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

Addison Raso

Story of Service: Addison Raso

Congratulations to Addison Raso of Hanover County - winner of the 2018 Governor's Volunteerism and Community Service Award for Outstanding Youth Volunteer! At just 16 years old, Addison Raso has a lot to teach all of us about love, compassion, and selflessness. Addison has dedicated hundreds of hours serving others since she was 9 years old and has a special passion for service to individuals with disabilities. This passion led her to propose an initiative at her church for a special needs ministry. Through God Inspire Friendships Together (GIFT) at Restoration Church in Mechanicsville, Addison leads a ministry each week -- creating...
RICKETTSFRAN10131--C-CAP Director Fran Ricketts 10/24/2013 MATT ARMSTRONG PHOTO

The Blanco Family

Story of Service: The Blanco Family

Congratulations to The Blanco Family - winner of the 2020 Governor's Volunteerism and Community Service Award for Outstanding Volunteer Family! Located in Fairfax Station, the Workhouse Arts Center is a vibrant and thriving visual and performing arts center which operates a multitude of programs for the community. The center relies on a strong team of dedicated volunteers to ensure their arts, education, history, and community programs run smoothly. Enter the Blanco Family! For the past 10 years, the entire family serves as an integral part of making the center a huge success in connecting the community with the arts. The...
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Claudia Ramirez Cuéllar

Story of Service: Claudia Ramirez Cuéllar

AmeriCorps member Claudia Ramirez Cuéllar currently serves at Aspire Afterschool Learning as the Parent Coordinator in the AmeriCorps Learning Links program. In her role, Claudia connects with the parents of Aspire students to share student progress, successes, and challenges. She greets parents as they pick up their students and communicates regularly through phone calls and text messages. She also organizes monthly talks for parents on relevant topics, such as how to read report cards, how parent-teacher conferences work, keeping children safe on the internet, and advice surrounding mental health for the parents and children. As a result of her proactive...
Emma Jean Rush

Emma Jean Rush

Story of Service: Emma Jean Rush

Emma Jean Rush graduated from the University of Virginia with a master’s in public health. After college, she accepted an AmeriCorps VISTA opportunity with MENTOR Virginia as a Marketing and Communications Coordinator, hoping to reach more mentors and mentees, allowing mentoring programs in Virginia to continue to grow and foster development. At the beginning, Emma had no idea how significant her impact would be on MENTOR Virginia, but through her dedication, commitment, and ethical values, she helped the organization advance its mission of fostering quality mentoring relationships that empower, elevate, and encourage young people. Her work continues to impact MENTOR...
RICKETTSFRAN10131--C-CAP Director Fran Ricketts 10/24/2013 MATT ARMSTRONG PHOTO

Mt. Zion First African Baptist Church and Church of the Incarnation

Story of Service: Mt. Zion First African Baptist Church and Church of the Incarnation

Congratulations to Mt. Zion First African Baptist Church and Church of the Incarnation of Charlottesville - winner of the 2021 Governor's Volunteerism and Community Service Award for Outstanding Faith-Based Organization! The dynamic duo of Mt. Zion First African Baptist Church and Church of the Incarnation are well known in the Charlottesville community for their outreach efforts and commitment to service. Since May 2020, these organizations joined forces with the University of Virginia Health System and the Blue Ridge Health District to conduct free COVID-19 testing events at each church. In addition to church leaders and staff, approximately 300individuals from the...
RICKETTSFRAN10131--C-CAP Director Fran Ricketts 10/24/2013 MATT ARMSTRONG PHOTO

Teen Helps Low Income Students

Story of Service: Teen Helps Low Income Students

Six months ago, in the midst of online learning, Fairfax County teen Ian Wallace decided to use his love of building computers to help low-income students. Wallace learned his love of computers from his father, who still keeps the original desktop he built in their garage. When it came time for his Eagle Scout project, he decided to teach students of immigrant families how to build computers of their own. “Otherwise, they wouldn’t have a computer, they don’t even have enough money to buy one themself, and I thought it would also be nice since I know how to build...

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