During a recent service project in Fredericksburg, Virginia, the AmeriCorps NCCC Coast 2 Team worked with the Fredericksburg Regional Food Bank, a nonprofit organization dedicated to reducing hunger in the Central Rappahannock River Region by distributing millions of pounds of food annually. However, the team's main assignment did not involve food distribution. Instead, the team assisted in renovating and creating the Market Fresh area of the food bank’s warehouse, where community partners pick up food for later distribution to those in need.   The Coast 2 Team’s primary task was to clean and visually enhance the Market Fresh space, aiming...

Michael J. Mixon is an AmeriCorps Seniors volunteer through RSVP Northern Virginia. He recalls, "I was working full-time as a systems engineer until early 2019 when my work transitioned to four-day weeks. With the extra free time available every week, I was motivated to spend time serving my community. My wife encouraged me to seriously consider joining RSVP Northern Virginia. I took her sound advice, joined the program, and have been active for 6 years." He adds, "I want to provide a shoutout to RSVP Northern Virginia. Stacey Iden, the RSVP Northern Virginia program manager, and her staff provide RSVP volunteers...

As founder of Becoming a Voice, Shriya Boppana is a sex trafficking and sexual health education advocate. She hold sexual health education workshops in orphanages, schools, and extracurricular youth organizations to educate young children about safe and unsafe touch in Fairfax County Public Schools as well as in her home state of Andhra Pradesh in India. She also serves on the Virginia, D.C., and Maryland Human Trafficking Task Forces working with the U.S. Department of Justice and local law enforcement groups to identify trafficking schemes, extract victims, and integrate them back into society. Shriya has now educated more than 19,600...

As a member of the Virginia Volunteerism Network, Youth Volunteer Corps of Hampton Roads (YVCHR) engages youth, ages 11-18, in team-based service experiences that build work and life skills while inspiring a lifetime ethic of service. Established in 2009, YVCHR is the first YVC affiliate in the state of Virginia and is one of more than 40 affiliates internationally. In October 2024, they celebrated their 15th anniversary by co-hosting the annual YVC Summit in Virginia Beach. This two-day international conference featured 24 workshops; 5 hands-on service projects that engaged over 70 youth attendees and benefited 5 local nonprofit organizations; a...

As a member of the Virginia Volunteerism Network, Volunteer Alexandria (VolALX) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, providing residents of Alexandria, Virginia, and the DMV area, with a community resource for volunteerism. Since its founding in 1980, VolALX has served as a link between individual and group volunteers and nonprofit organizations and city agencies in need of support. VolALX works in partnership with nonprofits, government and the business community to inspire people to volunteer, and to engage volunteers in activities that in turn strengthen the community. With a mission to inspire and mobilize people to volunteer for a stronger Alexandria community,...

Ria Badhwar is the founder of EmpowerNari, a nonprofit supporting women facing mental health issues. "Growing up, I witnessed the struggles my mother faced with severe depression and anxiety," she reflects. "This experience profoundly affected me, and in 2022, when my mother left abruptly, I too struggled with my mental health challenges. Through EmpowerNari, I’ve worked to address the lack of resources available to low-income women and teen girls in my community, where financial strain often exacerbates mental health problems due to the significant wealth gap in Loudoun County and the broader DMV area." To date, EmpowerNari has collected over...

Martin Novak was recently retired and looking for opportunities to volunteer in Northern Virginia when he discovered Volunteer Fairfax and their AmeriCorps Seniors RSVP Northern Virginia program through a Google search. He applied to the program and recalls, "I was initially overwhelmed by the sheer number of choices of volunteer activities available. Ultimately, I settled on the four that I’ve gotten involved in: Farmers Market, Junior Achievement Finance Centers, providing music therapy at Insight Memory Care Centers, and Welcome Wednesdays at Volunteer Fairfax." A resident of Fairfax County for the past 32 years, Martin enjoys giving back to his community. He reflects,...

As Central Virginia’s core hunger relief organization and a member of the Virginia Volunteerism Network, Feed More is where neighbors come together to uplift the soul of their community. Feed More’s service area covers 29 countries and 5 cities in Central Virginia, stretching from the Northern Neck, west to Louisa, and down to the North Carolina border. Feed More’s comprehensive programs and network of more than 400 distribution partners help ensure neighbors have access to healthy meals – because they believe that no one should go hungry and that thriving communities start with full plates. In 2024, Feed More distributed...

Nethan Reddy recently completed his year-long term of service as an AmeriCorps VISTA at the Virginia Department of Social Services (VDSS) as a Substance Use Abatement VISTA. In this role, he was tasked with working on and implementing programs and policies that deal with substance use, especially as it impacts families. Nethan reflects, “I still remember, the position description said that the North Star of the position was to work towards ‘keeping families together’ and I thought that was a good thing to do. From a clinical perspective, it is clear that disordered substance use can do a number on...

Camp Holiday Trails (CHT) is a nonprofit camp located in Charlottesville, Virginia, dedicated to creating an empowering camp experience for children and teens with medical needs. Since its founding in 1974, CHT has relied on the exceptional contributions of volunteers to fulfill its mission. Central to this mission is the volunteer Medical Team, known at Camp as the "Med Team"—a group of physicians, nurses, students, and other healthcare professionals who provide expert care in a dynamic and inclusive camp environment. In summer 2024 alone, 68 medical volunteers donated their time and expertise, contributing to the safety and well-being of campers...