What Affects Our Community Affects Us All

Hampton Roads as a region is immense, encompassing 1,500 square miles, spread across 17 cities and counties, with hundreds of communities and countless neighborhoods. As managers of the askHRgreen.org promotion, we cross paths all the time with the many dedicated and talented municipal employees who give voice to this region-wide public awareness campaign. It’s a collaborative effort in every sense of the word, as we encourage residents to be responsible environmental stewards. 

When we heard about the mass shooting at the Virginia Beach municipal center, May 31, it didn’t seem real. How could this possibly happen here, in our corner of the world-in our big, beautiful region? And when we learned later that 12 City of Virginia Beach employees died and others were injured, our collective hearts broke. 

The tragedy that unfolded in Virginia Beach that day became not just the city’s loss, but Chesapeake’s loss-and Franklin’s, Poquoson’s, Williamsburg’s and all the localities in between. In the days that followed, people and businesses from all across the region showed they were #VBStrong in so many sweet and thoughtful ways. 

From all of us at askHRgreen.org, our hearts go out to the friends and families who lost loved ones, and to our fellow municipal employees, including those who serve on our committees. What affects one community affects us all. Hampton Roads, it seems, is a lot smaller than it appears.