Doug Monaco - Serve Virginia

Doug Monaco

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

Doug Monaco

May 3, 2023

Virginia Governor Ralph Northam has named Doug Monaco of Prince William County as Volunteer Fire Fighter of the Year. Monaco is one of several recipients of the 2020 Governor’s Fire Service Awards, who were recognized at an awards ceremony last month.

Chief Monaco, with the Little Fork Volunteer Fire and Rescue Company, has dedicated the past 48 years of his life to Virginia volunteer and professional fire and rescue services. This includes service both in volunteer companies and a 32-year career as a paid member of the Prince William County Fire and Rescue system where he retired at the rank of Captain. In 2010, Chief Monaco saw the need and founded the Little Fork Volunteer Fire and Rescue Company Large Animal Rescue Team which has been extremely successful and responds around the state. Although Little Fork Volunteer Fire and Rescue Company may be small, Chief Monaco has created an environment for his volunteer company to thrive with in astounding 88 current members and a 100 percent response rate for the last nine years. During his tenure as chief he has fostered a culture that encourages engagement and training for his members.

Established in 2002, the Governor’s Fire Service Awards honor excellence in Virginia’s Fire Service and are facilitated by the Virginia Department of Fire Programs, in partnership with the Virginia Fire Services Board.

“Each year, we are honored to recognize Virginia’s dedicated fire professionals who go beyond the call of duty to protect their fellow Virginians and communities in times of great danger,” said Governor Northam. “This year’s award recipients have displayed remarkable tenacity and valor while navigating unprecedented challenges amid the COVID-19 pandemic. We are grateful to these brave men and women for their faithful service and sacrifice. ”

Read more about these awards.

Samantha Bradley

Story of Service: Samantha Bradley

Teaming Up with an AmeriCorps Member to Make Her Dream of a Military Career Come True Teresa Thompson, an AmeriCorps member with the Carroll County Public Schools Lift Up AmeriCorps and winner of the 2015 Robert E. Wone Award, recently shared an inspirational story about the impact of national service on a young person in her program. Teresa says student Samantha Bradley described herself in the past as a troubled teenager, but completely changed her outlook after the birth of her son. Working up to three jobs in addition to attending school where she excelled in her school work, Determined...

Alyssa De Las Salas

Story of Service: Alyssa De Las Salas

Alyssa De Las Salas learned about AmeriCorps NCCC when a friend served during her freshman year of college. She recalls, “I thought, that looks so interesting... getting to travel across the country and meet new people.” Alyssa finished her bachelor’s degree in psychology, but the opportunity remained buried in her own subconscious. A year or so after graduation, however, she had an existential crisis, unsure what to do next. That’s when she remembered AmeriCorps. She had enjoyed traveling abroad and felt like traveling within the U.S. was something that would interest her as well. Alyssa recalls, “I started reading more about it...

Rachel Haines

Story of Service: Rachel Haines

Miriam Farris

Story of Service: Miriam Farris

Igniting a Passion for Learning for Struggling Students Miriam Farris is an AmeriCorps member and tutor with The Literacy Lab - Virginia Reading Corps program at Elizabeth Redd Elementary School in Richmond. Redd is a Title I school, which means that a high percentage of its students come from low-income families. Miriam reflects on a recent experience she had working with a struggling student. "I serve fifteen students each day, some of whom are immigrants and English language learners (ELL)," explains Miriam. "My ELL students speak Spanish at home, and they rarely have the benefit of parental reinforcement when it...

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,...

Lowe’s Home Improvement

Story of Service: Lowe’s Home Improvement

Congratulations to Lowe's Home Improvement of Glen Allen - winner of the 2019 Governor's Volunteerism and Community Service Award for Outstanding Corporate Volunteer Program! For more than a decade, Lowe’s has been committed to serving the communities of its customers. Through the Lowe’s Heroes project, employees adopt a volunteer project with a local nonprofit organization or K–12 public school. Since the inception of the volunteer program, Lowe’s Heroes have participated in more than 1,300 projects and have contributed more than $1.3 million in materials. Last year, 14 stores in the Richmond area teamed up to serve the Virginia Home for Boys...

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.