For many newly engaged couples, wedding planning seems like a dream—until you are faced with dozens of choices all at once. From the venue to the dress (and all of those little details in between), it’s hard to know where to start!
We are here to help. Our Best Of Bridal Picks list tells you who recent brides and members of their wedding parties recommend in 27 categories. Read below to see who made the list!
While a substantial number of wins or taking on high-profile cases can earn you recognition, it’s a lawyer’s reputation—both inside and outside of the courtroom—that really sets them apart.
For the sixth year in a row, Lynchburg Living has partnered with DataJoe Research Company to bring you Top Lawyers of Greater Lynchburg. This is a peer-to-peer survey—the lawyers included on this list were nominated by fellow lawyers, which speaks volumes about their integrity and professionalism.
The Community Impact Appreciation Awards honor Lynchburg businesses and organizations that are making a tangible, measurable impact on their communities. That impact might be the result of any number of activities including job creation, workforce development programs, volunteer efforts, or innovative business models that promote a healthy work environment.
The deadline to nominate is July 29.
Nominations will be judged by a team of experts and leaders. Selected honorees will be featured in the November/December 2022 issue of Lynchburg Living Magazine.
Important Note Regarding Multiple Nominations for a Single Organization
The Giving Back Awards review committee is looking for a single strong nomination for each organization, one that provides a well expressed mission, relevant details and specific examples of how that organization impacts our greater Lynchburg community in a positive way. Submitting multiple nomination forms from different individuals for the same organization does not improve that organization’s chances of being selected.
Nominate a business below.
Lynchburg Living Magazine’s annual Giving Back Awards are designed to honor the region’s outstanding nonprofit organizations that transform our communities and enrich the lives of others in a variety of ways with charitable or cultural missions or through partnerships and programs. Honorees will be determined based on nominations submitted by either representatives of the organizations or a person familiar with their work. Considerations for selection include the strength of the organization’s mission and contribution to the community, but the final list also reflects an effort to represent the diversity and breadth of the nonprofit organizations that give back in our region. You may nominate a nonprofit below.
The deadline to nominate is July 28, 2022.
Selected honorees will be featured in the Nov./Dec. 2022 issue of Lynchburg Living Magazine.
Important Note Regarding Multiple Nominations for a Single Organization
The Giving Back Awards review committee is looking for a single strong nomination for each organization, one that provides a well expressed mission, relevant details and specific examples of how that organization impacts our greater Lynchburg community in a positive way. Submitting multiple nomination forms from different individuals for the same organization does not improve that organization’s chances of being selected.
Being a teacher is more than just a job. It’s more than a just career. It’s a calling.
Our annual Top Teacher Awards are a way to honor deserving educators who have not only answered this call for public service, but they also go above and beyond to make sure their students are thriving.
After reviewing nominations submitted by parents, students, and colleagues, a panel of judges selected 10 deserving teachers to feature on the following pages.
This list—made up of various school districts, grade levels and subjects—is only a snapshot of the incredible teacher talent we have in our region.
Thank you to Chick-fil-A Wards Road/River Ridge for partnering with us again on this campaign and providing each teacher with a bag of gifts and coupons.
These six businesses prioritize giving back to the greater Lynchburg region, each in their own unique way. The Lynchburg Living team selected this group based on nominations from the community and recommendations from economic development leaders.
CVFP Medical Group
Founded: 1993
Located: 7 primary care locations within the greater Lynchburg area
Number of Employees: 320
How has your business recently impacted the community?
CVFP Medical Group hosted numerous, mass COVID-19 vaccine clinics from January through May, administering over 20,000 vaccines. We were also a top fundraiser for Lynchburg’s HeartWalk and sponsor for many local high schools, the Hillcats, Jefferson Choral Society, and youth sports leagues. We donated to numerous nonprofits including Big Brothers Big Sisters, Appomattox for Equality, Lynchburg Daily Bread, and the Agape Center. We hosted our 4th annual Give Back Week in November, collecting over 1,000 items for local area food banks and animal shelters. CVFP is also an active community medical education partner, providing for 50+ clinical rotations for local medical students.
Why does your business prioritize giving back?
Our culture of “EPIC Teamwork” is not just something we like to talk about, rather it’s something we like to put into action. Our core values are Excellence, Professionalism, Integrity, Compassion, and Teamwork. The very people who live by these core values as they care for patients on the inside of our organization are the same people volunteering at vaccine clinics, contributing food donations, fundraising for the American Heart Association, and providing coverage at local races and football games. Community impact is our opportunity to shine from the inside out!
– Information provided by Lauren Bennett, VP, Experience & Business Development
First National Bank
Founded: 1908
Located: Altavista
Number of Employees: 185
How has your business recently impacted the community?
First National Bank consistently provides support to the community based on our three pillars of giving: community outreach, educational support, and economic development. In addition to corporate giving, the First National Bank Community Impact Foundation is an employee-driven endowment that allows our people to give back to the causes most important to them and their communities.
Why does your business prioritize giving back?
Our vision is to be the premier banking organization in the markets we serve. Extraordinary customer service is only part of the journey towards actualizing that vision. The other component is to give back to the communities we serve, regardless of the stakeholders’ status as clients of our organization. First National Bank strongly believes in stewardship and growing opportunities for our employees to make an impact that is felt close to home.
-Information provided by Todd Hall, President/CEO
Framatome Inc.
Located: 3315 Old Forest Road, Lynchburg
Number of Employees: 2,000 in the U.S.; 1,230 in Lynchburg
How has your business recently impacted the community?
We invest in education and STEM programs such as the Central Virginia Science Festival and the Susie G. Gibson Science & Technology Center. Beacon of Hope is another example. We’re honored to be part of this organization that has made college possible for so many. We also support human services programs, including Lynchburg Daily Bread and Neighbors Helping Neighbors, and arts and culture organizations, such as the Academy Center of the Arts. The economic health of our community is important too; we invest in the programs and strategy of the Lynchburg Regional Business Alliance and the Downtown Lynchburg Association.
Why does your business prioritize giving back?
We want to help build and sustain our community. We invest in a pipeline of employees in the region through education and STEM programs while contributing to the vitality of the community so that our region continues to be a great place to live and work. Our employee-led Contributions Committee is also committed to this mission and to helping meet some of the needs in the community. At the end of 2020, they recognized the areas in which our community suffered the most due to the pandemic and allocated additional donations for organizations providing food, shelter and basic needs for those who needed it.
-Information provided by Denise Woernle, VP, Communications
Moore & Giles
Founded: 1933
Located: 1081 Tannery Row, Forest
Number of Employees: 112
How has your business recently impacted the community?
Our big impact this year was stepping up to be the main sponsor of the Virginia Ten Miler. This was exciting because a majority of our employees grew up here and remember the race through the years. We continue to be a big supporter of the Academy and the restoration of the historic theater and will continue to support that organization as it makes it through the pandemic. We are also proud of our new “One” program, where we make a one-of-a-kind special item and raffle it off to the community. Whatever we raise, half of it goes to a selected nonprofit for that month. Also, every year at Christmas, we raffle off a high-dollar item for employees to win; whatever we raise the company matches and we donate all of that to Lynchburg Daily Bread.
Why does your business prioritize giving back?
We are a proud to call this community home. We feel it’s important as a locally owned company to do what we can to add to the incredible quality of life that this region already has. Part of our drive to be successful as a company is so we can do all of these things to help improve our community.
-Information provided by Sackett Wood, President/CEO
Schewels Home
Founded: 1897
Located: 7007 Timberlake Road, Lynchburg plus 50 locations in VA, WV and NC.
Number of Employees: 580
How has your business recently impacted the community?
Community engagement is one of our six core values, and the Schewel family has always been involved in the Lynchburg community. Since we launched our new Schewels Home brand in 2018, we’ve made it our goal to impact not only the Lynchburg area, but the other 49 communities we serve in Virginia, West Virginia and North Carolina. I’m proud to say that in the past year we donated over $36,000 to the local Salvation Army chapters in our communities to help purchase diapers and other baby care products for those who are not able to afford them. We have also continued to support local charities and sports teams based on requests from our local stores.
Why does your business prioritize giving back?
Throughout the past 124 years, our ownership has always donated time and money to the community, both because they truly wanted to help the less fortunate and because they understood that this was a key part of the bargain for retailers: give back to the customers who have helped our business to prosper. For instance, my grandfather Bert Schewel and his father, Ben Schewel, were major supporters of the Salvation Army. I’m proud that today we are continuing their legacy.
-Information provided by Matt Schewel, Vice-President
Scott Insurance
Founded: 1864
Located: 1301 Old Graves Mill Road, Lynchburg
Number of Employees: 350
How has your business recently impacted the community?
Scott Insurance impacts the Lynchburg community by serving needs and creating opportunities through financial contributions and volunteerism, benefitting many local organizations. Scott’s community efforts focus on creating educational opportunities for local youth, addressing food insecurity, promoting community health and wellness, and supporting economic development. In October 2020, Scott hosted “Community Day 2020: Building a Better Lynchburg”—a free event promoting safety, well-being and community connections. Another impactful project was Scott’s partnership with Centra Health to brighten the holiday season at three Centra skilled- and long-term care facilities in December 2020.
Why does your business prioritize giving back?
At Scott, our day-to-day work and our community involvement is driven by a passion to improve the lives of individuals. We believe our local efforts help foster a stronger, healthier community comprised of individuals who are empowered to live well and do their best work. From our efforts with multiple organizations working with youth to food and resource donations fighting food insecurity, we are dedicated to making Lynchburg a better place to live and work.
-Information provided by Keith Mann, COO/CFO
Never was there a more perfect storm for nonprofits than in the past two years. When the pandemic gripped our world, needs skyrocketed at a rate that no one could have predicted, pushing these steadfast organizations to their limits.