Meet Monica Fernandi

Monica is a life coach. She’s a yoga instructor. She’s a fitness guru who believes in growing your inner strength. When you do, great things happen for yourself and others.  She’s also an adventurer. Her latest journey, which wasn’t on her bucket list, took her to the mountains of Nepal. She along with her husband, Mike King, and her friend Marianne Clyde completed a trek to the Mount Everest Base Camp with the goal of raising awareness and funds for World Hope International’s mission of bringing water to underserved communities around the world. It wasn’t easy but she’s back and ready to share her story. It’s an inspiring one.

Moira Satre lost her son to an overdose four years ago. That loss has empowered her to reach out to others who struggle with the stigma of drug abuse. She created Come as You Are in Warrenton, a safe, non-judgmental community to connect those who are addicted -- and their families -- to available resources.

Sallie Morgan, executive director of the Mental Health Association of Fauquier County discusses the barriers to getting treatment for substance abuse. She elaborates on what loved ones can do to support those who struggle as they make the decision to get help.

To highlight the Opioid Ripples story package in this week’s Fauquier Times and Prince William Times, we interviewed Dr. Ash Diwan of Fauquier Family Practice.  An expert in medication assisted treatment for those who are addicted to opioids, Dr. Diwan explains why recovery is so difficult and why relapse is all too common. Thanks for watching.

The project:  

Opioid Ripples is an ongoing series produced jointly by four organizations: two independent, nonprofit civic news organizations, Piedmont Journalism Foundation and Foothills Forum; and two media companies, Piedmont Media and Rappahannock Media. The nonprofits provide the research and reporting; the media companies decide when and what to publish in their newspapers and on their websites.   

Piedmont Journalism Foundation focuses on Fauquier and surrounding counties. For more information, see piedmontjournalism.org.  Foothills Forum, founded in 2014, and Piedmont Journalism Foundation, founded in 2018, were created to increase in-depth news coverage and public discussion of issues in their communities.   Foothills Forum focuses on Rappahannock County. For more information, see www.foothills-forum.org.  

Community support of the nonprofits makes this and other projects possible. Funding for this series comes in part from the PATH Foundation, which provides grants to improve health and vitality in Fauquier, Rappahannock and Culpeper counties.

Human trafficking is not a pretty topic but it’s one that continues to gain national attention. Executive Director of Just Ask Prevention Bill Woolf is dedicated to bringing awareness and prevention through education. A Gainesville resident, he has traveled throughout the United States giving presentations and soliciting support. Locally, he and other committed community leaders have joined in sponsoring informational seminars throughout Fauquier and surrounding counties.

He will be speaking at an upcoming meeting hosted by Ignite Fauquier, a business networking organization, on Nov. 13 at 9 a.m. at the Warrenton Visitor’s Center at 33 N. Calhoun Street.

He has a powerful message to share. In the meantime, we sat down with Bill Woolf to learn firsthand about his passion for this devastating issue.

It’s hard to attend a town, county or community function and not run into Sean Polster. He’s spent nearly 30 years in public service as a firefighter, paramedic, law enforcement officer and arson and explosive investigator. Sean is a huge promoter of family friendly activities for the community. Married, with three children, Sean can often be seen at school and sports events. As a town councilman-at-large, Sean effectively uses social media to keep the community informed about what’s happening. You’ll see him in this video with Delegate Mike Webert. We happened to catch both of them having coffee at and then decided to move outside for the conversation. Enjoy!