Rural Virginia Grit: How Local Youth Are Filling Gaps in Healthcare

Hi Neighbors! My name is Cora Shields, and I am a senior at Riverbend High School. For ten years, I lived in the Pipe Run neighborhood before my family moved to Fawn Lake. I have come to deeply appreciate my home here in Old Dominion, surrounded by farmland, close-knit communities, and a rich sense of history. Growing up, I was inspired by the stories of great Virginians who came before me—stories that taught me to forge ahead into the unknown, stand firm for what I believe in, and build something meaningful from the ground up.

I carried these values with me during my freshman year, when I first learned about period poverty. Many girls in less developed countries are forced to drop out of school simply because they lack adequate menstrual supplies. Determined to help, I organized a donation drive and witnessed firsthand the generosity of Virginia women who care deeply about girls around the world. Together, we purchased 568 pairs of period underwear, which I personally distributed on a medical mission with International Medical Relief. The trip was physically demanding (I returned home sick), but it taught me a great deal. My time in Peru opened my eyes to how resource gaps shape lives, and it wasn't long before I began noticing similar gaps closer to home.

During my sophomore year, I applied to intern at medical research labs, only to discover that most accept exclusively local applicants. These labs are almost always located in larger cities, effectively shutting out students from rural Virginia. I found the same pattern in science competitions, leadership programs, and volunteer opportunities. Because our area is classified as "rural fringe," we lack the resources that help students in more urban areas engage meaningfully with healthcare-related projects.

Helping Hands in Healthcare (HHH) was born from that frustration. I used my own savings to establish an LLC and build a website. From there, I reached out to students who shared an interest in healthcare-related service, and together we formed a board of directors made up of some of the brightest students in our area.

Through my volunteer work at Culpeper Hospital, I learned that children in remote areas often don't receive Jared Boxes or similar care packages that are standard in larger hospitals. So my board and I set out to raise funds and assemble care packages for kids receiving healthcare across rural Virginia.

Our first major fundraiser, Chips for Change, was a full-scale casino night featuring professional table games, dealers who taught guests how to play, and prizes donated by local businesses. I used my own savings to reserve the venue and secure the necessary licenses. Knowing that it takes money to make money, our goal was to raise $2,500. I was genuinely afraid we might end up in debt, but the community's response was incredible. Once again, I was amazed by the generosity of local donors and businesses, and ticket sales exceeded our expectations.

In the end, we provided care boxes to three hospitals, a mobile health clinic, and an inpatient facility for teen mental health. We also raised enough funds to become an officially recognized nonprofit, and we are now a registered 501(c)(3) organization.

I witnessed the impact of our work firsthand when I handed one of our care boxes to an injured child in Culpeper's ER. Within minutes, he was lying on his belly, absorbed in play with his new toys—his pain, for the moment, forgotten.

We are now reaching out to local news outlets to share our story and show that high school students can succeed in projects like this one. We may live in a rural area, but we carry rural Virginia grit. We have everything we need to forge into the unknown, fight for what we believe in, and build from the ground up. I encourage others to dream big and start now.

Looking ahead, HHH is applying for grants to expand our model. If funded, we hope to offer $500 mini-grants to students who demonstrate meaningful progress on projects that improve healthcare in our region. We are also training younger students to lead a local chapter of HHH once our current board members graduate and move on to college.

In the meantime, Helping Hands in Healthcare is preparing for our next Casino Night on September 12th. It promises to be a wonderful evening and a great value. We welcome prize donations and sponsorships, and tickets go on sale August 1st. For more details, visit www.helpinghandsinhealthcare.com. We would love to see you there!