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.”...

Senior Corps Foster Grandparent of the Year Mary Hines, Peninsula Foster Grandparent Program, Hampton Since 2005, Mary Hines has traveled nearly an hour each day to make made it her mission to be a source of encouragement for children. She regularly shares a poem she wrote for the students which conveys that they too can transform into a butterfly from a cocoon. Ms. Hines has been instrumental to other Foster Grandparents and future volunteers by sharing her experiences. She has been recognized in the past with several awards for service, including the Presidential Award for Service. Ms. Hines is a wonderful...

As a member of the Virginia Volunteerism Network, the Virginia Lottery’s mission is to contribute to Virginia’s future one play at a time. The Lottery responsibly creates and regulates games, experiences, and fun to benefit K-12 public education and Virginia initiatives. “Our commitment to the community and our beneficiaries extends past the profit that we return to K-12 education," says Khalid Jones, Virginia Lottery Executive Director. "We make sure that we are present, in person, and engaged in the spirit of volunteerism. For me, this commitment is deeply personal and highly important." The Virginia Lottery has taken an active and positive...

Rachel Haines

In her retirement, Barbara Johnson found herself with too much time on her hands, so she turned to AARP to help her find a way to get involved with her community. They connected her with the VCU Head Start program in Richmond Public Schools, where retired seniors are trained to become teacher’s aides. She loved the opportunity to learn while supporting youth, but the program limited her to a four-year contract. When that time ended, Barbara took the advice of some of the teachers she’d been working with, who recommended she get involved in the AmeriCorps Seniors Foster Grandparent Program at Senior Connections.  ...

As Central Virginia’s core hunger relief organization and a member of the Virginia Volunteerism Network, Feed More is where neighbors come together to uplift the soul of their community. Feed More’s service area covers 29 countries and 5 cities in Central Virginia, stretching from the Northern Neck, west to Louisa, and down to the North Carolina border. Feed More’s comprehensive programs and network of more than 400 distribution partners help ensure neighbors have access to healthy meals – because they believe that no one should go hungry and that thriving communities start with full plates. In 2024, Feed More distributed...