Turning Pages: Andie Ayers' Journey of Community, Resilience, and New Chapters
Photo by Karen Presecan
Originally from Western New York, Andie Ayers has spent the last 20 years writing her story in Fredericksburg—a narrative filled with dedication, reinvention, and an unwavering commitment to bringing people together. And, perhaps fittingly for someone whose life reads like a testament to resilience and connection, her own life has included a few, unexpected plot twists.
A Life of Service and Connection
Ayers' journey has been marked by her gift for creating community wherever she goes. Her teaching career spanned about a decade, reaching students from preschool through college at schools including Grafton in the late 1990s and Rocky Run in the early 2000s. Though she taught many grade levels, third grade holds a special place in her heart. With degrees in education and English, plus a master's in reading, Ayers has always understood the power of stories—both the ones we read and the ones we live.
After becoming a stay-at-home mom, Ayers eventually returned to education, teaching preschool at Fredericksburg United Methodist Church. But her most significant venture was yet to come. In 2010, she founded the Fairy Godmother Project (FGP), an organization dedicated to helping families affected by pediatric cancer. For twelve years, she poured her heart into building and running the organization alongside amazing volunteers, board members, and donors, cultivating what she describes as "the generosity of time and financial support of our community."
Through FGP, Ayers learned firsthand what families need most during their darkest hours, which was more than financial support: connection, community, and the knowledge that they're not alone.
"And somewhere in there was a divorce, dating and finally finding ‘Nice Guy Scott’ (as he is known in some circles) and marrying again," Ayers shares with characteristic honesty. Life, as any good story does, continued to unfold in unexpected ways for Andie.
A Chapter of Challenge and Transformation
Around the time she was preparing to leave FGP in 2022, Ayers was diagnosed with breast cancer. After treatment and a brief return to FGP, she found herself at a crossroads familiar to many who face life-altering challenges: what comes next?
The answer came naturally for this avid reader and lifelong educator. She started an online store offering cards and books that supported people going through difficult things—work born from her years helping families navigate pediatric cancer and her own journey through diagnosis and treatment. Eventually, she opened Novel, a bookstore in downtown Fredericksburg, where she continues her mission of creating community through events, book clubs, and genuine connection.
"I thrive in providing community and safe space for people because I know how important it is and how lonely it can be when you don't have those things," Ayers explains. Whether through her nonprofit work, her teaching, or her current endeavors, this dedication to creating spaces where people feel seen and supported connects every chapter of her life. This is perhaps most apparent through Novel’s "Cause Clubs," unique book clubs that combine reading novels with social purpose. Each month Andie chooses a novel that pulls the reader into a story about a topic that is hard to discuss or understand, like bipolar, cancer, or dying. A local nonprofit that serves the cause addressed in the novel is selected and receives a donation from the proceeds of the book’s sales.
Home, Family, and Four-Legged Friends
After 19 years in South Stafford—she specifically chose the area because she wanted her children to attend Stafford schools while living close to downtown—Ayers has built a rich, full life. While her children, Aidan, Annalise, and EV McConnell, along with her stepchildren, Ben and his fiancé, Lauren, and Wilson, are all grown and making their mark in the world, Scott and Andie have other "babies" to occupy their time.
Their household bustles with energy from their four-legged family members: three dogs—Bailey (8), Duke (7), and Luna—plus one cat. Luna, whose journey Ayers chronicles on Instagram (@lunas_next_chapter), has a particularly moving backstory. She came to the family from Ohio, a breeding mama who was given up after her breeding days were done.
"We have few details about her life before us," Ayers shares, "but are loving watching her get more comfortable with us."
It's another story of second chances and patient love—themes that resonate throughout Ayers' own narrative. Just as Luna is learning to trust and open up to new experiences, Ayers has shown time and again that new beginnings are always possible, even after the most challenging chapters.
Scott, affectionately dubbed "Nice Guy Scott," owns a government contracting company. Together, they've built a partnership that balances professional pursuits with community engagement and shared values.
Reading the Community Through Different Lenses
What makes Ayers' perspective unique is her ability to appreciate the Fredericksburg area through multiple lenses. "I love it for different reasons for all the different hats I wear," she explains.
As a mom, she cherished raising her kids in a quiet neighborhood across the street from the elementary school and pool, an ideal setting for making childhood memories. As a nonprofit executive supporting families facing pediatric cancer, she witnessed and fostered the community's remarkable generosity. That generosity continues to inspire her, as she still volunteers with the Fairy Godmother Project as a lead, a role she loves and remains deeply committed to. And in her current work downtown, she experiences daily the warmth and welcome that define the area's character.
When she's not working or volunteering, Ayers finds joy in life's simpler chapters. She loves walks with her dogs, easy hikes on local trails, and exploring downtown shops and restaurants (always to support small businesses). Beach vacations to Aruba provide a tropical escape, though one of her most memorable experiences was a gift trip to Eupepsia Wellness in Southwest Virginia, which she describes as "one of the most memorable & relaxing experiences of my life."
Writing Her Own Story
From teacher to stay-at-home mom, from nonprofit founder serving families affected by pediatric cancer to cancer survivor herself, from online entrepreneur to downtown business owner, Ayers has lived many chapters, each one preparing her for the next. Through it all, the common thread has been her remarkable ability to create community, foster connection, and hold space for others' stories.
"I know how important it is and how lonely it can be when you don't have those things," she says of community and safe spaces. It's knowledge earned through experience, both the joyful and the painful, and it infuses everything she does.
In an era when genuine connection is often rare, Andie Ayers serves as a reminder that building community isn't complicated. It requires showing up, creating spaces where people feel welcome, listening to others' stories with empathy, and believing that every person matters. Whether through supporting families facing pediatric cancer, teaching children, rescuing a dog who needed a second chance, or simply being present for her neighbors and community, Ayers embodies what it means to be a champion for connection.
Her story is still being written, with many pages yet to turn. But if the chapters so far are any indication, it will continue to be a narrative about resilience, generosity, and the transformative power of community. And like all the best stories, it's one that invites others to see themselves in its pages and become part of something larger.
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