When you meet Sam Barber, Director of Community Engagement at People Incorporated, the first thing you notice is her warmth. It’s the kind of warmth that draws people in and makes you feel seen. For Sam, that compassion is rooted in lessons passed down from her grandmother.
“My grandmother is very much a servant-heart person,” Sam says. “She is always giving, to her neighbors, to her church. She was a single mom who raised six children after her husband passed away. I grew up watching her give and give, even when she didn’t have much herself.”
That example shapes everything Sam becomes. From her early days working on Capitol Hill to her years of service through her own nonprofit, Sam’s life is about connection: meeting people where they are and helping them move forward.
“I’ve always been in the service industry,” she says. “When I worked on Capitol Hill, I talked with senators one minute and helped a custodian fill out a deposit slip the next. That experience taught me how to relate to everyone, from those society calls ‘the underserved and needy’ to the so-called ‘elite.’”
That same ability to connect across divides carried Sam through more than 25 years in the nonprofit, education, business, and financial sectors. A dedicated community advocate and visionary leader, she is the Founder and President of Reaching Out Now, a youth-empowerment nonprofit based in the Shenandoah Valley. What began as a small grassroots effort to support families in one local school grew into a respected community organization serving students and educators across the region.
Today, Sam leads with both expertise and empathy. She advises executive leadership, builds partnerships across twelve Virginia counties, and advocates for equity and opportunity as Director of Community Engagement at People Incorporated. Her leadership earns her recognition at both the state and national levels. Through her example, others are inspired to give, serve, and lead with heart.
Her journey, though, is not just one of accomplishments. It’s also one of resilience.
Finding Purpose Through Pain
Sam’s life wasn’t always easy. Behind her leadership and advocacy is a story of heartbreak, survival, and renewal.
There was a time, she says, when she felt like “frosted glass.” Outwardly strong but hiding pain she couldn’t yet name. She survived years of domestic abuse and two suicide attempts. Yet through it all, she found faith, community, and a renewed mission.
“I know what it’s like to feel like a punching bag, to think you’ve got nothing left,” she writes in a letter to her community. “But God has other plans, plans to use my brokenness to speak hope into others.”
Healing doesn’t happen overnight. It comes through therapy, support from friends, and an unwavering determination to turn her pain into purpose. “I became vocal,” Sam says. “That was hard for many women, but I had to step out of the frosted glass. I wanted to live by example, to show that you can live through pain and still come out whole.”
Through Reaching Out Now, Sam transforms that healing into action, building programs that empower youth, support teachers, and nurture families across the Shenandoah Valley. What began as a single school partnership grew into multiple school districts, with events that now draw hundreds of students and community partners.
Her message to anyone walking through darkness is simple: you’re never as alone as you think.
“Sometimes it’s as simple as saying, ‘I need you.’ Whether it’s a friend, a pastor, or a co-worker. There’s someone in your life who sees you, even if you can’t see yourself yet.”
Sam’s advice? Reach out. Speak up. Take the smallest step toward help. “Don’t be afraid to share a little bit, even just, ‘I need help’ or ‘I need support,’” she says. “That’s what I had to do. I had to step out of the frosted glass and admit, ‘I’m in pain.’ That was a pivotal moment.”
When Sam talks about healing, she doesn’t sugarcoat it. She admits it’s not easy, and it’s never really over.
“And the last thing, which is going to be hard for people to hear… it never ends,” she says. “You literally have to get up every day being intentional.”
That intention, she adds, takes shape in small moments: journaling, meditating, walking, exercising, listening to music.
“It is a lifelong process when you have been so broken, to keep living this life intentionally.”
Her strength isn’t measured by perfection, but by the courage to keep showing up each day.
A Calling to Serve
In 2021, Sam brought that same heart for service to People Incorporated. What started as a conversation over dinner with then-President and CEO Rob Goldsmith quickly became an unexpected career turning point.
“I was serving on the board and wanted to make sure I was doing what People Inc. needed for Warren County,” Sam recounts. “It was supposed to be a simple dinner, ‘tell me how I can help, how I can serve,’ but it turned into an unofficial interview.”
The next day, Rob called to say there was a position open. Sam went through the formal process, application, interview, and all, before officially joining the team as Director of Community Engagement on June 1, 2021.
But the transition wasn’t without its challenges.
“When I started at People Inc., there was a part of me that didn’t feel like I belonged,” she admits. “I didn’t feel like there was a space at the table for me.”
In time, that changed. Bit by bit, she learned to speak up and found her voice.
“It took time to find my voice, to realize there was a space at the table for me,” she says. “It was really a growth period for me, finding myself in the space of People Inc., adapting to all the environments I had to walk into, and learning not just to represent the organization, but to represent myself as well, as an individual, and as the Community Engagement Director.”
Through mentorship, faith, and what she calls “God’s grace and tenacity,” Sam not only finds her footing. She takes off.
Today, she sits on 13 different boards and committees across northern and central Virginia, forging partnerships and helping People Inc. strengthen its presence in communities across Clarke, Culpeper, Fauquier, Frederick, Greater Prince William, Page, Rappahannock, Shenandoah, Warren counties, and Winchester City. “Sometimes when you have a servant’s heart, you like to say yes easily,” she laughs. “But I’ve learned when to pause, when to listen, and when to stand firm. A few years ago, people told me, ‘People Inc. doesn’t do anything here.’ Now I sit on committees with those same people, and some have become friends.”
A National Spotlight: She Exist Magazine
This summer, Sam’s story reached an even wider audience when she was featured in She Exist Magazine, a national publication that spotlights women of purpose, perseverance, and impact.
The feature, titled “From Silent Struggle to a Symphony of Service,” shared her story from survival to leadership, from silence to advocacy. Its premiere was celebrated in New York City’s Times Square, where the magazine’s cover appeared on a digital billboard. It was a surreal moment for Sam.
“I always say I’m a voice for the voiceless,” she reflects. “Seeing that message shared with the world… it is life changing.”
That spotlight, she says, reminds her why she does the work. Whether she’s advocating for affordable housing, building partnerships for education, or mentoring the next generation, Sam’s message is always the same: there is hope.
“Society makes us feel like being in a dark place means you’re weak,” she says. “But there’s always hope, even when it feels small. Sometimes you just need someone to remind you that you’re seen.”
Her She Exist Magazine feature celebrates the same traits she brings to every part of her life: compassion, faith, and a heart for service through People Inc. and her nonprofit, Reaching Out Now.
“Life isn’t perfect,” she says. “This year is a hard one, but I wake up thankful. I get to work with incredible people. I get to hang out with kids. I get to be part of stories that make a difference.”
See Sam’s feature in She Exists Magazine.
Lighting the Way Forward
From the halls of Capitol Hill to classrooms and community centers across Virginia, Sam Barber’s story shows courage, compassion, and calling. She lived through pain that could have silenced her. But instead, it became her purpose.
“I love what I do,” she says. “I love my two worlds very much. I love engaging in our community through People Inc., through being the Director of Community Engagement. I feel blessed and honored to also have the opportunity to have my own organization with my husband, where we’re in the trenches, working to save the lives of our young people through the programs that we carry.”
That work comes to life through Reaching Out Now, the nonprofit Sam founded to uplift students and families across the Shenandoah Valley. The organization offers mentorship, leadership programs, and community outreach that help youth see their worth, discover their voice, and pursue brighter futures.
“I’m living proof,” she says. “There’s a way out of the shadows. There’s healing for your pain. There’s purpose in your story.”
To learn more or get involved with Reaching Out Now, visit www.reachingoutnow.org. Opportunities include volunteering at community events or serving on one of three committees — Leadership, Student Union Advisory, or Community Outreach — all dedicated to helping young people thrive across the Shenandoah Valley.
People Incorporated of Virginia is one of the Commonwealth’s oldest and largest Community Action Agencies, serving more than 17 counties and cities across the state. The agency provides nearly 30 programs designed to help individuals and families build brighter futures through housing, financial services, education, workforce development, community engagement, and more.
To learn more about People Incorporated’s programs or find services in your area, visit www.peopleinc.net, call (276) 623-9000, or email info@peopleinc.net.
Written by Michelle Fleury, People Incorporated of Virginia.
For communications, marketing inquiries, or partnership opportunities, please contact Michelle Fleury at mfleury@peopleinc.net.
