AmeriCorps member Frank Lott has not allowed the current COVID-19 pandemic to stop him from serving his community. As an AmeriCorps member at CARITAS AmeriCorps, Frank provides essential community services as well as support for clients in their recovery and assistance with developing workforce readiness. Frank started his training to become a Certified Peer Recovery Specialist in January as a part of his service.
When COVID hit, Frank dove into alternate service activities by training with and taking calls for 2-1-1 VIRGINIA. Volunteers have been very successful in providing information and resources to thousands of individuals in need. Because the calls were increasingly complex in nature and shifting away from COVID-19, at the end of April, they anticipated that people will need to rely more and more on community resources. Frank and others were transitioned to the outreach team to verify program information and do some research on available resources throughout the commonwealth. In addition to all this service (Tuesday – Friday hours), on Mondays, Frank volunteers with Food Outreach at his local church, Garden of Gethsemane Ministries, bagging and distributing meals.
Now that CARITAS is slowly re-opening, Frank will be squeezing in some of the activities he originally signed up for. In a time where the organization is unable to welcome back interns and volunteers, his service is more needed than ever. In addition to all of this service, Frank completed his training and received his VA Certification as a Certified Peer Recovery Specialist, and is working on his national certification. Thank you Frank for being such a wonderful example of a aservant-leader in the Richmond community! Congrats to Frank on earning his certification!!
Kids Give Back
Story of Service: Kids Give Back
Established as a nonprofit in 2019, Kids Give Back grew out of an afterschool club and a realization that there were not enough opportunities for children between 6 and 12 years old to volunteer. Since then, over 300 volunteers have completed over 3,000 volunteer hours, contributing over 2,000 in-kind donations in 2022. Youth are engaged in virtual volunteer events, Family Volunteer Days, Summer Volunteer Camps and more. Every project completed meets an identified need in the community, while inspiring the next generation of volunteers. Volunteer leaders and board ensure that students are actively engaged in projects that make a difference...
Capital One Coders
Story of Service: Capital One Coders
Congratulations to Capital One Coders of Richmond - winner of the 2021 Governor's Volunteerism and Community Service Award for Outstanding Corporation! Capital One Coders grew out of an idea that was sparked in 2014 by a Capital One staff member who saw a gap in computer training in K-12 classrooms. The company created Capital One Coders to inspire students from all walks of life to consider computer science as an attainable and exciting career path. In partnership with public schools and other youth-serving nonprofits, the program helps middle school students cultivate a greater interest in computer science during a critical...
C’erra Rhodes
Story of Service: C’erra Rhodes
C'erra Rhodes is a first-year Virginia Collage Advising Corps adviser at Madison County High School, having graduated from Radford University in 2023. She attended Charlottesville High School, where a VCAC college adviser supported her with her own college application process. “I was served by VCAC advisers throughout my junior and senior high school years," recalls C’erra. “I wanted to serve as a VCAC adviser because I remember the challenges I faced during the college application process as a first-generation student. Without the guidance of my VCAC adviser, I'm not sure if I would have navigated it successfully on my own.”...
Kim Martin
Story of Service: Kim Martin
Kim Martin
Walter Hussey
Story of Service: Walter Hussey
John Muir once said “Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul alike.” Thanks to Walter Hussey, winner of the 2016 Governor's Award for Outstanding Adult Volunteer, there is one more beautiful place in Virginia to do just that. Walter’s passion and excitement for nature led him to plan, map out and implement the 70-acre Meadow Management Program space at Pleasant Grove Park in Fluvanna County. He was instrumental in developing partnerships with six state agencies and a long list of other organizations...
Bruce Lamond
Story of Service: Bruce Lamond
Bruce Lamond is a second-year Virginia College Advising Corps adviser at Mecklenburg County High School, which just opened in 2022. He served in the Marine Corps for several years before graduating from the University of Virginia in 2022. During his military service, Bruce became passionate about youth mentorship, prompting him to pursue a degree in Youth and Social Innovation and to step into several student support roles at UVA. “I learned about AmeriCorps and VCAC in my senior year of college when an assistant director of VCAC presented on the program in one of my classes,” recalls Bruce. “As soon...
