Newport News Shipbuilding - Serve Virginia

Newport News Shipbuilding

November 21, 2024

2024 Governor’s Volunteerism & Community Service Award honoree Newport News Shipbuilding (NNS), a division of HII, is a major employer in Hampton Roads with more than 26,000 shipbuilders. NNS gives back to the community by preparing underserved students for college and the workforce as part of a strategic effort to meet its critical hiring needs and strengthen the local economy.

Through initiatives like STEM mentoring, career awareness programs, teacher internships, and experiential learning, NNS helps students build the foundational skills needed for careers in the maritime industry. These programs introduce students to the opportunities available and help them envision themselves as productive members of the community.

With a focus on underserved populations, NNS addresses educational disparities, ensuring that more students have the tools to succeed. NNS also supports students academically through tutoring initiatives to support the Virginia Standards of Learning (SOLs), ensuring they are equipped with the skills needed for higher education. These initiatives create a clear pathway to college, apprenticeships, and jobs, opening doors to sustainable careers and lifelong community engagement.

Bruce Lamond

Story of Service: Bruce Lamond

Bruce Lamond is a second-year Virginia College Advising Corps adviser at Mecklenburg County High School, which just opened in 2022. He served in the Marine Corps for several years before graduating from the University of Virginia in 2022. During his military service, Bruce became passionate about youth mentorship, prompting him to pursue a degree in Youth and Social Innovation and to step into several student support roles at UVA. “I learned about AmeriCorps and VCAC in my senior year of college when an assistant director of VCAC presented on the program in one of my classes,” recalls Bruce. “As soon...

Therese Goding

Story of Service: Therese Goding

“Therese has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to our community, consistently going above and beyond to ensure that every individual has access to the necessary resources and support they need to succeed. Her ability to bring people together and create a sense of community has been instrumental in the success of our mentor program. Therese's leadership has been instrumental in our community, as she has successfully united individuals with legal resources, housing support, and even professional mentorship opportunities.” - Steven Johnson, a fellow mentee As the first Mentor Program Coordinator for Resilience Education, a national nonprofit organization based in Charlottesville, Virginia,...

Meghan McLees

Story of Service: Meghan McLees

Meghan McLees is an impressive student leader and role model for others. She cares deeply about helping others, inspires others to volunteer, and encourages them to pursue leadership in service. She has always been involved in service and enthusiastically dove in when she arrived at University of Mary Washington (UMW). She quickly became a student leader in several service organizations, including Circle-K and Alternative Service Breaks. Meghan also worked with a tutoring and mentoring program at her local homeless shelter, the Thurman Brisben Center. She is a member of a student-run service organization called COAR (Community Outreach and Resources) which...

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

Crystal Curtis

Story of Service: Crystal Curtis

Crystal Curtis, Appalachian Community Action and Development Agency AmeriCorps VISTA Member of the Year - AmeriCorps VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America) members bring their passion and perseverance where the need is greatest: to organizations that help eradicate poverty. Ms. Curtis is the Appalachian Community Action Agency’s first dedicated staff member to address the drug/opioid addiction issue which is crippling Southwest Virginia. As an AmeriCorps VISTA, Crystal has been highly effective in raising community awareness about the agency’s program and expanding its reach throughout the community. She has been a constant presence at educational and drug take back events and even...

Abigail Gallin

Story of Service: Abigail Gallin

During the height of the pandemic, Abigail, affectionately known as Abby, excelled in creating community in a digital space when many students were cut off from the outside world. Abby served at Aspire Afterschool Learning during the 2020 summer program, the 2020-21 program year ,and the 21- 22 program year as an AmeriCorps State Member. Abby served students in our virtual program during the Covid-19 pandemic by helping them with literacy, math, social-emotional learning, and STEAM-related activities. Abby created and implemented fun activities, helped with homework, and helped make the virtual learning space engaging and supportive. She played an instrumental...

Northwest Federal Credit Union

Story of Service: Northwest Federal Credit Union

Congratulations to Northwest Federal Credit Union of Herndon - winner of the 2020 Governor's Volunteerism and Community Service Award for Outstanding Corporation! Northwest Federal Credit Union has made a strong commitment to their community by implementing a powerful community service initiative called “Transforming Lives Through Acts of We.” By partnering with many local organizations, credit union staff have countless opportunities to serve and receive 24 paid volunteer hours per year. In 2018 employees volunteered more than 7,800 hours, and donated more than $120,000 to their community partners. At NWFCU, everyone, from the CEO down, enthusiastically volunteers, working side-by-side to get...

What’s Your Volunteer Personality?

Pair your passion with purpose. Take our Volunteer Personality Quiz and find out which volunteer direction is best for you.