Karen Minter’s passion for education has been the guiding force behind her extraordinary volunteer contributions to the Deltaville Maritime Museum. As a former teacher, she has always been deeply committed to inspiring young minds, and since 2014, she has brought that same enthusiasm to the museum's Children’s Programs. Her teaching background fuels her mission to create engaging activities that captivate and educate visitors of all ages, fostering a lifelong love for maritime history and exploration. Her love for the museum, the staff, and its visitors keeps her coming back each year. Karen doesn’t just organize events—she pours her heart into...

Michael J. Mixon is an AmeriCorps Seniors volunteer through RSVP Northern Virginia. He recalls, "I was working full-time as a systems engineer until early 2019 when my work transitioned to four-day weeks. With the extra free time available every week, I was motivated to spend time serving my community. My wife encouraged me to seriously consider joining RSVP Northern Virginia. I took her sound advice, joined the program, and have been active for 6 years." He adds, "I want to provide a shoutout to RSVP Northern Virginia. Stacey Iden, the RSVP Northern Virginia program manager, and her staff provide RSVP volunteers...

Congratulations to VCU Richmond Alumni Chapter of Richmond - winner of the 2018 Governor's Volunteerism and Community Service Award for Outstanding Education Organization! From leading the charge against hunger in Virginia to supporting veterans, the VCU Richmond Alumni Chapter is continuing to make an impact on the community every single day. The Richmond Chapter, comprised of more than 65,000 alums of Virginia Commonwealth University who currently live in Richmond, continues to make volunteering a key priority in their initiatives to help make Richmond a better place to live. Every year, hundreds of VCU Alums volunteer – from collecting enormous amounts of canned...

Congratulations to Virginia Beach Schools Federal Credit Union - winner of the 2019 Governor's Volunteerism and Community Service Award for Outstanding Small Business Volunteer Program!  Virginia Beach Schools Federal Credit Union (VBSFCU) is creating a lasting impact on the financial literacy education of the students in their community.  VBSFCU serves as a Partner in Education with Virginia Beach City Public Schools (VBCPS), volunteering annually in more than 30 schools. Each year, 18 volunteers deploy to the schools for 300 hours of service to enhance financial education through programs like Reality Store events; student-run, school-based credit unions; work and family studies;...

National Service Award honoree China Tatum always felt the urge to help the at-risk members of her community. Through her tenure as an AmeriCorps VISTA, she has enjoyed the privilege of engaging directly with unhoused individuals through the United Way of Henry County & Martinsville, aligned with the mission of the West Piedmont Better Housing Coalition (WPBHC). China's supervisor at the United Way, Craig McCroskey, recalls, "China jumped right into the role and dug into understanding what the Coalition is and does and the weaknesses we were trying to strengthen. She has balanced the need to push with sensitivity and...

The Berry Family of Harrisonburg, Virginia, saw a local need related to food insecurity in their area. Dubbed the "Brent Berry Food Drive," in honor of their son, Brent, the family took the initiative to help meet the need. This is a massive drive that they have conducted for 15 years, with the 2022 drive being the largest ever, collecting an estimated $65,000 in food and personal hygiene items for community members in need. They donate the collected items to the local Salvation Army, effectively stocking their pantry for a large portion of the year. Rather than being forced to...