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

Isabel Gross

Story of Service: Isabel Gross

Isabel Gross, an AmeriCorps member with the Aspire! Afterschool Learning - Learning Links program in Arlington, saw the spark of excitement recently working with a student on his science fair project. “(My student) Brian and I were . . . building different kinds of bridges and seeing how many books they would hold before breaking. We were trying to figure out why some bridges held more books than others, and Brian came up with a number of potential factors -- length, different binding materials like glue, tape, and twine -- but could not determine conclusively which one of these had...
RICKETTSFRAN10131--C-CAP Director Fran Ricketts 10/24/2013 MATT ARMSTRONG PHOTO

Evelyn Freeman

Story of Service: Evelyn Freeman

Evelyn Freeman, Peninsula Foster Grandparent Program Senior Corps – Foster Grandparent of the Year - Foster Grandparents are role models, mentors, and friends to children with exceptional needs.  At 91 years of age, Ms. Freeman has been serving for 14 years as a Foster Grandparent volunteer at the Discovery STEM Academy. Over the years of service with the program, she has watched many of her elementary students go on to graduate from high school and earn college degrees. Her positivity fills her students with hope and she’s always encouraging them that they can accomplish anything with commitment and hard work. Read...
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Justin Hu & Shayla Young

Story of Service: Justin Hu & Shayla Young

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Bezawit Getachew Mulatu

Story of Service: Bezawit Getachew Mulatu

2024 Governor's Volunteerism & Community Service Award honoree Bezawit Getachew Mulatu is a University of Richmond (UR) pre-med and pre-law student dedicated to improving lives and fostering inclusivity.   She serves as a first responder with UR Emergency Medical Services and the Tuckahoe Volunteer Rescue Squad, as well as a volunteer clinician at CrossOver Health Ministry and with the Virginia Medical Reserve Corps. She strives to be conversational in multiple languages, including American Sign Language, and learns Braille to ensure inclusive communication in her future medical and legal roles. She also enjoys making balloon animals from surgical gloves and performing...
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Michelle Smeltzer & Nichole Johns

Story of Service: Michelle Smeltzer & Nichole Johns

2024 Governor's Volunteerism & Community Service Award honorees Michelle Smeltzer and Nichole Johns serve the community of Warren County, Virginia, through a variety of volunteer organizations. They are committed to working for the betterment of the community, volunteering together at community organizations such as the Warren Coalition, Concern Hotline, Dinner Together, House of Hope, and Reaching Out Now. Together, Michelle and Nichole amassed close to 1,000 hours of community service in the past year.  They also serve on the Board of Directors for Hope and Rest Temporary Shelter (HARTS), which Michelle help create when she saw the need and then worked...
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Barbara Johnson

Story of Service: Barbara Johnson

In her retirement, Barbara Johnson found herself with too much time on her hands, so she turned to AARP to help her find a way to get involved with her community. They connected her with the VCU Head Start program in Richmond Public Schools, where retired seniors are trained to become teacher’s aides. She loved the opportunity to learn while supporting youth, but the program limited her to a four-year contract. When that time ended, Barbara took the advice of some of the teachers she’d been working with, who recommended she get involved in the AmeriCorps Seniors Foster Grandparent Program at Senior Connections.  ...

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