Crystal Curtis - Serve Virginia

Crystal Curtis

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

Crystal Curtis

May 3, 2023

Crystal Curtis, Appalachian Community Action and Development Agency AmeriCorps VISTA Member of the Year – AmeriCorps VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America) members bring their passion and perseverance where the need is greatest: to organizations that help eradicate poverty. Ms. Curtis is the Appalachian Community Action Agency’s first dedicated staff member to address the drug/opioid addiction issue which is crippling Southwest Virginia. As an AmeriCorps VISTA, Crystal has been highly effective in raising community awareness about the agency’s program and expanding its reach throughout the community. She has been a constant presence at educational and drug take back events and even worked to acquire 4,000 drug disposal packets for partner organizations. Crystal has also been instrumental in the planning of a large-scale conference offering a discussion of opioid issues for the faith community and has worked to compile a comprehensive community resource list which has been shared extensively, including with East Tennessee State University. Read more Volunteer Stories! Submit a Story!

Deenia Carico

Story of Service: Deenia Carico

AmeriCorps State Member of the Year (Robert E. Wone Award for Exemplary Service) Deenia Carico, Carroll County Public Schools Lift Up AmeriCorps, Hillsville Following a lifetime of service in teaching, Deenia continued her passion for education by joining AmeriCorps where she serves by tutoring at Oakland Elementary in Galax. In her fourth year of service, Deenia has a strong collaborative relationship with the teachers at her school and has successfully trained three new AmeriCorps members. She is also passionate about serving her community -- not only taking each of the National Days of Service to heart, but also active in...

Averett University

Story of Service: Averett University

Congratulations to Averett University of Danville - winner of the 2019 Governor's Volunteerism and Community Service Award for Outstanding Educational Institution! Service is woven into the fabric of Averett University. Averett’s mission is to prepare students to serve and lead as catalysts for positive change. The university’s Center for Community Engagement and Career Competitiveness (CCECC) is a primary example of their dedication to service. CCECC is an innovative program which serves as a facilitator for pairing volunteers from Averett, Danville Community College, and Piedmont Community College with local organizations such as God’s Storehouse, the Boys & Girls Club of the Dan...

Therese Goding

Story of Service: Therese Goding

“Therese has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to our community, consistently going above and beyond to ensure that every individual has access to the necessary resources and support they need to succeed. Her ability to bring people together and create a sense of community has been instrumental in the success of our mentor program. Therese's leadership has been instrumental in our community, as she has successfully united individuals with legal resources, housing support, and even professional mentorship opportunities.” - Steven Johnson, a fellow mentee As the first Mentor Program Coordinator for Resilience Education, a national nonprofit organization based in Charlottesville, Virginia,...

Jean Schiro-Zavela

Story of Service: Jean Schiro-Zavela

Congratulations to Jean Schiro-Zavela - winner of the 2020 Governor's Volunteerism and Community Service Award for Outstanding Adult Volunteer! Since 2011, Jean has dedicated 1,700 hours of volunteer time to Britepaths, a financial literacy program in Northern Virginia. Jean volunteers providing administrative support to the organization and is responsible for entering all of the data needed to implement, assess, and report on the program. In the first 11 months of 2019, Jean was instrumental in documenting and tracking the 900 individuals who attended free financial literacy education classes or who met with a financial planner. Additionally, she entered data for...

Frank and Mae Antkievicz

Story of Service: Frank and Mae Antkievicz

For more than 20 years, Frank and Mae Antkievicz have volunteered with the English as a Second Language (ESL) program at Walnut Grove Baptist Church in Hanover County. Of the more than 40,000 people living in Hanover County, approximately 4.5% speak languages other than English. An inability to speak English affects residents’ lives in many ways, especially for work and education. Without ESL programs, many would be unable to truly become connected with the community in which they live. Starting their service as ESL volunteers and assistants, they now run the program serving as both directors and teachers. During their...

RRMM Architects

Story of Service: RRMM Architects

Congratulations to RRMM Architects of Chesapeake - winner of the 2018 Governor's Volunteerism and Community Service Award for Outstanding Corporation! RRMM Architects are known for designing and building innovative public buildings and schools in the Chesapeake area, and they have shown that they are just as concerned with what is going on inside the schools as the gleaming new structures they build. Throughout the year, volunteers from RRMM Architects, led by CEO/president Duane Harver, donate countless hours to Virginia Beach City Public Schools. One of the ways they work to utilize their talents and skills is to include students in the planning...

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