Thanks to his lifelong commitment to service, Virginia AmeriCorps member Chris Sandquist is a recipient of the Harris Wofford Joint Service Award, honoring individuals who have successfully completed both a full-time service term or its equivalent in AmeriCorps and the Peace Corps.   Chris grew up in Waynesboro, Virginia, before moving to Maine for college and then spending two years as a Peace Corps volunteer in Tunisia, North Africa, where he taught English as a Foreign Language to businesspeople and college students at the Tunisian National Institute of Modern Languages. He recalls, "Joining the Peace Corps after college was a...

Congratulations to Quality Stone Concepts of Virginia Beach - winner of the 2018 Governor's Volunteerism and Community Service Award for Outstanding Small Business! In the Virginia Beach community, students with a desire to learn building trades and, ultimately, find good quality jobs have some rock solid allies. For nearly a decade, Quality Stone Concepts’ (QSC) owners and employees have volunteered with the Virginia Beach Education Foundation where they mentor students enrolled in construction courses at the Virginia Beach Technical & Career Education Center (TCE). Every two years, a new single-family home is completed by TCE students and the success of the project—The...

Having offered years of service and expertise to Serve Virginia, Julie Strandlie recently concluded multiple terms on the Governor’s Advisory Board on Service and Volunteerism (GAB). "I have thoroughly enjoyed my eight years of service on the Governor’s Advisory Board and, since 2023, as chair of the Virginia Service Foundation," she reflects. "I was first appointed in 2015 by Governor Terry McAuliffe to an unexpired term and then reappointed twice by Governor Ralph Northam. I was also honored to serve as [GAB] Board Chair for two years." "I am so proud of the appointed Board and the fantastic [Serve Virginia] staff...

Nancy Feldner is a volunteer with the Columbia Baptist Church's Spend Yourself Food Pantry ministry in Bailey’s Crossroads, Virginia. As a professional chef and baker, she first came to Spend Yourself to provide cooking and nutrition presentations for those served through the Food Pantry and saw a way to meet additional community needs. Six years ago, she initiated God's Closet (El Armario de Dios), which provides clothing and supplies to Food Pantry clients, especially those with infants and preschoolers.   She assists hundreds of families each year, volunteering more than 100 hours each month to help meet the needs of low-income...

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...

Dakota Tappen is an AmeriCorps member serving with Recovery Corps in Virginia. In this role, she is entering her third service term at Roads To Recovery in Lynchburg, Virginia, where she currently serves as a Women’s Peer Recovery Navigator. "I like to describe my role as a cheerleader in many ways," she says. "I walk alongside my peers and watch them conquer their insecurities and mark off their goals as they achieve them. I support peers in their recovery, employment, mental health, and relationships goals." She recalls, "I found the Recovery Corps listing on Indeed and decided to apply. I...