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

Mark Your Calendars | November/December 2021

We compiled this Central Virginia Holiday Bucket List to help guide you through the region’s top events and activities. See how many you can check off this season!

Wave at a hometown parade.
After a very weird 2020, many of Central Virginia’s hometown parades are back with a bang this year in their traditional formats. The theme of the 2021 Lynchburg Christmas Parade is “A Stroll Down Gingerbread Lane” (Dec. 5). It will start at Bank of the James Stadium at 4 p.m. and end at E.C. Glass High School. Other local parades were still in planning stages as of mid-October but be on the lookout for confirmed dates!

Go on a tour of the best local lights.
It’s not officially Christmas until you’ve seen the spectacular light display at the Elks National Home in Bedford. Another easy drive-through option is Liberty University, where the campus trees are decked out with dazzling lights following Thanksgiving. Or, trade your car for a carriage as Lynchburg Parks and Rec hosts its Celebration of Lights event in the magically decorated Riverside Park
(Dec. 10-11, registration required).

Support local businesses at one-stop-shop events.
Step away from your Amazon cart! You’ll find diverse local businesses and makers at regional events such as the Holiday Maker’s Market on Commerce Street (Nov. 26-27), Mountain View Events’ CHRISTmas in the Country (Nov. 12-13), Christmas in Sedalia at the Sedalia Center (Dec. 11) and the Holiday Craft Fair at the Moose Lodge on Lakeside Drive (Nov. 13). Also, be sure to stop by the Lynchburg Community Market’s Mistletoe Markets on Saturdays leading up to Christmas (starting Nov. 27).

Create a Christmas craft with friends or family.
Check out the Academy Center of the Arts class offerings to make fun décor such as a Snowman Stocking Holder (Dec. 4) or Holiday Tea Towels and Sugar Scrubs (Dec. 18). If you’re stumped on what to get your friends, consider booking a painting session at Imagination Station, Board and Brush Forest, Blue Mountain Barn or AR Workshop. These local DIY studios offer holiday craft options every year!

Buy tickets to a festive show.
Returning in 2021 for its 50th anniversary is the Thomas Road Baptist Church Virginia Christmas Spectacular, a professional-level production that includes the iconic Living Christmas Tree (Dec. 10-12). Music lovers will cherish the Lynchburg Symphony Orchestra’s Happy Holidays with the LSO show at the Historic Academy Theatre (Dec. 4). The Academy is also hosting the Sara Evans Blue Christmas Tour (Dec. 9).

Stay fitness-focused by signing up for a local race.
While it’s not the peak 5K season, there are still several race options during the holiday months. The Lynchburg Turkey Trot (Nov. 25), a fundraiser for HumanKind, is an invigorating way to start your Thanksgiving Day. Bring the whole family to the Peaks of Otter Christmas Classic (Dec. 2) in Bedford, which includes a 5K, one-mile run and kids’ run. Runners are encouraged to “dress for the season” at the Reindeer Run 2 Mile Trail Race at Hydaway Outdoor Center (Dec. 4).
<brBinge on your favorite holiday movies.
No need to dig out those old DVDs—the Historic Academy Theater has you covered with its all-day Holiday Movie Marathon (Nov. 27). You can also enjoy your favorite festive flicks on the big screen at Venue Cinemas during the month of December as they feature some of the top films with holiday vibes.

Take a trip back in time to Christmases past.
The Holiday Candlelight Tours at Thomas Jefferson’s Poplar Forest give you a one-of-a-kind experience of his villa that’s fully decorated for the holidays
(Dec. 2-17). Or take a trip to Brookneal for the annual Christmas Open House at Patrick Henry’s Red Hill, which includes docent-guided tours and more (Dec. 6).

Local Openings & Closings

Hello! to new owners of Goode Country Store in Goode.

Hello! to a new location of Rookie’s on Norfolk Avenue in Lynchburg.

Hello! to Beauty Bar on 9th Street in Lynchburg.

Hello! to La Vida Coffee + Market on Langhorne Road.

Goodbye to MMG Burger Bar on Wards Road.

Hello! to women’s boutique Cashe’ on Enterprise Drive in Wyndhurst.

Hello! to new boutique Mosaic Collective on 5th Street in Lynchburg.

Hello! to Annie’s Indian Kitchen on Forest Road near Graves Mill Road.

Hello! to Relevant Law’s new location on Enterprise Drive.

Goodbye to Crown Sterling restaurant on Fort Avenue, closing after five decades.

Hello! to three new places to eat at River Ridge Mall: Grounded, Stonefire Pizza and Mein Bowl.

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.

There’s No Place Like Home
As more aging seniors and their families opt for home care, local agencies answer some of your top questions

Even before the pandemic, the home health industry was seeing a slow but steady increase in demand. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, home health aide and personal care aide jobs are projected to grow 36 percent from 2018 to 2028, much faster than the average for all occupations.

The benefits of home care are fueling these numbers, from increased independence for an aging senior to relief for family caregivers. It’s also becoming a transitional option for seniors who don’t quite need full-time care, but would be safer and have a better quality of life if someone helped them a few times a week.

If you are considering this option for yourself or a loved one, read on to hear the most frequently asked questions three local businesses receive.

Spreading the Word

A local putt-putt group contacted us to say thank you after some new faces joined their fun. Willie Perry, a volunteer organizer of the Senior Putt-Putt League, told editor Shelley Basinger they had about five or six new people come out to play, all because they read the article in the July/August issue of Lynchburg Living, “Mini Golf, Big Benefits.” Perry says they typically average about
30 people every time they play.

Their 2021 season has ended but will resume in April at the Putt-Putt Fun Center on Timberlake Road.

Taste Try Outs

Long-time contributor Mikael Blido says he has never received so much feedback about one of his cooking articles. Since the release of our September/October issue, he says he has heard from four separate individuals—two men and two women—who made (and enjoyed!) the chicken pot pie from his “Dudes CAN Cook” feature.

Be sure to check out all of the year’s recipes at lynchburgliving.com and let us know how your meal turns out!

The Votes Are In

We want to once again thank you, our readers, for casting votes in our annual Best Of Lynchburg contest. Thousands of you went online to pick your favorite restaurants, businesses and more; we logged close to 43,000 total votes!

Look for the full list of winners in our January/February 2022 issue.

Send us an e-mail to shelley@lynchburgmag.com. Correspondents must identify themselves; names may be withheld on request. Lynchburg Living may edit or condense.

Not sure where to start with that holiday shopping list? You’ve come to the right place! Our annual Holiday Gift Guide is an overview of unique gift ideas, all found in local stores.

That Are On the Nice List

You don’t have to skip the sweets this holiday season to stay focused on your fitness goals. Local blogger Laura Miner, founder of Cook at Home Mom (cookathomemom.com), shares a few of her favorite diet-friendly desserts that are perfect for parties or after a weeknight meal at home.

Chocolate Pumpkin Protein Balls
paleo, grain-free, gluten-free

Who doesn’t love a good no-bake dessert recipe during a busy time of the year? These little bites of fall flavor are easy to whip up and are always crowd pleasers. But Laura prefers to savor them by herself with a steaming hot cup of coffee on a chilly morning. She also likes that they aren’t overly sweet and the pumpkin flavor is subtle.

Servings: 4 (16-18 balls)
Calories: 352

CLICK HERE FOR THE RECIPE!

Snickers-Stuffed Dates
paleo, vegan

These are an absolute must-try if you’re like Laura and love that classic combo of chocolate and peanut/almond butter. With just four ingredients, this no-bake dessert is also a fan favorite due to its convenience.

Servings: 8
Calories: 160

CLICK HERE FOR THE RECIPE!

Sweet Potato Chocolate Mousse
paleo, vegan

Laura came up with this recipe as a way to satisfy her husband’s post-dinner sweet tooth without derailing from their clean-eating habits. It’s a concoction that’s so delicious, no one—including the kids—will ever know it is made with vegetables!

Servings: 4
Calories: 246

CLICK HERE FOR THE RECIPE!

Chocolate Covered Apple Slices

With apples as a base and nuts providing protein, you won’t feel so guilty about snacking on this treat anytime of the year.

Servings: 4-6 (4 slices)
Calories: 198

CLICK HERE FOR THE RECIPE!

Lynchburg Living is recognizing and honoring the amazing, inspiring educators in our area with the Lynchburg Living Top Teachers Awards. Readers submitted entries for their favorite, current and local teacher who, if chosen, will be honored in our upcoming March / April 2022 issue of Lynchburg Living Magazine. Thank you to all who nominated!

The contest has concluded. Be on the lookout for results in our March/April 2022 issue of Lynchburg Living Magazine.

Mark Your Calendars | September/October 2021

Sept. 18, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Lynchburg Art Festival
More than 140 artists from across Virginia and neighboring states—representing a broad range of visual arts from oil, acrylic, sculpture and photography—will be showing off their work on the grounds of E.C. Glass High School. Rain date is September 19. Learn more at Lynchburg Art Festival on Facebook.

Sept. 18, 12 p.m.
Lynchburg Beer, Wine & Cider Festival
It’s a booze-focused festival with a little something for everyone! Enjoy beer, ciders and wine hand-picked from across Virginia along with other unique regional vendors. lynchburgbeerandwinefestival.com

Sept. 25, 7 p.m.
Jefferson and Douglass, A Conversation
Experience a conversation that transcends time—and American history—as you witness an imagined interaction between Founding Father Thomas Jefferson and Frederick Douglass, American abolitionist. poplarforest.org

Sept. 25
Virginia 10 Miler
A tradition in the Hill City since 1974, the Virginia 10 Miler race is truly “where Southern hospitality meets the road.” More than 3,300 people from 36 states and 10 countries participated in 2019. virginiatenmiler.com

Oct. 15-31
Agatha Christie’s Love from a Stranger
In the mood for a spooky story? James River Theatre Company brings this intense and chilling psychological thriller to life at the Firehouse 4 Venue on Rivermont Avenue. www.jamesrivertheatre.com

Local Openings & Closings

Hello! to Burg Burritos on Church Street.
Hello! to greenhaus,
a new beer garden in downtown Lynchburg.
Hello! to clothing store Empire Fleet Vintage
on Fifth Street.
Hello! to Firefly Grove Confectionary in the Lynchburg Community Market.
Hello! to a new location of Burlington Coat Factory at Wards Crossing West.
Hello! to The Bagel and I on Timberlake Road.
Goodbye to Mr. Shipp’s on Forest Road.
Hello! to boutique store Cashé in Wyndhurst.
Hello! to For the Love of Soul, an Alpha-Gal friendly restaurant, on Oakley Avenue.
Hello! to Southern Works Hair Salon in River Ridge Mall.
Hello! to new owners of Farm Basket on Langhorne Road.
Goodbye to Pretzelmaker inside River Ridge Mall.
Hello! to new wedding venue The Barn at Cedar Oaks Farm on Elkton Farm Road.
Hello! to new owners of Repast Catering
Hello! to Hygenio’s, a veteran-owned and -operated power washing company.

Virginia’s “Switzerland” Offers Rural Charm

If getting away means finding an idyllic spot with few people, Highland County is hard to beat.

With only 2,200 people, it’s the least-populated county in Virginia, and much of the East Coast. Highland is tucked away in the western corner of the commonwealth between the Allegheny and the Appalachian mountains.

The headwaters of the James and Potomac rivers are located here. The contrast between high, narrow ridges forested in hardwoods and broad, open valleys makes for spectacular scenery, as well as great places for hiking, biking, and fishing.

The county is best known for maple syrup, sheep and cattle farms, and a Barn Quilt Trail. As its name implies, it also boasts one of the highest mean elevations of any county east of the Mississippi River, which also makes it one of the southernmost places that maple syrup can be made.

Just getting to Highland County takes you through gorgeous territory. If you enter via State Route 39, you go through Goshen Pass, a photographic gorge in Little North Mountain formed by the Maury River.

Originally settled by Scotch/Irish highlanders and German immigrants, Highland is now an eclectic mix of native farm families and new residents drawn to the slower pace of life.

There is one time of year when life is a lot more fast paced in Highland County. In March, up to 30,000 people descend on this out-of-the-way destination for the Maple Syrup Festival.

But there is also plenty to do in the fall. The Highland County Fair is held every Labor Day weekend, and draws the second largest crowd. The fair features animal displays, carnival rides, truck pulls, and a demolition derby.

The Hands & Harvest Festival is held the second weekend in October, featuring arts and crafts as well as pumpkins and apple butter. This year it runs Oct. 8-10, and it’s a great time to see the county’s maple trees in fall color. You can also visit sugar maple camps, scenic back roads, and colorful barn quilt paintings.

Beginning in 2011, Highland County was the first county in Virginia to establish a Barn Quilt Trail, with nearly 60 designs on barns and houses throughout the countryside. With names like “Five Reds” and “Jacob’s Ladder,” each barn quilt tells a story, usually with special meaning about the owner, nature, family, business, or design.

When you follow the Highland County Barn Quilt Trail, you’ll wind your way through scenic back roads. There are also brochures with suggested driving routes, but it’s fun just to wander. Blue Grass, a tiny hamlet in the far north part of the county, is a great place for birders to head in the winter. If you’re lucky, you might spy a golden eagle, while bald eagles often gather along the Jackson River.

To further “tap” into what Highland County is most known for, try the Virginia Maple Syrup Trail passport program. It offers visitors the chance to visit eight sugar camps throughout the year, excluding the busy Maple Festival weeks and weekends, scheduled for March 7-20, 2022.

Visitors are invited to call ahead to the sugar camps, schedule a visit for a tour, taste their syrup, and get a stamp on their passport. After all eight camps are visited, you receive a t-shirt and bumper sticker, but the real incentive is to have more one-on-one interaction with the farmers who run the camps.

Doug Puffenbarger, a third-generation maple farmer, is one of them. Doug’s grandfather started their farm more than 100 years ago, and his father kept the tradition going until his passing two years ago. Doug, who also raises cattle and drives a school bus, misses his father and his help.

Now he taps 700 maple trees, and with his wife, Terri, turns maple sugar water into the magic of maple syrup. “It’s a lot of work, but a pretty good product in the end,” Doug said, adding that he puts maple syrup in his coffee, not just on pancakes.

Depending on the sugar content, it usually takes about 50 gallons or more of sugar water to make one gallon of maple syrup. Ideal conditions for syrup production are nighttime temperatures below freezing and daytime temperatures rising between 40 or 50 degrees.

When Doug was a kid, he said they would start tapping their trees in February and sometimes get sugar water through April. Now, with a warming climate, “you open taps at the end of January and are hoping you make it to March,” he said.

Because the Maple Syrup Festival was canceled in 2020 and 2021, some maple sugar camps, including Puffenbarger’s Sugar Orchard, decided to boost online sales. They ship syrup all over the country, from Washington state to Florida, Doug said.

The sugar camps still rely heavily on business during the Maple Syrup Festival, and Doug said that visitors are spread out through the eight or nine camps that participate so it’s not as crowded as you might think.

Chris Swecker, executive director of the Highland County Chamber of Commerce, said that is true for all the festivals. Because the county is 416 square miles, there is plenty of room to spread out. There is not, however, plenty of room to stay, so nearly all visitors make it a day trip.

Lodging is limited in the county, especially now, with the Highland Inn in Monterey undergoing renovation. The historic inn likely won’t reopen until 2023, Swecker said.
Swecker noted the chamber is always trying to attract more people to Highland County and added that the pandemic showed that many people can work remotely. “We have really good broadband for our area,” he said. And you can’t get much more remote than Highland, and part of him would like to keep it that way.

A native of the county, Swecker said he came back home after living in Seattle and was astonished as he was reintroduced to the quiet, the dark skies, and the beauty of the mountains. “It’s like taking a step back in time,” he said.

Learn more by visiting www.highlandcounty.org.

By Shannon Brennan | Photos Courtesy: The Highland County Chamber Of Commerce