(Hampton Roads, Va., Dec. 5, 2024) – In Hampton Roads, many residents face the daunting reality of choosing between necessities like food, water and medical care. Unexpected challenges such as job loss or health issues can leave families struggling to pay their bills. The Hampton Roads Help 2 Others (H2O) water assistance program aims to ease this burden.

“Donating may seem like a drop in the bucket to some, but to families in crisis, it can mean the difference between having clean water or going without,” said H2O Program Manager Katie Cullipher. “Every contribution, big or small, directly supports our neighbors in need and strengthens our community.”

(Virginia Beach, Va., Nov. 8, 2024) – John Koehler, a Virginia Beach-based book publisher and visual artist, will unveil his latest art exhibition, My Crazy Botanicals, on Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025, at 7 p.m. at the Koehler Artworks Gallery in Virginia Beach. This exhibition highlights artwork he created throughout 2023, a year marked by significant personal challenges for the artist, including a relentless infection, chronic pain, and a shift in mood swings exacerbated by his bipolar disorder. Amid these struggles, Koehler found refuge in creating photographic collages, capturing the beauty of nature—foliage, trees, plants, and other natural and man-made textures.

(Chesapeake, Va., September 1, 2024 ) – Last summer, Ally Urgent Veterinary Care opened in Virginia Beach for Coastal Virginia residents whose pets need to be seen quickly but are not considered an emergency. Beginning August 30, the urgent pet care practice extended its reach by offering part-time clinic hours at Animal Vision Center of Virginia’s Chesapeake practice at 228 Mt. Pleasant Road in Great Bridge. The satellite location will make it easier for pet owners in coastal Virginia and northeastern North Carolina to seek urgent veterinary care.

(Norfolk, Va., August 29, 2024) – A former Holiday Inn hotel in Norton, Virginia, recently emerged with a new name, brand and transformational renovation, with construction and hotel management services provided by Grand Bay Advisors of Norfolk, Virginia, and HSB Construction of Baltimore.

(Hampton Roads, Va., March 20, 2024) – Since opening Animal Vision Center of Virginia in 2015, Dr. Heather Brookshire has offered free eye-screening exams year-round for service and working animals in Hampton Roads. She has a passion for these furry companions that assist people with daily living needs, as well as working animals that support police and rescue operations with their important jobs.

Beginning in April, Brookshire ramps up the outreach even more, by donating her screening services to the American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists (ACVO)’s National Service Animal Eye Exam event in May.

(Hampton Roads, Va., Jan. 23, 2024) - The deep connection between individuals and their surroundings is unmistakable. Whether one lives in the city or country, the presence of clean landscapes and waterways instills community pride—especially when residents and businesses pitch in to maintain their communal areas. This year, picking up litter, improving community spaces and reducing stormwater pollution is easier than ever thanks to free and low-cost community resources from askHRgreen.org.

(Hampton Roads, Va., Dec. 20, 2023) – A clean sweep will be in order after the holidays wind down. Before putting any items out with the trash, consider whether your seasonal accoutrements and other household items are reusable, recyclable or if they might come in handy for someone else.

“Give thought to the items that you plan to let go,” said Rebekah Eastep, an askHRgreen.org team leader. “Thrift and creative reuse stores may love having your gently used or leftover ribbon, bows and crafting supplies.”

Here’s the rundown on how to safely dispose of and repurpose holiday trimmings and other household items.

(Hampton Roads, Va., October 25, 2023) – In yards across Southeastern Virginia, fall lawn care is underway with signs of soil testing, seeding lawns, mulching plant beds and tidying up to prepare landscapes for the cooler months. Another task to consider that will improve the ecosystem and provide beauty for years to come is to plant a tree.

(Hampton Roads, Va., June 4, 2023) - WHRO Public Media and askHRgreen.org have teamed up to produce the latest video in the station’s popular GreenBeats animated shorts series for youth, and audiences may find themselves singing along to the catchy “foam-free” earworm. Developed in support of askHRgreen’s region-wide public awareness and education campaign, the video examines the harmful impacts of polystyrene—specifically Styrofoam found in disposable cups, plates, take-out containers and other products, which are not recyclable.

Projects that involve student collaboration are good for building classroom camaraderie, while pupils learn about important topics. Over the past year, askHRgreen.org awarded more than $4,200 from its Environmental Education Mini Grant program to fund nine organized school projects in Hampton Roads. “It was a productive year in the classroom for creative, green-based learning initiatives,” said Rebekah Eastep, who co-leads the askHRgreen.org public education and awareness campaign. “We love to see students digging into projects, especially when it comes to environmental education.”

Dr. Heather Brookshire and Dr. Ashley Powell are opening Ally Urgent Veterinary Care August 17 at 521 Old Great Neck Road in Virginia Beach to support the region’s overburdened general veterinary practices and emergency hospitals. By providing a referral option for patient care that is urgent, but not life-threatening, they hope to lighten the load of their colleagues.

(Hampton Roads, Va., June 6, 2023) – It’s prime time to start enjoying watery vistas in Coastal Virginia, with lots of options for landlubbers and seafarers alike. According to the Virginia Institute of Marine Sciences, Virginia has 7,213 miles of shoreline at sea level. That includes areas where land meets water at the Atlantic Ocean, Chesapeake Bay, and tidal rivers. To help keep these boundaries free of litter, pet waste, hazardous chemicals and sewage spills, one regional group has advice on easy ways to keep your experience in nature clean and green.

(Hampton Roads, Va., June 5, 2023) – In the time it takes to scroll through social media or search for your car keys, you could estimate the cost to insure your home or business from flooding by using the new Flood Insurance Estimator at GetFloodFluent.org.

(Hampton Roads, Virginia, April 17, 2023) – When instructor Tom Shirk invited members of his high school welding program to collaborate on a special assignment, they really put their heart into it. Shirk and students from Suffolk Public Schools’ College & Career Academy at Pruden will unveil the 8’ x 5’ LOVE sign on Earth Day with the team that commissioned the artwork— askHRgreen.org and TFC Recycling.

(Hampton Roads, Va., April 7, 2023) - April showers bring May flowers—along with rainwater runoff, standing water and potential stormwater pollution concerns for Hampton Roads communities. Addressing these concerns in lawn and garden areas is one important way to protect the health of our waterways, according to the people who manage the askHRgreen.org public awareness and education initiative.

(Hampton Roads, Va., April 3, 2023 – There are times when even the most devoted caregivers need a little TLC—even furry ones with four legs. May is National Service Animal Eye Examination Month, and Animal Vision Center of Virginia will perform free eye screenings of local service animal and working dogs for owners who schedule an appointment before April 30, 2023.

(Hampton Roads, Va., March 17, 2023) – What is an appropriate gift for a twenty-fifth anniversary? Silver cuff links or a bracelet are nice. But local Great American Cleanup (GAC) organizers are hoping Hampton Roads residents will give the gift of time by participating in a cleanup event near them, March 24-25.

(Hampton Roads, Va., Jan. 1, 2023) - Instead of striving to attain multiple, aspirational resolutions throughout the year, the people who power the askHRgreen.org public awareness campaign recommend taking it slow and steady when it comes to living and sustaining a greener lifestyle. Their monthly tips will get you there!

(Hampton Roads, Va., Dec. 2, 2022) – If sustainability is on your wish list this holiday season, you are in luck. The people who power askHRgreen.org have a stocking full of gift ideas that are Earth-friendly and ever so cool.

(Hampton Roads, Va., Nov. 1, 2022) – What’s on your menu this Thanksgiving? A roasted turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, a visit from the plumber? You can keep that last item off your holiday menu by keeping standing cooking oil, greasy leftovers and food scraps out of the kitchen drain and disposal. Tips? We got ‘em!