, and Teamwork are the values we live by inside and outside the walls of our organization. Our business takes pride in contributing to the well-being of our patients and our community. By engaging directly with local residents and charities, we better understand the needs and concerns of the communities we serve. We’re here to help people…attain better health for a better life!
FunQuest
Family Entertainment Center
Founded: Skateland was founded in 1969 it became FunQuest in 1991
Number of Employees: 25
How has your business recently impacted the community?
Our business has been here in our community for 55 years. Jim and Cindy Anderson who owned this facility previously poured into the kids, the schools and the businesses in this community. When Mason Drew started running the business, we kept that same focus. Every year we donate over 15,000 free passes to our local schools, we have given grants for schools through the Roller Skating Foundation to experience our STEM program for free. We donate to nonprofits and sponsor sports teams in our area.
Why does your business prioritize giving back?
Our mark in the community speaks to who we are as a business. We truly aim to provide good family fun to the people in Lynchburg and surrounding counties. Our hope is that our small locally owned business would be missed if we were gone, mostly because of the way we have poured into and loved on our community to make it better.
Patrick Henry’s Red Hill
Founded: Patrick Henry’s National Memorial Foundation was founded in 1944.
Number of Employees: 14 employees (6 part-time and 8 full-time).
How has your business recently impacted the community?
There are many ways Red Hill has impacted the community. One being our recent addition of Red Hill Rediscovered. It is a hybrid virtual and in-person lecture series geared towards an older audience. It is aimed to tell the history of Patrick Henry, Red Hill and his connection through people and places you know through history.
Why does your business prioritize giving back?
Red Hill prioritizes giving back through education, culture and providing a park like setting for people to enjoy. It’s our mission to reach the younger and older audience who have a passion for history and Patrick Henry. Red Hill aims to provide accurate information by telling the whole truth about its history, Patrick Henry, and the enslaved. Red Hill outreach efforts are on a national and local level to include Appomattox, Campbell, Charlotte, Danville, Halifax, Lynchburg city and Pittsylvania counties.
Timberlake Animal Hospital
Founded: 1963
Number of Employees: 14
How has your business recently impacted the community?
We foster cats at our clinic for the Bedford Humane Society and Harmony Rescue. We also sponsor multiple schools and businesses in the area (JF, Brookville, Timberlake Christian, the Jamerson YMCA, local rescues and shelters, and multiple others). Dr. Pearson has gone into elementary and secondary schools to talk about veterinary medicine to students. We have had over 15 high school and college student volunteers come and shadow regularly at our clinic to learn more about veterinary medicine, as well as veterinary students on rotation from Virginia Tech.
Why does your business prioritize giving back?
As a locally owned and operated clinic, we strongly believe in supporting our local community. We believe it is crucial to pour into our community because when Lynchburg is strong, we are all strong. Our clinic is one of the oldest in the area and we are proud of its history as it has remained locally owned and operated while other clinics have begun being owned by corporate companies located elsewhere. We also believe in investing in the future of veterinary medicine by encouraging the public to learn about its importance and educating the next generation of veterinarians
as well!
