Congratulations to George and Kim Melnyk, Jr. - winner of the 2021 Governor's Volunteerism and Community Service Award for Outstanding Volunteer Family! For low income students in Hampton Roads, the pandemic created a whole new set of challenges, from scarcity of school supplies to wi-fi accessibility. Even having a desk for virtual classes and homework was a major issue for many families. For George and Kim Melnyk, Jr., owners of Premier Millwork, this particular need turned out to be a perfect fit for the family. As soon as they were contacted by CHIP (Children’s Health Investment Program) of South Hampton...

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...

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...

2024 Governor's Volunteerism & Community Service Award honoree Mary Lee Di Spirito coordinates the Annandale Christian Community for Action (ACCA) furniture program, which she managed for decades with her husband, Don, who passed away earlier this year. She has volunteered with ACCA for more than thirty years, generously giving time and talents to the Annandale community, impacting countless local families.   As part of her ACCA service, she spearheaded the expansion of ACCA's ministry to include furniture distribution and has worked for more than 25 years to help provide residents with safe and comfortable furnishings. Since then, ACCA's furniture ministry has...

As a member of the Virginia Volunteerism Network, the American Red Cross in the Virginia Region serves 118 independent cities and counties in Virginia, with a combined population of 5.8 million people, fulfilling the mission of the American Red Cross to alleviate human suffering in the face of emergencies by mobilizing the power of volunteers and the generosity of donors. Volunteers carry out 90% of the humanitarian work of the Red Cross and volunteer engagement strategies ensure that these volunteers are able to serve in the capacity they desire and feel supported. All volunteers have a supervisor who provides meaningful...

The Middlesex County Museum and Historical Society is one of the oldest county museums in the state of Virginia, covering more than 400 years of local history. The museum's exhibits feature an array of objects and items not seen together before: fossils and Indian artifacts, 19th Century textiles and clothing, a 1930s country store, agricultural and industrial tools, historical money, toys, and medical instruments. The exhibits contain stories of the past, including local African American history, Civil War, Revolutionary War, WWI, and WWII eras. These exhibits and the museum's educational outreach are made possible through the outstanding support of volunteers....