by Zoe Hanrahan

Susan Purks’ effort to help veterans and their families began as a small, self-funded initiative to serve roughly 40 veteran families in the Spotsylvania community. It later blossomed into a full-fledged non-profit organization known as Simply Angels.  The organization, which has been recognized by Virginia Delegate Bobby Orrock, assists over 300 veterans and their families in Hanover, Louisa, Spotsylvania, Caroline, Stafford, and King George counties, as well as in the city of Fredericksburg and the town of Colonial Beach.

The mission of Simply Angels is, as stated in their brochure, “to honor and support the brave men and women who have served our nation by providing compassionate, hands-on assistance tailored to their individual need.”

“We meet veterans at their lowest point – not with judgment, but with dignity,” explained Purks, the founder of the organization. “We listen when no one else has. We help stabilize their lives, reconnect them to medical care, and restore the basic human needs many have gone without for far too long.”

To accomplish this mission, Simply Angels offers a wide variety of services to support veterans. Purks explains that the services are individually tailored for every veteran they assist. Sometimes, Simply Angels works with these veterans and their families for only a few weeks, and other times, they assist them for years.

Simply Angels’ brochure indicates it helps those “facing physical, emotional, and practical challenges – whether it’s making a home safe and accessible, ensuring critical repairs, offering grief and emotional support, guiding families through medical or disability processes, or simply being present during times of need.”

However, these are far from the only services that Simply Angels provides to veterans and their families. Purks added that the group has provided medical transportation, veterinary care for animals that may serve as a veteran’s only companion, food for those who need it, and disaster relief.

Furthermore, Simply Angels has assisted other organizations that work to provide aid to veterans. “This year at Thanksgiving, we received requests to assist military bases with food,” Purks said. “Larger organizations had turned them away. We started with serving Quantico requests. We got requests from food pantries serving Fort Lee and eventually Norfolk Naval Station. We sent pickup truck loads of food to that area.”

This impressive array of services is accomplished entirely through volunteer work. According to their brochure, this makes Simply Angels “one of the very few veteran organizations with no paid staff” where “every dollar raised goes directly into care, transportation, and the needs of our veterans.”

“Our small group of volunteers is working from 5:30 a.m. to almost 1 a.m. every day to help,” Purks explained. “That is passion that money can’t buy.”

Volunteers put in this effort while balancing full-time jobs and other responsibilities. Troy Skebo helps host fundraisers that support the mission of Simply Angels. “Balancing full-time work while volunteering is also demanding,” he said. “It requires sacrifice, long hours, and careful prioritization. There are moments of exhaustion, but the impact we see – veterans feeling seen, supported, and valued – makes every challenge worth it. We don’t view these difficulties as obstacles; we see them as reminders of why this work matters and why we’re committed to it.”

Despite the challenges that can come from balancing volunteering for Simply Angels and maintaining a full-time job, the organization has never faced a shortage of those willing to help. “We have a very giving community,” Purks emphasized. “They have huge hearts, and many prefer the no-commitment approach. Show up if you can on this day and time.”

Simply Angels has also received support from others in accomplishing their mission. Purks said that if she had to choose one organization to draw attention to, it would be the Fraternal Order of the Eagles.

As she explained, the Eagles have funded four disaster relief loads by providing fuel for the semi-truck, helped design brochures, provided grants, and helped with equipment for mobility. More recently, they held a golf tournament to help raise funds for Simply Angels to assist them in purchasing insurance, food, and fuel expenses. They have also contributed to kerosene purchases.

While anyone can become involved by volunteering with Simply Angels, to work directly with veterans, volunteers must have been with the organization for at least a year.

“We are extremely careful about who has access to our veterans,” said Purks. “Some people can have a perfect background but will walk into a filthy house and make comments about the conditions. These veterans are already beaten down; they don’t need anyone else to continue to degrade them.”

This care not only ensures those working with veterans are sympathetic towards them and what they may be going through, but it also guarantees that they understand the importance of a veteran’s privacy. For example, those working with veterans need to be extremely careful with photos and know not to release their identities for safety and security purposes.

While the volunteers at Simply Angels already provide numerous services, Purks explained that there are many other ways they would love to help these veterans. “We would need wheelchair transportation vehicles and the funds to afford the insurance, but we would love to take a couple out for their anniversary, take them out to celebrate a birthday, or even something as simple as letting them get to the store to pick their own groceries or clothing items,” said Purks.

Despite all that Simply Angels has accomplished, they have faced their fair share of challenges. The first and biggest challenge, according to Purks, is their lack of internet.

“We’re in a literal dead zone,” said Purks. She added that this means Simply Angels cannot collect donations online or apply for grants to support the organization and its services. While this problem should be resolved soon, Purks explained that the organization still needs a website and someone with the technical skills to build it.

Additionally, there are challenges deciding how to spend the limited funds available to the organization, as well as the problem that it largely remains self-funded by the volunteers. “We don’t have the resources to be grant-ready or to be able to qualify for assistance from larger organizations like regional food banks or corporations,” Purks said. “Typically, we are so busy getting things done and working our individual jobs, there’s very little time to go out into the community to fundraise.”

This has led the organization to make difficult decisions about where to spend its funds. For example, they recently had to decide whether to spend money on acquiring a building to operate from or vehicles to serve veterans.

The lack of funds also means that Simply Angels is limited in the number of veterans it can help. Purks stated that “every day, we have caretakers, social workers, and government agencies reaching out to us.” They “would love to scale to meet the need,” but currently, Simply Angels lacks the resources.

Finally, there can also be an emotional toll on volunteers due to the nature of their work. “Witnessing what many veterans go through can be incredibly difficult, especially knowing the sacrifices they’ve made and the battles they continue to fight long after their service ends,” Skebo explained. “Some stories stay with you, and the emotional weight is real. But rather than turning away from that hardship, it strengthens our resolve to show up and do more.”

One veteran whose story remained with them was a man who lost his family due to his PTSD. “His anger wasn’t tolerated or understood by his family,” Purks recalled. “He had attempted suicide no less than five times that he admitted to. He was abusive to his dogs [and] lived in a trash-filled, run-down trailer out in the middle of nowhere. Our first few months weren’t smooth. He knew we wouldn’t return, ‘just like everyone else.’”

It took four years of assistance from Simply Angels before he reached the point where he could maintain his home and yard, love his animals, and go out in public to enjoy fishing and motocross.

“He was our youngest veteran,” said Purks. “Sadly, we weren’t able to unite him with his family before a brain tumor claimed his life. His loss truly devastated so many of our volunteers. He was everyone’s ‘son’ or ‘brother.’ He was loved so much.”

Despite the emotional toll of witnessing what these veterans go through, it can be rewarding.“When a veteran regains independence… when they feel seen and valued again… they don’t just survive; they rise,” Purks explained. “Many choose to give back, volunteering alongside us to reach the next veteran still waiting in silence. Those who once needed help become the hands that help others. This is the full circle of service. This is community healing itself. I always say our motto with volunteers is, ‘We are the broken, healing the broken.’”