AmeriCorps State Member of the Year (Robert E. Wone Award for Exemplary Service) Deenia Carico, Carroll County Public Schools Lift Up AmeriCorps, Hillsville Following a lifetime of service in teaching, Deenia continued her passion for education by joining AmeriCorps where she serves by tutoring at Oakland Elementary in Galax. In her fourth year of service, Deenia has a strong collaborative relationship with the teachers at her school and has successfully trained three new AmeriCorps members. She is also passionate about serving her community -- not only taking each of the National Days of Service to heart, but also active in...

Congratulations to Backpacks of Love Cumberland Elementary School Coordinators of Cumberland County -- winner of the 2017 Virginia Governor's Volunteerism and Community Service Award for Outstanding Educational Institution! Backpacks of Love, Inc., was born out of a personal mission from its founder Bobby Fulcher, who personally struggled with food scarcity while growing up. Backpacks of Love provides wholesome food to school children in the counties of Powhatan, Cumberland, and Buckingham, so that they don’t go hungry over the weekend. Backpacks of Love’s highly engaged board members collect all donations, distribute food items to schools, and solicit community and corporate sponsors....

Kim Martin

Congratulations to Denise and Michael Forgione of Chantilly - winner of the 2019 Governor's Volunteerism and Community Service Award for Outstanding Volunteer Family!  For many low-income, mentally challenged and disabled adults in Northern Virginia, Denise and Mike Forgione have provided the support they need to live active and independent lives. Denise discovered her passion service while working for Loudoun Volunteer Caregivers as the Money Management Program Coordinator where she helped individuals manage their finances so that they could retain their independence. During this time, she helped the program grow more than 300 percent, and also volunteered along with her husband Mike...

Congratulations to Olivia Gilbert - winner of the 2020 Governor's Volunteerism and Community Service Award for Outstanding Youth Volunteer! You could say Olivia Gilbert has been volunteering all her life. When 13-year-old Olivia was just four years old she began sending care packages to her cousin, Drew's, unit in Afghanistan. After Drew returned to the U.S. she began collecting food at her birthday parties for the Prince George Food Bank. In 2014, she began collecting food from her school and later expanded to collecting donations from her after school care organization and dance classmates. Today she receives donations from family,...

For Beth Rebholz, AmeriCorps has provided the ultimate pathway for her to forge a successful career in financial planning. Her interest in finance, combined with her deep-seated roots in service, led her to join as an AmeriCorps member, serve as an AmeriCorps Program Director, and eventually find her dream job! Beth got her early belief in the power of service through her mother, who served as a Hospice volunteer for most of her life and also volunteered at their family’s church. Her mother’s example of community service made the decision to join AmeriCorps a natural fit. Beth also says that...