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...

“I have always been drawn to public service,” reflects Rumana Chattopadhyay-Reid, who started volunteering as a teenager in West Bengal, India. She regularly volunteered for 4-5 hours each weekend in a neonatal care facility while completing her bachelor’s degree. After moving to South India for graduate school, she met the man who would become her husband, an American student who was studying abroad. Together, they moved to the United States, where Rumana began teaching at a reservation school and the couple started a family.   Then, the COVID-19 pandemic arrived and changed everything. Rumana became a stay-at-home mother, working to ensure that...

Rosealee Maxey, Senior Services of Southeastern Virginia Senior Corps – Senior Companion of the Year  - Senior Companions are volunteers age 55 and over who make a difference by providing assistance and friendship to adults who have difficulty with daily living tasks, such as shopping or paying bills.  Rosealee Maxey is always there for the seniors she serves in her Hampton Roads senior apartment complex -- coordinating activities and meals for the residents, providing transportation to doctor’s appointments, taking her clients out for manicures and pedicures, and even traveling to the hospital daily when one of her clients became ill. Read...

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.  ...

Camp Holiday Trails (CHT) is a nonprofit camp located in Charlottesville, Virginia, dedicated to creating an empowering camp experience for children and teens with medical needs. Since its founding in 1974, CHT has relied on the exceptional contributions of volunteers to fulfill its mission. Central to this mission is the volunteer Medical Team, known at Camp as the "Med Team"—a group of physicians, nurses, students, and other healthcare professionals who provide expert care in a dynamic and inclusive camp environment. In summer 2024 alone, 68 medical volunteers donated their time and expertise, contributing to the safety and well-being of campers...

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...