Superheroes

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2021

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MAY 2021 | 2

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MAY 2021 | 4

BBQ Sandwich, BBQ Sandwich, The true superheroes Side & Beverage Side & Beverage

Nothing we could ever print could even come close to expressing our gratitude to the people who have been the superheroes of the COVID-19 pandemic.

How could we possibly say enough about a group of people who save lives and improve quality of life, every single day?

The people honored in this section are the people keeping our society going every single day. It’s one thing to ponder the implications of how those people’s lives intersect so much with ours on a regular basis, even when we may not realize it. It’s another to realize how much they truly have been keeping us going during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Many of these professionals have continued to show up to work despite great personal risk. They have gone above and beyond to heal, to comfort, to clean, to inspire, to keep order and just to be there.

Superman and Wonder Woman are no match for the heroes you will find on these pages.

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Thank To our Doctors, Nurses and all area hospital staff. Our Firefighters, EMTs, Police and all First Responders.

To our grocery store employees, pharmacists, delivery people, city and county employees, teachers, and all essential people that have kept our community safe and moving forward. We Thank U!

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Veterinarian: Dr. Amy Bowman

MAY 2021 | 6

s e i b a b r u f r u o y r o f g n i r a c : r Superpowe

By Stephen Faleski Staff Writer If someone wanted to label The Oaks Veterinary Clinic’s staff, or veterinarians in general, as superheroes, Dr. Amy Bowman wouldn’t object.

Her practice has had a number of close calls since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic — from staff members learning of their potential exposure and quarantining to needing to make last-minute child care arrangements when schools and daycares shuttered. But not once have they had to close down.

It’s why they’re still wearing masks all day and offering only curbside service a year into the health crisis. For those who work with small animals, that means going out to cars in all weather and bringing animals into the clinic while owners wait outside in the parking lot. For The Oaks’ large-animal veterinarians, that means driving out to farms in specialized trucks and taking turns being on call for emergencies.

“We are a small staff, and we knew that if any of us got COVID-19, it would shut down the whole clinic for weeks,” Bowman said.

Bowman is among the veterinarians and staff who work with small animals, mainly cats and dogs. It’s something she’s wanted to do since childhood.

“Our family had dogs while I was growing up that were a part of our family,” Bowman said. “That human/animal bond was important to my life.”

She and her staff have also seen very full schedules over the past year, with many people working from home using that opportunity to add animals to their households.

Those tasked with bringing animals into the clinic are often the first point of contact for people worried about their animals.

“We are thankful that we have been able to keep on doing what we do,” Bowman said. “We were able to get vaccinated but are waiting to open up to clients until most people have a chance to get vaccinations and the pandemic has eased.”

WE’RE WE’RE ALL ALL THIS THIS YEAR! YEAR!

Tourism is Smithfield’s second largest industry, Tourism is small Smithfield’s second industry, supporting businesses andlargest jobs, adding tax supporting businesses adding revenue andsmall offering qualityand of jobs, life for visitorstax revenue and offering and residents alike. quality of life for visitors and alike.restaurants, shops, parks, accommodations, Ourresidents outstanding Our outstanding restaurants, shops, parks, accommodations, attractions and special events demand the dedication of both staff attractions andtospecial events demand thethrive. dedication of both staff and volunteers operate, overcome and These are the steadfast to operate, andthis thrive.

These are the steadfast and volunteers stalwart folks we’d likeovercome to recognize year. and folks we’d recognize It’sstalwart been a tough year,like buttothe industrythis hasyear. pulled together, always It’s beenfor a tough the industry has pulledTourism together, always optimistic betteryear, daysbut ahead.

During National Month, it’s optimistic for better daysrecognize ahead. During National Tourism it’s time say thank you and their perseverance and Month, just plain time say thank you and recognize theirHospitality perseverance andthis just Year!” plain hard work by announcing “We’re ALL Heroes hard work by announcing “We’re ALL Hospitality Heroes this Year!”

We celebrate the many people and businesses who have shown this community so much support through a challenging pandemic.

For that, we are truly grateful.

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Respiratory Therapist: Chris Bowles e h t a re b u o y g in lp e H r: e w Superpo

By Rachel Wartian Staff Writer Chris Bowles is a registered respiratory therapist at Sentara Obici Hospital, making sure everyone is breathing better.

Being a respiratory therapist, Bowles works all over the hospital. From the babies in the nursery to the emergency room and intensive care unit, he makes sure everyone is breathing correctly.

Being in the business of breathing, the pandemic has impacted Bowles’ job as he works with patients on ventilators, oxygen and breathing machines.

“What’s basically changed is the severity of the patients who come in,” said Bowles.

“Some come in and pull through, and some come in and have real impacts on their breathing. Sometimes the patient’s condition can get critical within 48 hours. It definitely takes constant monitoring.”

As Bowles helps those on the ventilator, Sentara has avoided the common side effect of contracting pneumonia while on the ventilator. Through new practices like raising the bed to reduce secretion and constant monitoring, patients are getting off the ventilators faster and no longer contracting pneumonia.

Another large part of Bowles’ job is being part of the response team. Whenever there is a rapid decline with a patient, a response team made up of the patient’s nurse, the charge nurse, the physician and a respira-

MAY 2021 | 8

tory therapist are on the scene to find out what is wrong with the patient and stop before it escalates too far.

“When I’m called in with the response team, and when we get there quickly and start doing what needs to be done, it is a good feeling,” said Bowles.

Even though Bowles does not feel like a superhero, he does know the gravity of what he does.

“The most rewarding part is when I am working in the ICU with the sickest of the sick,” said Bowles. “I start working with them and do everything we can and against all odds they make a turnaround and can get off the ventilator.”

IIIsupport responders in our communities and IIIam support the first responders in our communities and am supportthe thefirst firstproudly responders in our communities and am married to one! proudly married to one! proudly married today one!to keep our Thank you for all you do each Thank all day Thankyou youfor forcommunities allyou youdo doeach each dayto tokeep keepour our safe. communities communitiessafe. safe.

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Vaccine clinic volunteer: Helen Garner

MAY 2021 | 10

Superpower: Answering our questions

By Stephen Faleski Staff Writer

Helen Garner, a registered nurse at a Veterans Administration hospital and member of Main Street Baptist Church in Smithfield, considers it her duty to try to give back to her community.

When her church offered the use of its facilities to the Virginia Department of Health for mass-vaccination clinics, she was one of the first to volunteer.

She doesn’t actually give the injections herself. That’s still handled by VDH personnel. She’s one of three volunteers from Main Street’s congregation tasked with answering the phones at the church and scheduling vaccine appointments.

But she is qualified through her work to

administer the shots, too, should her services be needed, and her nursing experience has come in handy when callers ask specific medical questions about the vaccine.

She also helps people with their paperwork when they show up for their appointments.

But she wouldn’t call herself a superhero.

“I love my patients and I don’t mind going over and beyond,” she said. “This is what God wanted us to do … we have to do what we can for mankind.”

So far, she’s handled the administrative tasks associated with the clinics the church held in March, where upwards of 300 area residents received their first doses, and the follow-up clinic earlier in April, where they received their second doses. An additional

150 received first doses at the April clinic.

She’s also personally convinced several people who were on the fence about getting a COVID-19 vaccine to go through with it.

“It is a scary time and a lot of uncertainty; we just have to do a lot of education,” she said.

She hears a lot of “It was made too quick,” and “I’ll wait and see what happens.” But the messenger RNA technology behind the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines wasn’t rushed, she assures them.

“It helps when I tell them, ‘Look at me, I’ve had both of my injections and I’m still here,” she said.

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Cardiovascular Specialists: Dr. Ryan Seutter

MAY 2021 | 12

Superpower: Keeping your heart in time

By Rachel Wartian Staff Writer Dr. Ryan Seutter is a cardiologist with Bon Secours Cardiovascular Specialists at Bon Secours Maryview Medical Center who regulates heart rhythms.

Seutter calls himself an electrician of the heart. Even though he can do general cardiology as well, Seutter specializes in heart rhythms from an electrical standpoint. He works with defibrillators and knows his way around a heart to get into the affected area and correct the beating rhythm.

“Some people are born with a

heart arrhythmia,” said Seutter.

“I can go into the heart and zap the area of the heart that is not working to get it back to normal.”

Even as a heart doctor, Seutter has directly seen the impacts of the COVID-19 virus. According to Seutter, 10% to 30% of those who contract COVID pneumonia experience heart problems due to the virus.

“COVID-19 can hurt the heart muscle with inflammation,” said Seutter. “We stay very busy even though it’s more of the lungs that see the effects. It can affect the heart as well.”

Even though he knows he is making a real difference and saving people’s lives, Seutter doesn’t

consider himself a superhero. He only feels like someone that is doing the job they studied hard and trained to do.

“I look at patients as a whole and see what is best for them based on other problems they may have,” said Seutter. “I view myself as doing the job I set out to do, and if that’s a superhero, then I guess I am.”

Seutter encourages everyone to be a superhero by wearing their mask as the pandemic continues.

“I know so many people have different opinions about masks, but I just ask you to please be considerate with this disease that affects so many people,” said Seutter.

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Suffolk Transit driver: Lero y Davis Superpower: Moving people

By Jimmy LaRoue Staff writer

Honoring Our Community of Heroes.

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EST. 1958

Leroy Davis has a knack for making everyone on his Suffolk Transit bus feel at ease.

From lending a hand to help someone in a wheelchair off the bus, to driving so smoothly along busy streets that he has to gently wake up a woman at the route’s last stop, to the cheerful chatter he offers passengers, Davis seems to know just what each passenger needs.

“You have to kind of want to interact with people,” Davis said.

“You’ve got to like people to do something like this.”

Davis, 72, has always been behind the wheel in some capacity — in a tractor-trailer, on a bus for Suffolk Public Schools for 10 years and then with Suffolk Transit for the past seven years.

While his route on a recent afternoon took him through the Harbour View area, Davis drives routes all over the city.

“Although it’s growing by leaps and bounds, (Suffolk) still manages to maintain its small country atmosphere,” Davis said.

The Suffolk Transit crew rose to the occasion during the coronavirus pandemic, Davis said, and with safety protocols in place and plenty of PPE, he never once felt uncomfortable driving.

Many people either can’t afford to drive, or don’t want to drive, and rely on Davis and a cadre of his fellow drivers to get them to work, medical appointments, grocery stores and much more.

Davis said he wasn’t apprehensive about driving the bus because the majority of riders kept their distance and wore masks.

“You see the human spirit here,” Davis said, “and it’s alive and thriving. The pandemic hasn’t seemed to slow people’s need to get out and do what they’ve got to do. Pandemic or not, you have certain responsibilities that you’ve got to maintain.”

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Medical Reserve Corps volunteer: Annie Wentzel Supe

d e v l o v n i g n i t t e G : r e w o rp

By Jimmy LaRoue Staff Writer Annie Wentzel figures she’s provided at least 1,500 people with the COVID-19 vaccine.

It’s a number that gives her comfort that she is helping people return to whatever new normal comes about after the coronavirus pandemic.

Wentzel, a nurse at The Williams School in Norfolk, heeded Gov. Ralph Northam’s call back in March 2020 for nurses to volunteer for the Virginia Department of Health’s

STILL BETTER TOGETHER!

Medical Reserve Corps.

“I, for years, have been a volunteer with Operation Smile with the mission trips, so it’s in line with something that I felt was important,” Wentzel said. “But the severity of this COVID disease drew me to want to help as best as I could.”

To start, she helped sort through donations of personal protective equipment, and while work commitments kept her away from most of the Western Tidewater Health District’s testing events, she has been heavily involved in the district’s vaccination program.

Wentzel, 62, credits the MRC coordinators and public health staff with creating a sense of community among the volunteers.

“I think there’s been such devastation

MAY 2021 | 14

with this disease,” Wentzel said, “and so to be able to provide a protective vaccine is instrumental in making them want to be a part of this team.”

She started vaccinating people New Year’s Eve and will continue with her volunteer work through the coronavirus pandemic and beyond.

One can get the sense of compassion — what she describes as her superhero power — as she administered vaccines to people at Hub757 recently. She said she is drawn to want to help others.

“It is one of the most gratifying things that I’ve been able to do as a nurse in a long time,” Wentzel said, adding that “what’s important to me is trying to get ahead of this virus and protect people from severe disease.”

To everyone supporting the resiliency of our community, we appreciate you!

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THANK YOU!

MASON’S TEAM MEMBERS Mama Mary • Landon • Denise • Heather • Kelsey • Bruce • Amanda

DeAngelo • Ali • Ethan • Anni • Darius • Kayla • Cosco • BJ • Greg Carlie • Ms. Chris • Darcy • Kevin • Erica • Savannah • Lauren M. Mama Lisa • Garrett • Dee Dee • Malachi • Brianna • Myles • Hanna AJ • Lauren W. • Haylee • Kenta • Leah • Chelsea • Veronica For over a year this team has turned into a dedicated family, making sure our community was served during these difficult times. Every obstacle that came their way they were resilient and always thought about the customer before themselves. Many of them worked long hours performing jobs that did not fit their job description. At times they found themselves outdoors working in extreme weather conditions, striving to make your experience at Mason’s as pleasurable as possible. During your next visit please take the time to say THANK YOU for all that they have done to serve our community. Cheers!

Assistant water production manager: Randy Brooks Superpower: Keeping up the flow

By Tracy Agnew Editor Randy Brooks is one of a crew of Suffolk city employees that help provide one of the most essential services of all — clean water.

He and his crew have worked every day of the pandemic, around the clock, making sure the G. Robert House Water Treatment Plant is still producing clean water for Suffolk homes and essential businesses.

Even so, Brooks doesn’t see himself as a superhero.

“Don’t get me wrong; I understand the importance of it,” he said. “But everyone here is just trying to do the best they can. So not so much superhero — but it’s definitely

rewarding.”

Brooks is a retired U.S. Navy officer who spent his career working on propulsion engineering in numerous locations, including Guam, all up and down the California coast, South Carolina and Norfolk. After retiring from the Navy in 2002, he started working at the Lake Kilby Portsmouth plant before coming to work for Suffolk seven years ago.

At the water treatment plant in Chuckatuck, a crew of about 25 people works in shifts every single hour of the year, in good times and bad. During the COVID-19 pandemic, they have had to make sure to keep their distance from each other so that everyone stayed well and able to work.

Brooks is the assistant water production

MAY 2021 | 16

manager. Vernon Land is the plant manager, Victoria Smith is head of water quality and Christopher Arnold is head of maintenance.

The quartet works really well together, Brooks said.

“I’ve never been in a position where we were all so on the same track,” Brooks said.

Brooks said the city was very proactive in providing personal protective equipment, face masks, disinfectants and more to help keep everyone safe. The lab on site even made its own disinfectant when there was a shortage elsewhere.

Brooks said he is looking forward to the day when everyone can drop the masks. Until then, “my superpower is probably being calm and at peace with whatever is happening,” he said.

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The Red Cross Biomedical Staff: Kristopher Dumschat e f li g in t c e ll o C r: e w o p r e p Su

By Rachel Wartian Staff Writer The biomedical staff at the Red Cross makes it a priority to get life-saving blood donations from volunteers and to hospitals for those in need.

The biomedical staff is in charge of phlebotomy, lab testing, donor recruiting and overall sustaining and maintaining the safety of America’s blood supply.

This is not a typical office job. The staff is constantly traveling around their particular region to schools, community centers, churches and businesses to host blood drives.

“It’s our staff that makes sure we have drives and that we get the life-saving blood to someone who needs it,” said Kristopher Dumschat, regional communications manager for American Red Cross for Virginia and Northeastern North Carolina. “If it wasn’t for our blood services, I really don’t know what would happen.”

At the beginning of the pandemic, the Red Cross saw a significant shortage in its blood supply as more people were in the hospital, but the lockdown stopped drives. Once large buildings were able to open their doors again to let people donate, the staff adapted to the new normal to host safe blood drives not only for them but also for the donors.

TO ALL OUR ESSENTIAL WORKERS,

THANK-YOU FOR YOUR DEDICATION TO SERVE!

MAY 2021 | 18

“Over the past year, as things have changed, we have adapted to follow all CDC guidelines to make sure that donating is a safe process,” said Dumschat.

These superheroes let nothing stand in their way to save lives and help others, even in the midst of a global pandemic.

Anyone can be a superhero by participating in a blood drive or hosting one. According to the Red Cross, every two seconds someone needs blood, and there is no replacement or substitute for the real thing. When someone is in need, the only thing that can help is blood from a generous donor.

“The need is constant for volunteers to roll up their sleeves and donate,” said Dumschat.

To All Our Hometown Thank you TEACHERS of our children!

Heroes,

There is no more important purpose for anyone of any generation than to prepare and support the next generation in their quest to find and claim themselves and their place in this world.

We Salute You! Thank you for the sacrifices that you make daily to love and nurture even the youngest of these. You make this world a better place.

“Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.”

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Surry County

wishes to recognize

and express sincere gratitude to all our Hometown Heroes who have put their lives at risk to serve our community during the COVID-19 health crisis. Your dedication is truly appreciated.

When the time is right to visit Surry, we’ll be waiting for you!

MAY 2021 | 20

Surry County Emergency Management Staff Surry County Sheriff’s Department & Dispatch Surry County Volunteer Fire and Rescue Organizations Surry County Waste Management & Maintenance Departments Surry County Staff & Social Services Employees (on and off-campus) First Responders Emergency Medical Physicians & Staff In-Hospital & ICU Physicians & Staff In-home Hospice Jamestown-Scotland Ferry Service Personnel All Essential Non-Medical Personnel Postal Service Employees Election Officials Utility Workers Caregivers Farmers The Business Owners & Employees who are providing essential products and services for our community.

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Paramedic, Suffolk Fire & Rescue: Amy Dunn-Brown

ple o e p g in t r o f m o C r: e w o p r e p u S

MAY 2021 | 22

I’d get ready to cry,” Dunn-Brown said, “and he would come and pretend like he was an ambulance, but instead of picking me up, he would scoop up my bike and run away and make me laugh, and I’m like, ‘No dad, me.

You’re supposed to get me.’ Sometimes I go back and say, ‘Maybe that’s where that started.’”

She said her Station 3 family has a good rapport with one another, and they can often work without words. It was an adjustment at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic to get used to the personal protective equipment, though.

“We fumbled a little at first,” said DunnBrown, 45. “But once we got it down, it was just like putting our turnout gear on.

By Jimmy LaRoue Staff Writer Amy Dunn-Brown is at home among the crew at Suffolk Fire & Rescue’s Station 3, where she has been for the past nine-anda-half years.

Seeing how much she could help people is what made her want to be a paramedic, though the first seed may have been planted much earlier.

“My dad, this sounds silly, but I tease him all the time. I said, ‘You’re the reason,’ because when I was riding my bike when I was little, when I would fall off my bike,

… Unfortunately, the pandemic has gone on so long that it feels like second nature now.”

Dunn-Brown earlier this year was named the department’s paramedic of the year, cited as “a leader in her field, gaining respect for her clinical knowledge, compassionate care and ethical decision-making.”

Her superhero power, she laughs, “is the gift of gab to comfort people.”

And she hopes to put that to good use for a long time to come.

“This is where I plan to stay and retire, and hopefully stay and retire at Station 3,” Dunn-Brown said, “I just really like this area.”

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Mail carrier: Bobby Boyd

MAY 2021 | 24

d e e n u o y t a h w g in r e v li e D r: e w Superpo Bobby

By Titus Mohler Staff Writer

Amid a sea of change across the past 14 months, Bobby Boyd, a rural carrier for the U.S. Postal Service in Franklin, has appreciated being able to offer his customers a consistent normalcy.

Boyd had been a mail carrier for about seven years prior to the start of the COVID19 pandemic.

“My mother-in-law carries mail, and (I) was talking to her about it and decided to give it a shot and got here and loved it,” he said.

He noted the job has been challenging during the COVID-19 pandemic due to the increase in parcels.

“Because of the pandemic, there’s been an increase in people ordering (online),” he said.

He said this increase has extended shifts for carriers by an average of two-and-a-half hours, but U.S. Postal Service workers have stepped up to the challenge.

“Somebody had to be out working,” he said. “We came together as a team and got it done so we can keep our community and our customers getting everything they need through this time.”

He said that for a lot of customers, the mail was the only way they have been able to get important things like medicine and checks.

Additionally, though the world was turned upside down as the pandemic began, seeing mail carriers going about their job as usual brought a smile to the face of some custom-

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ers, Boyd said.

“It’s only been 14, 15 months, but it seems like it’s been about two-and-a-half, three years since this started,” he said.

He and fellow rural carriers continue to abide by COVID-sensitive protocols, like masking up when talking with customers and knocking on doors in less-commonlytouched areas.

But one aspect of pre-pandemic normalcy is returning for carriers — mail is picking back up as businesses resume advertising in that way.

“Now they understand how the pandemic works, and plus, we’re turning the corner, hopefully getting to that herd immunity they’re shooting for,” Boyd said.

We Salute Our Front L ine Essential Workers!

We are grateful for the essential workers in our area. Thank you for your dedication to serving your community.

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We’d like to thank all of our nurses and staff who have worked diligently to keep our clients safe throughout the pandemic.

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Farmer: Pete Edwards

Superpower: Bringing th e cows home

By Stephen Faleski Staff Writer

COVID-19 hasn’t changed much about life on Windhaven Farm.

Owners Pete and Marilyn Edwards still work an average of 10 hours or more each day, six and a half days a week, every month of the year.

“We feed and check cows daily and fill online orders as they come in for the market,” Pete said. “Depending on the day and season, we may be cutting hay, planting crops, spraying or harvesting crops.”

The couple has owned Windhaven Farm since 1967. Currently, they raise about 200 head of Red Angus cattle on 119 acres located between Smithfield and Windsor on Pope Swamp Trail. About 75 are slaughtered each

year, with the resulting meat sold at an onsite market and to several restaurants in the Tidewater and Outer Banks areas. They also raise an additional 100 feeder calves that are sold in livestock markets, mostly to farms out west.

They also grow corn, cotton, soybeans, wheat and hay.

Over the past year, they’ve switched from their on-site market to online sales with preordering in light of the pandemic.

“This has worked great for us, but we miss the face-to-face interaction with our customers and building those relationships,” Pete said.

He’s also Isle of Wight’s 4-H Livestock Steering Committee chairman. But COVID-19 restrictions on public gatherings resulted in

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last year’s county fair, typically held each September, getting canceled.

“Fortunately, last year the kids were allowed to complete their 4-H projects virtually with the fair being canceled, but we are looking forward to being back in person soon,” he said.

Last year’s super-active hurricane season affected his business more than the pandemic.

“We had a very wet year, and this slowed us down a lot,” he said. “It was harder to feed cattle because it was so wet and we did lose some calves due to the wet weather.”

He wouldn’t describe himself as a superhero.

“I feel like a normal person,” he said. But he considers his “superpower” to be “my strength from God and having Him on my side.”

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Physical therapist: Jennifer Simpson

MAY 2021 | 28

Superpower: Keeping you moving

By Titus Mohler Staff Writer Sentara Home Care Physical Therapist Jennifer Simpson and her nearby associates in the health care industry have overcome the challenges posed to them by the COVID-19 pandemic, using them to grow in their abilities to help their patients.

Simpson’s average workday unfolds in her patients’ homes, where she helps them regain strength, mobility and independence through exercise.

“I was drawn to the field because I wanted to see people improve their independence, and exercise is such a great way to

improve their health status with low risk factors, so it was a winwin for me,” she said.

She will make anywhere from four to seven stops a day in the rural Holland area, sometimes working in surrounding areas, like Franklin.

In terms of regulations imposed on her job by the pandemic, Simpson said she has learned to work on a week-byweek basis. She noted there have been challenges.

“But I would say that it has pushed us to become more innovative and more flexible,” she said. “I think there have been positive changes, especially for people who have limited mobility

that have a lot of trouble coming out of the homes.”

With more than a year spent working amid the pandemic, Simpson said it now feels like a journey where there were road bumps in the beginning.

“But I think it has promoted teamwork,” she said, in part due to patient volume. “I think watching patients evolve through the past year has been very motivating, seeing how people are able to keep going with all the challenges, the innovative ways. I think at this point we’re all just very thankful that we’re still able to have time with patients, still be able to work with them.”

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Teacher: Kendra Purvis-Alle n : Te aching Superpower

By Stephen Faleski Staff Writer Kendra Purvis-Allen, a teacher at Southampton Middle School, keeps her door open to her students even after the school day is over — whether that involves videoconferencing or even traveling to students’ homes to ensure they know how to use an iPad to submit assignments.

Still, she wouldn’t call herself a superhero.

“I feel like it is my duty to assist the students in becoming successful, confident and productive citizens,” she said.

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, she worked strictly with students with special needs in an in-person life skills setting. Now, thanks to technology, she’s doing a lot more.

But that wasn’t the case when schools first shuttered in March 2020; in fact, virtual instruction proved to be quite the learning curve for students and teachers alike.

“Teaching virtually was a new experience that came with the challenges of developing a plan to ensure accommodations for

students were met, including curriculum, equipment and materials,” Allen said. “Having reliable internet was an obstacle in the beginning,” Allen said.

To get around this, teachers and students were provided Mi-Fis, a type of wireless router that acts as a mobile Wi-Fi hotspot in areas without access to high-speed internet.

She also found herself communicating with parents more to ensure students’ needs were being met, and has continued this now that she’s back in the classroom.

During the months when Southampton County Public Schools were entirely virtual, she co-taught math. This fall, she taught three shifts a day not only to her students with special needs, but all students, knowing there may be potential learning loss from the virtual setting.

“I have always taught with the belief that all students will succeed,” Allen said. “Despite the challenges of the pandemic, I continue to approach each day with that same belief. Whether a student is in-person or virtual, I teach.”

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MAY 2021 | 32

Superpower: Fee ding the people

By Tracy Agnew Editor

Lorna Slaughter made a promise to God when the COVID-19 pandemic started, and He has kept His promise to her.

Slaughter, who with her husband Ralph runs Suffolk Christian Fellowship Ministry and Suffolk Christian Fellowship Center, promised God that as long as He kept herself and her volunteers free of COVID-19, they would continue running the fellowship center to hand out food, diapers and other necessities to those in the community who need them.

“My concern was for my volunteers who have underlying conditions,” Slaughter said.

“But the thought of having people come to that door in need of food, food is in here, and

they’re not able to access it, I just couldn’t find a calm in that. I prayed, ‘Lord, if You would cover us and keep us COVID-free, I will go there every day.’ Not one of us contracted it, so He honored that.”

Usage of the resources from Suffolk Christian Fellowship Center grew at the beginning of the pandemic, Slaughter said. An influx of people began coming that had never visited a food pantry before. After the federal stimulus packages took effect, they have seen fewer people but still have about 100 people weekly.

The pantry gets food from four local grocery stores — Food Lion, Kroger, Walmart and Lidl — as well as from the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia and the Eastern Shore

and Operation Blessing. During the pandemic, other nearby churches that had to suspend their food pantry efforts also sent their food to Slaughter so it wouldn’t go to waste.

Slaughter and her volunteers — a team of about six to eight regular volunteers plus more that helped occasionally — held nearly a dozen food giveaway events in outlying areas throughout the pandemic. Her next goal is to centralize services for people in need in the downtown area so people know where and when they can go to get help.

“We want to look at making a more consistent location for people to be able to access services that are already available here, but people may not know about it,” she said. “We can streamline that.”

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Deputy sheriff: Ricky Wooden le p o e p o t g in t la e R r: e w o p r Supe

By Titus Mohler Staff Writer Surry County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Ricky Wooden began his career in law enforcement just after the beginning of the global COVID-19 pandemic.

“I graduated the academy March 20, 2020,” he said.

Right away, he was facing circumstances that were notably different from what he had prepared for.

“It was very different, just simply wearing the mask, to be honest with you,” he said, noting that in the academy, he would interact with people regularly without a thought of coronavirus-informed restrictions. “So yeah, it was very different, especially being

out here on the street. The way you approach cars, a lot of it was different.”

During the pandemic, he has had to keep back further from vehicles during a stop.

“I actually was on a traffic stop with a young lady who had actually had COVID, and she was coughing and everything, so I basically went around the other side on the passenger side in the back, and we did the exchange of driver’s license and everything like that,” he said.

He described the pandemic as requiring, for him, an on-the-job adjustment of how to do things as he looks to protect himself and others, “because you could have something, and you don’t want to spread it to them.”

Wooden said the most difficult adjustment for him has been not talking and interacting with people as much.

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MAY 2021 | 34

“This pandemic has really put a damper on a lot of events and programs at the sheriff’s office that we have,” he said. “National Night Out, for example, the Halloween night and events that we have during the summer — that’s what I really miss about it, just the interaction with people, people coming up to you, talking to you.”

But he’s excited to see these social aspects making their return.

“As things are now with things turning up, people getting the vaccine and everything, it’s kind of opening back up,” he said. “You start to interact with people more, you’re starting to get to talk to people, really, see their face, so that’s the bright side and the beauty of it, in my opinion.”

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Epidemiologist: Amal Patel

MAY 2021 | 36

Superpower: Tracking the virus

By Tracy Agnew Editor As the epidemiologist for the Western Tidewater Health District, Amal Patel’s world was turned upside down by the COVID19 pandemic in ways that most others couldn’t imagine.

In pre-pandemic times, Patel would trace anywhere from t wo to seven outbreaks of disease a year — things like the flu and norovirus in schools and nursing homes, foodborne illnesses, and more. He would identify the source of illness and help stop the outbreak in its tracks.

But the COVID-19 pandemic has caused 28 outbreaks in the district in nursing

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homes, congregational settings, correctional facilities and more. He estimates that from mid-March 2020 through February 2021, he worked all but about 10 days, including weekends.

“Now that I have more time to think about it, I can feel the exhaustion,” he said.

Patel started working with the Western Tidewater Health District in 2004, having moved from his native California looking for a job on the East Coast. He had started going to school for pharmacology but was also taking history courses and became fascinated with studying prior pandemics.

“So I kind of just put t wo and t wo together and thought, ‘Oh, there’s public health,’”

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Bet ween testing, contact tracing, educating people on preventive measures, and later on, planning for and then implementing distribution of the vaccine, Patel said it was a team effort by everyone in public health.

And it wasn’t just preventing COVID-19 that this team did, either. Patel said contact tracing interviewers became more counselors than anything — easing people’s fears and helping them find food. Some even wound up calling 911 when they contacted a patient and found they could barely breathe.

“I think it's just like a team superhero effort, because I definitely would not have been able to do as much as I did without the support of the team,” he said.

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Suffolk Public Schools (SPS) would like to say a big THANK YOU to all 2,300 of our employees for a job well done for the 2020-2021 school year. In SPS, we talk about being a family that supports each other and is willing to do whatever it takes to help our students reach their full potential and goals. Since March 13, 2020, the school division has worked extremely hard to ensure that learning would not stop. All of us played a major role in the overall success of the school division, but I wanted to take the time to thank the following: our Food Services and Transportation departments for preparing, distributing, and transporting meals throughout the pandemic as well as the Nourishing Our Neighbors program; our Custodial, Facilities, and Maintenance staff for their efforts to keep our buildings sanitized and ready for our staff and students; our Nurses for their support and assistance with the staff vaccination efforts as well as their dedication to student and staff health during the pandemic; our Print Shop for their diligence in printing instructional packets, graduation programs, and division information for our school community; our Technology Department staff for their nonstop work for SPS Connect and in providing broadband resources for staff and student internet needs; our School Administrative Office staff for their leadership, ingenuity, and flexibility for division operations; our Finance Department for being efficient in securing instructional resources, personal protective equipment, and ensuring that payroll and budget systems continued to function; our Building Administrators for their individual care of their school communities and student needs; our Office Support Staff for their first-class customer service; our Media Specialists for revising their roles in order to assist with Instructional Technology and Support; our Teachers and Teacher Assistants for their ingenuity, professionalism, patience, and flexibility as the field of education changed before our eyes; our School Counselors for their creativity in building student schedules as well as for the social and emotional support; our Support Staff who filled in anywhere and everywhere including supervising Parent Resource Centers and assisting the administration; our Students for their resilience, determination, and adaptability for learning in a new environment; our Families for their patience, communication, and support of the school division; and our School Board for advocating and supporting our students, staff, and school community.

Honored to be your Superintendent, Dr. John B. Gordon III

MAY 2021 | 38

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OUR superheroes wear scrubs and are powered by love and espresso. “Thank you” doesn’t begin to repay all you do but it’s what I have right Thank you for now. Thank you. ~ Loriah N. continuing to carry on and braving the pandemic! You’re all Dear Frontline Workers, How true heroes!! ~ Lisa F. amazing you all are for doing the selfless and caring work for others you don’t even know! My heart smiles with people like you all in the world! God Bless! ~ Sharita P.

You are making a difference. ~ Alyssa H.

Thank you for everything you do to keep this country running & for all your hard work. ~ Brittney G.

Thank you so much for all of your hardwork and dedication throughout this pandemic! We are all so appreciative of your time and sacrifices that you’ve made for our well-being! Please stay safe and keep up the great work! ~ Joe S.

Thank you to all the front line workers who were there without question. Your dedication and sacrifice are very much appreciated. ~ Shelly P.

I am thankful for your commitment to caring for our community! ~ Ashley H.

Y’all are the real hero’s of this Pandemic. From the countless hours you have worked to the time you’ve had to spend away from your families & friends while working the frontlines. We would not be where we are a year later without you. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Thank you ~ Dee

Thank you for the long hours away from your family & friends while caring for our family and friends. ~ Lee Ann D. To the frontline workers who saw us through the greatest pandemic of our generation, thank you! We are lucky to have people like you! Your hard work is the reason we can sense a return to normalcy. Despite misinformation and criticism you stayed the course and served your communities first!

THANK YOU! ~ Kevin S.

To all the healthcare and frontline workers, we appreciate you so much more than words can say. Thank you for your, courage, your sacrifice and your warrior spirit. ~ Ed. E

Thank you for your dedication & service during this trying time!

We appreciate all the hardwork that you guys do! ~ Courtney N.

I thank you, not just for your sacrifice, but for doing it selflessly. Not for fame, glory, or recognition, but because it’s who you are. THANK YOU! ~ Evi P.

THANKS For All You Do! ~ Jennifer V.

We would love to express our heartfelt

thanks to all of the frontline workers

during the pandemic. During a time that

seemed hopeless, you gave us hope...during a time of despair for so many, you gave your love and care, for which we will forever be grateful. May God bless you all!

~ Jennifer and Gerry Rogers

Words cannot fully express the level of admiration, respect, and appreciation we have for ALL frontline workers.

To the health care workers, social workers, grocery store workers, retail employees, restaurant staff, truck drivers and delivery services, postal workers, firefighters, police officers and other first responders, teachers, housekeeping staff, and utility workers, each of you have been essential to keeping the nation on track and healthy. Your hardwork and

determination have been a guiding light during one of the most difficult, worldwide events that we’ve faced. You have sacrificed so much and we want you to know that we see you, we are grateful to you, and we thank you. As a company we thank you and each individual staff member here thanks you. We know that with your strength and perserverance we’re all safer and our communities are a better place.

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For me, this is peace of mind, and not being so fearful when you’re going out among people. It also means that I will be helping others. My sister just recovered from the virus, and I just want to do what I can for myself and for others.

Partnering with Our Community to Improve Health Every Day Sentara has the honor to support and empower communities. In addition to providing exceptional medical care, Sentara cares about making an impact on quality of life for all. From addressing conditions in which people live, work and learn to improving access to the COVID-19 vaccine, Sentara is partnering with local organizations to live our mission – to improve health every day.

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