Robyn Pratt has spent her life using her personal and professional experiences to serve the people around her. Robyn is from Virginia but has spent the last four years in community with folks from California, Oregon and Georgia. Robyn's desire to serve was planted by her mother as a small child, and her love for service continues to grow with each passing day, as it did through her years of AmeriCorps service. She graduated college many light years ago with a degree in Human Services. She has since been an advocate for sexual assault survivors with The Center, taught many little...

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...

Congratulations to Spring Hill Baptist Church of Blackstone - winner of the 2018 Governor's Volunteerism and Community Service Award for Outstanding Faith-Based Organization! Spring Hill Baptist Church is clearly a force for good in the small community of Blackstone. Their 300 members are providing countless concrete supports and, just as importantly, building bridges for better community relations. Spring Hill members can be found distributing food to the needy, holding tutoring programs for students, providing activities for senior citizens, and visiting shut-ins. Spring Hill organizes community-wide worship services, food and school supply drives, job fairs, a community clothes closet, Christmas donation programs, and much...

2024 Governor's Volunteerism & Community Service Award honoree the Youth Education Program (YEP) is a Master Gardeners of Northern Virginia team of certified Extension Master Gardeners that provides hands-on youth gardening education at local schools and youth organizations. With a focus on sustainable practices, YEP’s 10-15 members collectively worked approximately 1,400 hours in the past year and served nearly 20 different youth organizations, including elementary schools in Alexandria and Arlington, the local Boys and Girls Club of Greater Washington, and the Northern Virginia Juvenile Detention Center.   YEP members empower kids, caregivers, and teachers to practice sustainable gardening through fun activities related...

In the past two years the Northumberland County Lions Club has served over 16,000 people, provided over 4,000 hours of service to the community, and has donated over $20,000. Lions provide support across Northumberland County, supporting Little League teams, after-Prom parties, Junior Beta Club activities, disaster relief, high school scholarships, music competitions, blood drives, art competitions, shelters, food banks, and food pantries. Lions provide eye exams and eye glasses to those in need, as well as hearing screenings in the schools. They also provide eye and hearing screenings at community events, and deliver and set up medical equipment. Lions have...

In Reston, Virginia, Robert Schnapp is the founder and leader of A Simple Gesture Reston, an effort that inspires and enables his community to help neighbors overcome the growing threat of hunger and food insecurity. Eight years ago, Bob realized that many donors work Monday through Friday “business hours” and that local pantries were mainly open for donations during those same hours, making it a challenge to donate. In the beginning, he served more than 40 hours a week to get the program off the ground, doing everything from signing up donors and drivers, to creating routes, sending emails, delivering...