Doug Monaco - Serve Virginia

Doug Monaco

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

Doug Monaco

May 3, 2023

Virginia Governor Ralph Northam has named Doug Monaco of Prince William County as Volunteer Fire Fighter of the Year. Monaco is one of several recipients of the 2020 Governor’s Fire Service Awards, who were recognized at an awards ceremony last month.

Chief Monaco, with the Little Fork Volunteer Fire and Rescue Company, has dedicated the past 48 years of his life to Virginia volunteer and professional fire and rescue services. This includes service both in volunteer companies and a 32-year career as a paid member of the Prince William County Fire and Rescue system where he retired at the rank of Captain. In 2010, Chief Monaco saw the need and founded the Little Fork Volunteer Fire and Rescue Company Large Animal Rescue Team which has been extremely successful and responds around the state. Although Little Fork Volunteer Fire and Rescue Company may be small, Chief Monaco has created an environment for his volunteer company to thrive with in astounding 88 current members and a 100 percent response rate for the last nine years. During his tenure as chief he has fostered a culture that encourages engagement and training for his members.

Established in 2002, the Governor’s Fire Service Awards honor excellence in Virginia’s Fire Service and are facilitated by the Virginia Department of Fire Programs, in partnership with the Virginia Fire Services Board.

“Each year, we are honored to recognize Virginia’s dedicated fire professionals who go beyond the call of duty to protect their fellow Virginians and communities in times of great danger,” said Governor Northam. “This year’s award recipients have displayed remarkable tenacity and valor while navigating unprecedented challenges amid the COVID-19 pandemic. We are grateful to these brave men and women for their faithful service and sacrifice. ”

Read more about these awards.

Evan Nied

Story of Service: Evan Nied

In his volunteer service, Evan Nied has made notable contributions on the local and national levels. He is the founder of Planting Shade, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that has planted more than 14,000 trees through 10 local chapters in 7 states. Planting Shade also hosts educational events for students to learn the benefits of planting trees. Since starting Planting Shade on his own, Evan has forged relationships with arborists and forestry agencies in Virginia and elsewhere; collaborated with private landowners, country clubs, homeowners' associations, and colleges to identify places to plant trees; solicited cash and in-kind contributions ranging from regional...

Lucy Cummins

Story of Service: Lucy Cummins

Congratulations to Lucy Cummins of Richmond - winner of the 2021 Governor's Volunteerism and Community Service Award for Outstanding Young Adult Volunteer! The Health Brigade, a free clinic in downtown Richmond, became a vital resource for many as COVID-19 infections began to rise in Central Virginia. Lucy Cummins may have originally stepped into her role as a patient navigator to assist with Spanish interpretation and translation services, but quickly pivoted to address and overcome a number of challenges presented by the pandemic. Putting aside her own academic needs in developing her translation skills, Lucy got to work helping to get...

Mackenzie Vuotto

Story of Service: Mackenzie Vuotto

In her time as an early educator, Mackenzie Vuotto began to see the pivotal impact that service and volunteerism can have on young people and families. "An important part of educating young children is informing them about who is in their community, and how their 'community heroes' (like firefighters, doctors, or mail deliverers) help them every day," says Mackenzie. "I realized it was also important to educate children, from a young age, about ways they can help others so we had multiple food and supplies drives in my preschool classroom throughout the year!" Mackenzie is now serving as an AmeriCorps...

Justin Hu & Shayla Young

Story of Service: Justin Hu & Shayla Young

Richmond CASA

Story of Service: Richmond CASA

As one of the January 2024 Serve Virginia Honor Roll honorees, Richmond Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) works to ensure that children don’t face the courts and foster care system alone. CASA volunteers (CASAs) advocate for what is in the child’s best interest and help to reduce the time a child spends in the court system and/or in foster care. They advocate for children to make sure their preferences and needs are being heard by those who are responsible for making decisions. CASAs spend time with the child and speak to relatives, service providers, teachers, and social workers to gather...

Clyde Roberts

Story of Service: Clyde Roberts

Clyde Roberts, Clinch Valley Community Action Agency Senior Corps – Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) Volunteer of the Year - RSVP allows seniors to share their skills and talents while serving in a variety of volunteer activities. Clyde Roberts has served more than 8,600 hours of service in his 14 years as an RSVP volunteer making a tremendous impact to countless veterans in his community. As an RSVP volunteer, he assists veterans with their day-to-day activities so that they may live independently in their homes. Mr. Roberts helps these veterans and their families with necessary paperwork needed for VA benefits, organize...

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