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 formally volunteer each year and 3.8 million Virginians help their neighbors informally! More than 156 million hours of service happen in Virginia 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 $5.2 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
The Governor’s Volunteerism & Community Service Awards recognize Virginians who serve across the Commonwealth. Individuals, groups, and organizations invest their time and talent in helping others and creating pos...
The bi-annual Serve Virginia Honor Roll celebrates the valuable contributions of volunteers and organizations across the Commonwealth. In recognition of the service provided by over 2.2 million Virginians, the Serve V...
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...
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.
Maxwell Gruber – The Impact of AmeriCorps
Story of Service: Maxwell Gruber – The Impact of AmeriCorps
AmeriCorps Shapes Lives You could say Max Gruber's life was greatly impacted by his AmeriCorps service. Max serves as Virginia AmeriCorps Fiscal and Administration Officer, supporting partner organizations through budgeting, compliance and the financial components of AmeriCorps, but his AmeriCorps experience started long ago as a young man fresh out of college. After being persuaded by a few close friends, Max joined AmeriCorps NCCC in Sacramento, California. "My team travelled the Western USA and had projects – called ‘Spikes’ – that included updating enclosures at the Sacramento Zoo, trail building in Bolinas, California, assisting the winter coat drive with the...
Twylah Campbell – Finding Your Path Through AmeriCorps
Story of Service: Twylah Campbell – Finding Your Path Through AmeriCorps
Finding Passion Through AmeriCorps Twylah Campbell is an AmeriCorps VISTA Leader who has found pure joy and professional growth through the AmeriCorps program. She discovered AmeriCorps in 2020 while visiting the Renaissance Charter School in Queens, NY. "The school was seeking a VISTA to support some data collection and data integration tasks, which would help the school track student adjustment, enrollment, attendance and monitoring activities during the pandemic. The moment I heard about the work being done by VISTAs, I fell in love with the program", Campbell said. Because of her enthusiasm and passion, after just one year of service,...
Geneva Sydnor
Story of Service: Geneva Sydnor
“Volunteering is not just a way to give back. It shows your commitment to the community,” says recent retiree Geneva Sydnor. After moving back to the area just a few months ago, Sydnor immediately began looking for meaningful ways to reconnect with and contribute to the community she once again calls home. One of the first organizations that came to mind was The Haven Shelter & Services, Inc. Her mother had long been a patron of its thrift store, but Sydnor realized she knew little about the full breadth of the organization’s mission. A quick online search led her to...
Publix Super Markets
Story of Service: Publix Super Markets
Founded in 1930, Publix Super Markets operates 24 stores across Virginia and more than 1,425 locations throughout the Southeast. Deeply committed to addressing food insecurity, Publix partners with local Feeding America food banks and nonprofits to ensure that safe, unsalable food reaches people in need. Between July 2024 and June 2025, Publix stores in Virginia donated over 4.5 million pounds of food, contributing to more than 1 billion pounds donated companywide since 2009. Publix’s Good Together Hunger Alleviation Campaign and Publix Serves volunteer program extend this impact, engaging associates and customers in service projects that fight hunger, deliver fresh produce,...
CVP Windows and Doors
Story of Service: CVP Windows and Doors
Since 2001, CVP Windows and Doors has gone above and beyond in addressing Virginia’s critical need for affordable housing. Partnering with Habitat for Humanity Peninsula and Greater Williamsburg since 2021, CVP Windows and Doors has donated and installed windows, exterior doors, and patio sliders for over 20 homes. By contributing both materials and skilled labor, CVP Windows and Doors significantly reduces construction costs, enabling more families to achieve the stability, independence, and generational opportunity that homeownership provides. CVP Windows and Doors’ commitment extends beyond construction. Team members volunteer year-round with the Grove Christian Outreach Center, supporting food drives, summer lunch...
The Fauquier County & Vicinity Ministers Coalition
Story of Service: The Fauquier County & Vicinity Ministers Coalition
For 34 years, the Fauquier County & Vicinity Ministers Coalition (FCVMC) has been a steadfast force for spiritual and community transformation in Southern Fauquier County, Virginia. This volunteer-led coalition of 20 churches unites pastors, lay leaders, and congregants in Christ-centered service, demonstrating how faith in action can uplift entire communities. FCVMC serves the most vulnerable through programs including jail and prison ministry, homeless outreach, senior care, youth mentorship, and annual community events. Over the decades, the Coalition has contributed an estimated 1.6 million volunteer hours, hosting 22 consecutive annual revivals and countless community fairs, yard sales, and service projects that...
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.