Volunteer Recognition
Every two years, AmeriCorps conducts the most robust longitudinal survey about volunteerism and other forms of civic engagement in the United States in partnership with the US Census Bureau. In Virginia, the most recent survey shows that more than 2.2 million Virginians volunteer each year, about 34% of the Commonwealth! This means over 231 million hours of service happen in communities each year. Volunteers make our lives better through increasing access to healthy food, building and maintaining parks and green spaces, spending time tutoring and mentoring—just to illustrate some of their impact! All together, this creates more than $5.5 billion in estimated economic impact.
Is there a volunteer in your life that you want to recognize? Someone known throughout your community for always being willing to show up and lend a hand? There are great ways to recognize and honor their service and commitment to helping others.
Virginia Recognition
For general requests and information about Serve Virginia awards, please contact VirginiaServiceInfo@dss.virginia.gov
AmeriCorps and AmeriCorps Seniors members serving in Virginia who have performed outstanding service to their communities are honored annually through this recognition program. Honorees will be celebrated during the v...
These awards annually recognize the significant contributions of Virginia citizens to the life and welfare of the Commonwealth and its people. One award is presented in each of 10 categories. These outstanding award w...
The Serve Virginia Honor Roll celebrates the valuable contributions of volunteers across the Commonwealth. In recognition of the service provided by over 2.2 million Virginians, the Serve Virginia Honor Roll spotlight...
Regional & National Recognition
Local Awards Programs
Stories of Service
Virginians are making a real difference in their communities by volunteering their time and talents. Every day, we hear remarkable stories about how our volunteers have helped those around them. Know someone who is always helping others? We’d love to hear their story.
Cristo Rey Richmond High School
Story of Service: Cristo Rey Richmond High School
As an honoree on the January 2024 Serve Virginia Honor Roll, Cristo Rey Richmond High School is a Catholic learning community that educates young people of limited economic means to become men and women of faith, purpose, and service. By providing students with college preparatory education, integrated corporate work study experience, and a commitment to volunteerism and service, Cristo Rey Richmond seeks to “Transform Richmond One Student at a Time.” Cristo Rey Richmond’s vision is centered on strengthening the competence, confidence, and aspiration of students while empowering them to build fulfilling lives that advance the common good. Students come from...
Tracy Keller
Story of Service: Tracy Keller
As an honoree on the January 2024 Serve Virginia Honor Roll, Tracy Keller has been an ambassador of girl leadership since her teen years in Girl Scouts. There, she earned the highest award, the Gold Award, for creating and carrying out an elementary educational program on prevention of tobacco use. Now, more than thirty years later and as CEO of the Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast since 2005, Tracy continues to facilitate conversations that empower girls and women, and helps shape programs within her community. Recently, Tracy embraced the challenge of volunteering as the lead for the Empowering Girls...
Maurice Huff
Story of Service: Maurice Huff
Maurice Huff credits his alma mater, Loyola University New Orleans, with instilling an excitement for service in its students, which led him to serve multiple terms in AmeriCorps. "My first AmeriCorps term was in-person as a wellness coordinator at a homeless day shelter in New Orleans in 2020, amidst the COVID-19 pandemic," recalls Maurice. "My second term was virtual as a communications and social media coordinator for a K-12 reading nonprofit in Oakland, California." These two terms were impactful and memorable for Maurice. "I had an amazing experience both times giving capacity to a new organization and also building new...
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...
Alex Vanik
Story of Service: Alex Vanik
Alex Vanik first got involved with service and volunteerism through Scouts, working his way from Cub Scout to Eagle Scout during his K-12 years. "I’ve walked so many paths as a volunteer," reflects Alex. "The most permanent impact I feel I've made would be my Eagle Scout Project. I worked with the PTO to raise funds, purchased materials, and recruited Scout volunteers to construct an outdoor stage at my local elementary school so teachers could use one of their courtyards as an additional classroom space." During his undergraduate studies at the College of William & Mary, Alex continued to be...
Veronica McMillian
Story of Service: Veronica McMillian
When Veronica McMillian founded the Micro-Nonprofit Network in 2009, she wanted to educate, empower, and equip small nonprofits through capacity building and program development. Since then, the Network has helped more than 300 small nonprofits (making $50,000 or less in the first three years) become 501c3 organizations and create sustainable infrastructure that empowers them to thrive with pride. Though she holds an M.A. in Human Services Counseling from Regent University and is an adjunct instructor at Tidewater Community College, her nonprofit expertise comes from firsthand experience starting and running her own nonprofits. After her first nonprofit shuttered in the 2008...
What’s Your Volunteer Personality?
Pair your passion with purpose. Take our Volunteer Personality Quiz and find out which volunteer direction is best for you.
