AmeriCorps member Claudia Ramirez Cuéllar currently serves at Aspire Afterschool Learning as the Parent Coordinator in the AmeriCorps Learning Links program. In her role, Claudia connects with the parents of Aspire students to share student progress, successes, and challenges. She greets parents as they pick up their students and communicates regularly through phone calls and text messages. She also organizes monthly talks for parents on relevant topics, such as how to read report cards, how parent-teacher conferences work, keeping children safe on the internet, and advice surrounding mental health for the parents and children. As a result of her proactive...

Respected throughout the community for their holistic and deep commitment to making a difference, the impact of Highlands Fellowship can be felt through their fierce love for those most vulnerable in Southwest Virginia. Over 2,500 individuals have been mobilized to act as catalysts throughout the community, partnering to expand the breadth and depth of available resources to serve youth and families in foster care and kinship care networks. Their continually evolving wraparound approach has made a far-reaching and long-lasting impact by building relationships, strengthening systems, and inspiring others in the community to take action. Highlands Fellowship is recognized as an...

Congratulations to Shreyaa Venkat of Ashburn - winner of the 2019 Governor's Volunteerism and Community Service Award for Outstanding Youth Volunteer! Shreyaa, a junior at Broad Run High School in Ashburn, was determined to make a difference when she saw the number of homeless people who didn't have access to food. To combat this issue, she started an organization called “NEST4US” (New Environment Starts Today) to increase awareness and action around food waste reduction, as well as rescue and redistribute edible foods to those in need. Through the NEST4U Sandwich Assembly Projects, more than 250 volunteers have fed more than...

For more than 20 years, Frank and Mae Antkievicz have volunteered with the English as a Second Language (ESL) program at Walnut Grove Baptist Church in Hanover County. Of the more than 40,000 people living in Hanover County, approximately 4.5% speak languages other than English. An inability to speak English affects residents’ lives in many ways, especially for work and education. Without ESL programs, many would be unable to truly become connected with the community in which they live.  Starting their service as ESL volunteers and assistants, they now run the program serving as both directors and teachers. During their...

Recently, Cities of Service profiled Norfolk volunteer Vonda Johnson. Check out her story! Vonda, a resident of Norfolk, Virginia, had been struggling with her finances. She participated in Bank On, part of the Cities of Service Resilience AmeriCorps program that strengthens the financial literacy of residents through group classes and personal coaching sessions. “Once you go through the program and see what it’s all about, you’re able to give back to others who may be struggling and dealing with some of the same situations that you were dealing with,” she says. She was relieved to learn that her struggles were not unique. The...

Life in Hanover County is better as a result of Dave and Judy Fuller. Known for their passionate and enthusiastic community volunteerism, the impact of their service can be found in virtually every corner of the county. Their enduring commitment to Hanover neighbors through numerous volunteer positions exemplifies Dave and Judy's belief in the power of community and the importance of serving others. Dave and Judy are familiar faces around Hanover, both as individuals and as a family. In addition to their careers in local economic development and public service, they are respected for their commitment to serving others through...