The PATH Resource Center began as a partnership with the Charlottesville-based Center for Nonprofit Excellence (CNE), which has grown to include the PATH Volunteer Hub, PATH Community Link, and a Warrenton office for CNE.

The PATH Foundation also operates community meeting rooms (available free of charge to nonprofits) and hosts the Fauquier Chamber of Commerce, Leadership Fauquier, and the newly added Ways to Work program in the Resource Center.

PATH Community Link is a free, confidential service connecting residents of Fauquier, Rappahannock, Culpeper, Madison, and Orange counties with community resources. Operated through the PATH Resource Center, our expert staff helps individuals find assistance for a variety of needs.

The service provides referrals for:

All services are free and confidential. Support is available in both English and Spanish (Se habla Español).

Kona Ice Pop-Ups

Last summer we held 17 free shaved ice pop-up events for the community. Thank you to every organization who coordinated with us to make summer a success, and Kona Ice, for providing frozen sweet treats to nearly 3,000 folks of all ages!

Summer Intern Program

Over eight weeks, 21 PATH interns gathered to plan and execute their group project, a mural in the George Washington Carver Agriculture Research Center. Interns worked with local artist, Crystal Burnham, to design and paint the mural as a nod to the Carver Food Enterprise Center—a nonprofit shared commercial kitchen, food business incubator, classroom, and project of the Carver Center. Scan the QR code to watch the mural come to life!

Merry Kindness and Happy Nice Year!

In the spirit of the holiday season, we distributed 300 free copies of Upworthy’s Good People: Stories From the Best of Humanity to our community. Community members were encouraged to submit stories of Holiday Kindnesses, both big and small, for the opportunity to award $1,000 to an area nonprofit. Community members gave $13,000 to their favorite organizations.

Give Local Piedmont & High School Senior Giving

The Northern Piedmont Community Foundation (NPCF) hosted their annual Give Local Piedmont event in May—an opportunity for nonprofits serving the region to raise funds and spread the word about their missions. PATH awarded NPCF $100K to benefit participating nonprofits.

3,212 donors supported 217 organizations with $1,148,240!

PATH’s High School Senior Giving program is an opportunity for seniors to select local nonprofits enrolled in Give Local Piedmont to receive PATH donations. In 2024, we offered $25 per student and 1,716 seniors from Fauquier, Rappahannock, and Culpeper counties contributed $42,900 to 21 local nonprofits.

Piedmont Smiles

PATH supported the Fauquier Free Clinic’s annual free community dental day, Piedmont Smiles, through event planning, funding, and volunteer recruitment via the PATH Volunteer Hub.

Last November, 280 patients were served with over 1,456 dental procedures valued at over $172,000 in care.

Let’s Volunteer Days & Season of Giving

During Global Volunteer Month in April, nonprofits could apply for $1,000 to offset the cost of a volunteer project. 500 community members volunteered for 37 project opportunities!

Each holiday season, the PATH Volunteer Hub’s Season of Giving encourages the public to give back through volunteer opportunities on the PATH Volunteer Hub site. In 2024, we had 10 opportunities with 30 volunteer responses.

The Rappahannock-Rapidan Regional Commission (RRRC) is a public agency that serves as the local planning and development organization for the region: Fauquier, Rappahannock, Culpeper, Madison, and Orange counties. It provides leadership, partnerships, and collaborations to address issues such as transportation, public health, and economic development.

By working with local governments, businesses, and citizens, RRRC coordinates planning efforts to improve the quality of life for our communities. In 2024, RRRC received $40,000 from PATH toward the Regional Farm to School Liaison that coordinates planning and assists with farm-to-school efforts across the district; and $240,000 for the Regional Transportation Collaborative (RTC).

In 2021-22, RRRC launched the Regional Transportation Collaborative, an initiative aimed at addressing transportation challenges, particularly for those facing mobility barriers. This project grew from a collaboration with PATH, as a community-driven transportation solution.

The RTC provides essential services for individuals with limited access to cars or those living in rural areas. Services include rides for medical appointments, grocery shopping, and other critical needs. Additionally, staff at the RTC Mobility Center go beyond transportation services by helping individuals navigate and connect with essential community resources.

The Collaborative brings together various organizations to create a comprehensive

transportation system that meets the diverse needs of our region. In 2024, the RTC provided 12,589 rides covering over 151,000 miles.

Key partners include Aging Together, Department of Social Services, Encompass Community Supports, Hero’s Bridge, LOWLINC, Rapp at Home, Virginia Regional Transit, and VolTran, all of which ensure that services are accessible to vulnerable populations. Other collaborators like parks and recreation programs, religious organizations, and public libraries also help expand our communities’ transportation network, especially in rural areas.

In 2024 alone, 38 VolTran drivers volunteered 4,619 hours, traveled 80,620 miles, and gave 3,818 rides to area residents. VolTran remains the most utilized volunteer transportation provider in our footprint, accounting for over 75% of all volunteer transportation in the region.

Through participation with a diverse range of partners, the RTC has had a profound impact by fostering autonomy, increasing mobility, and improving access to critical services. This initiative continues to evolve, serving as a model for transportation coordination across the state.

The impact of the Regional Transportation Collaborative is not just measured by the numbers, but by the increased connectivity and support it offers to the region’s most vulnerable populations, empowering them to live more independent, fulfilling lives.