National Service Award honoree China Tatum always felt the urge to help the at-risk members of her community. Through her tenure as an AmeriCorps VISTA, she has enjoyed the privilege of engaging directly with unhoused individuals through the United Way of Henry County & Martinsville, aligned with the mission of the West Piedmont Better Housing Coalition (WPBHC). China's supervisor at the United Way, Craig McCroskey, recalls, "China jumped right into the role and dug into understanding what the Coalition is and does and the weaknesses we were trying to strengthen. She has balanced the need to push with sensitivity and...

Congratulations to VCU Richmond Alumni Chapter of Richmond - winner of the 2018 Governor's Volunteerism and Community Service Award for Outstanding Education Organization! From leading the charge against hunger in Virginia to supporting veterans, the VCU Richmond Alumni Chapter is continuing to make an impact on the community every single day. The Richmond Chapter, comprised of more than 65,000 alums of Virginia Commonwealth University who currently live in Richmond, continues to make volunteering a key priority in their initiatives to help make Richmond a better place to live. Every year, hundreds of VCU Alums volunteer – from collecting enormous amounts of canned...

Karen Cullen has served Virginians for many years, professionally through her career in social services and by her prolific lifelong community service efforts. Since 2014, Karen can most often be found serving alongside other volunteers as the Food Pantry Director at Three Chopt Presbyterian Church. Under her leadership, the food pantry has gone from serving 25 families to 3,055 individuals each month. This dramatic increase is a direct result of Karen’s hard work, both in building capacity despite shrinking budgets and increasing need, as well as her commitment to inspire, mobilize, and support an entire community of volunteers. Karen’s innovative...

Congratulations to Virginia Beach Schools Federal Credit Union - winner of the 2019 Governor's Volunteerism and Community Service Award for Outstanding Small Business Volunteer Program!  Virginia Beach Schools Federal Credit Union (VBSFCU) is creating a lasting impact on the financial literacy education of the students in their community.  VBSFCU serves as a Partner in Education with Virginia Beach City Public Schools (VBCPS), volunteering annually in more than 30 schools. Each year, 18 volunteers deploy to the schools for 300 hours of service to enhance financial education through programs like Reality Store events; student-run, school-based credit unions; work and family studies;...

Congratulations to CrossOver Health Ministry of Richmond - winner of the 2021 Governor's Volunteerism and Community Service Award for Outstanding Community Organization! COVID-19 has magnified the dramatic healthcare disparities existing in communities across the country. CrossOver Healthcare Ministry has not only stepped up to provide outstanding medical care, but has gone  above and beyond to be there in incredible ways. CrossOver operates two charitable healthcare clinics – one in the City of Richmond and one in Henrico County. Founded in 1983, the clinics provide healthcare to approximately 5,500 uninsured and medically underserved individuals each year. Many of CrossOver’s patients (60%)...

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...