The Piedmont View

Our quarterly membership newsletter. 

The Little Park that Could

The Little Park that Could

Along the Rush River in the town of Washington, just a few miles east of the Shenandoah National Park, the 7.3-acre Rappahannock County Park is best known by locals for its pirate-ship playground, skate park, tennis courts, and picnic area. But, it has also come into focus recently for its natural beauty.

Standing the Test of Time

Standing the Test of Time

When Bob and Carroll Gilges retired in 1996 from a life filled to the brim with the adventures and demands of career, raising three daughters, travel, and many moves, they found their slice of heaven in the heavily wooded northern slope of Buck’s Elbow Mountain, mere miles from Shenandoah National Park and along the bank of the Moormans River in Albemarle County’s historic Sugar Hollow and near White Hall.

Many Ways to Give

Supporting PEC’s work building strong communities and improving the environment in the Virginia Piedmont can take many forms. In addition to gifts of cash or securities, which are most common, you may also be interested in the following opportunities:

President’s Letter – Summer 2020

With so much going on around us that we cannot control, doing what we can to make our part of the world better becomes all the more important.

This past spring, our staff made a quick and orderly transition to remote work, operating off a solid platform of online resources, laptops, smartphones, and most importantly, a network of partners and relationships that allow us to be effective observers and active participants in our communities. Continuing full operations, with the support of PEC members and our Board, has provided a remarkable and deeply appreciated source of stability in an otherwise crazy world.

Strengthening Local Food Systems

Early one May morning, a Maola Dairy delivery truck took an unusual turn through the gates and into the parking lot of the Fauquier Community Food Bank. Nearby, Director Sharon Ames’ excitement was palpable as she jumped up and down, hands clapping, smile as wide as the gates swung open that day. Since the coronavirus pandemic, Ames said the food bank has had to turn away families in search of milk more often than they’ve been able to provide it.