Michelle Smeltzer & Nichole Johns

November 21, 2024

2024 Governor’s Volunteerism & Community Service Award honorees Michelle Smeltzer and Nichole Johns serve the community of Warren County, Virginia, through a variety of volunteer organizations. They are committed to working for the betterment of the community, volunteering together at community organizations such as the Warren Coalition, Concern Hotline, Dinner Together, House of Hope, and Reaching Out Now. Together, Michelle and Nichole amassed close to 1,000 hours of community service in the past year.

They also serve on the Board of Directors for Hope and Rest Temporary Shelter (HARTS), which Michelle help create when she saw the need and then worked to coalesce a community group to provide shelter through twelve local churches. Michelle and Nichole work tirelessly to ensure homeless residents have a safe and warm space to spend winter nights, raising funds, driving a van to take unhoused residents to the shelter, scheduling meals and personnel, doing laundry, and keeping the peace. Between 30 and 40 people are served nightly by the shelter, December through April. Since its inception in 2018, HARTS has served more than 250 Warren County residents.

Through their work with local churches, Michelle and Nichole have been able to keep HARTS open during the winter months, even through the pandemic. Additionally, the pair volunteers relentlessly throughout the community and continue to advocate for the most vulnerable residents.

Robert Schnapp

Story of Service: Robert Schnapp

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...

Nicole Ambrose

Story of Service: Nicole Ambrose

Nicole Ambrose is a dedicated volunteer at the Middlesex County Museum and Historical Society, providing support throughout the year to plan the museum's school programming to meet SOL standards. Nicole says, "As an 11th grade history teacher, I always looked for opportunities to incorporate local and state history into my lesson plans. That's why the Middlesex County Museum and Historical Society is a blessing; the staff goes above and beyond to deliver quality lessons and hands-on activities for the students. Every couple of months I would walk my classes up the street, and the museum staff would greet us with...

RICKETTSFRAN10131--C-CAP Director Fran Ricketts 10/24/2013 MATT ARMSTRONG PHOTO

Mechele Hairston

Story of Service: Mechele Hairston

Congratulations to Mechele Hairston of Chesapeake - winner of the 2021 Governor's Volunteerism and Community Service Award for Outstanding Adult Volunteer! When two Hampton Roads neighborhoods lost their last remaining grocery store, the largely minority population of nearly 18,000 citizens faced dire food scarcity challenges. Michele Hairston served as a driving force that led to the free food distribution of 25,000+ pounds of food over a two-weekend period. But it was her ongoing efforts on behalf of Impact Southside and the Solid Rock Worldwide Outreach Ministry that she made an even greater impact. In 2020, Mechele and a volunteer army...

Denise and Michael Forgione

Story of Service: Denise and Michael Forgione

Congratulations to Denise and Michael Forgione of Chantilly - winner of the 2019 Governor's Volunteerism and Community Service Award for Outstanding Volunteer Family! For many low-income, mentally challenged and disabled adults in Northern Virginia, Denise and Mike Forgione have provided the support they need to live active and independent lives. Denise discovered her passion service while working for Loudoun Volunteer Caregivers as the Money Management Program Coordinator where she helped individuals manage their finances so that they could retain their independence. During this time, she helped the program grow more than 300 percent, and also volunteered along with her husband Mike...

Bezawit Getachew Mulatu

Story of Service: Bezawit Getachew Mulatu

2024 Governor's Volunteerism & Community Service Award honoree Bezawit Getachew Mulatu is a University of Richmond (UR) pre-med and pre-law student dedicated to improving lives and fostering inclusivity. She serves as a first responder with UR Emergency Medical Services and the Tuckahoe Volunteer Rescue Squad, as well as a volunteer clinician at CrossOver Health Ministry and with the Virginia Medical Reserve Corps. She strives to be conversational in multiple languages, including American Sign Language, and learns Braille to ensure inclusive communication in her future medical and legal roles. She also enjoys making balloon animals from surgical gloves and performing...

Deirdre Arnowitz

Story of Service: Deirdre Arnowitz

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Deirdre continued her volunteer service at Meals on Wheels and helped pack meals to be delivered to those who were unable to leave their residences due to safety reasons. Her favorite aspect of volunteering is offering assistance to older adults who have a difficult time helping themselves. Deirdre has a passion for educating others on the importance of caring for older adults. She has held an adjunct faculty position at Virginia Commonwealth University since 1984. She has also been a member of numerous professional affiliations, such as the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) and the...

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