Averett University - Serve Virginia

Averett University

RICKETTSFRAN10131--C-CAP Director Fran Ricketts 10/24/2013 MATT ARMSTRONG PHOTO

Averett University

May 3, 2023

Congratulations to Averett University of Danville – winner of the 2019 Governor’s Volunteerism and Community Service Award for Outstanding Educational Institution! Service is woven into the fabric of Averett University. Averett’s mission is to prepare students to serve and lead as catalysts for positive change. The university’s Center for Community Engagement and Career Competitiveness (CCECC) is a primary example of their dedication to service. CCECC is an innovative program which serves as a facilitator for pairing volunteers from Averett, Danville Community College, and Piedmont Community College with local organizations such as God’s Storehouse, the Boys & Girls Club of the Dan River Region, and many others. The first program of its kind in the Commonwealth, the CCECC has built a regional framework to advance community engagement, experiential learning, and career development. From Day to Engage, a collaborative effort between schools and community partners on 13 projects, to the Walk to End Alzheimer’s and many other projects, the CCECC has made a huge impact on the region. In addition to the CCECC, Averett Athletics is another wonderful example of service and outreach. The athletic program provides ongoing service opportunities to their student-athletes. The program received an Award of Merit for Community Service from the NCAA Division III for Special Olympics Fun Day activities at which 350 student-athletes volunteered. Throughout the entire university in all its many programs, in 2018 alone, more than 600 volunteers have served the local community. From energizing the student body to vote and hosting National Service programs like AmeriCorps and AmeriCorps VISTA, Averett has made community engagement a top priority. Averett University is indeed an innovator, keeping its commitment to fostering a culture of service and serving as a model for other universities to create a common expectation and opportunity for more young Americans to serve their communities and country. Read more Volunteer Stories! Submit a Story!

Claudia Ramirez Cuéllar

Story of Service: Claudia Ramirez Cuéllar

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...

Spring Hill Baptist Church

Story of Service: Spring Hill Baptist Church

Congratulations to Spring Hill Baptist Church of Blackstone - winner of the 2018 Governor's Volunteerism and Community Service Award for Outstanding Faith-Based Organization! Spring Hill Baptist Church is clearly a force for good in the small community of Blackstone. Their 300 members are providing countless concrete supports and, just as importantly, building bridges for better community relations. Spring Hill members can be found distributing food to the needy, holding tutoring programs for students, providing activities for senior citizens, and visiting shut-ins. Spring Hill organizes community-wide worship services, food and school supply drives, job fairs, a community clothes closet, Christmas donation programs, and much...

Denise and Michael Forgione

Story of Service: Denise and Michael Forgione

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...

Pepicelli’s Pizza LLC

Story of Service: Pepicelli’s Pizza LLC

Congratulations to Pepicelli's Pizza of Ashland -- winner of the 2017 Virginia Governor's Volunteerism and Community Service Award for Outstanding Small Business! For residents in the Town of Ashland and Beaverdam, there’s no such thing as a special event or community outreach effort without Pepicelli's Pizza. Lisa and Tom Checkosky’s restaurant is not only the best place to go in town for a slice, it is an outstanding example of giving back to the community. The list of organizations and causes supported by Pepicelli’s goes on and on – from the Hanover Humane Society to the Ashland Police Foundation. Pepicelli’s...

Frank Lott

Story of Service: Frank Lott

AmeriCorps member Frank Lott has not allowed the current COVID-19 pandemic to stop him from serving his community. As an AmeriCorps member at CARITAS AmeriCorps, Frank provides essential community services as well as support for clients in their recovery and assistance with developing workforce readiness. Frank started his training to become a Certified Peer Recovery Specialist in January as a part of his service. When COVID hit, Frank dove into alternate service activities by training with and taking calls for 2-1-1 VIRGINIA. Volunteers have been very successful in providing information and resources to thousands of individuals in need. Because...

McKesson Medical-Surgical

Story of Service: McKesson Medical-Surgical

A committed volunteer with Feed More's Meals on Wheels program in Richmond over the past two decades, McKesson Medical-Surgical is an invaluable corporate partner in the effort to collect, prepare, and distribute food to neighbors in need across Central Virginia. As a medical distributor, McKesson believes that being a global healthcare leader offers an opportunity to become a responsible corporate citizenship by committing to bringing about positive change in their local community. Since 2004, their employees have volunteered nearly 10,000 hours of time with Feed More, mobilizing hundreds of their employees to get involved and give back. "The impact of...

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