Congratulations to Aniya Hubert - winner of the 2020 Governor's Volunteerism and Community Service Award for Outstanding Young Adult Volunteer! Aniyah, a senior at Averett University, began volunteering at a young age and continued throughout her high school and college career. She has served organizations such as Habitat for Humanity, Bacon Street Counseling Center, Thrive Peninsula Food Pantry, Sister4Sister on campus service group supporting young girls, and online as a crisis textile to aide individuals experiencing trauma. A double major in Marketing and Psychology, Aniyah was just inducted in the National Society of Leadership of Success because of her high...

Congratulations to Edward L. Weiner Esq. - winner of the 2020 Governor's Volunteerism and Community Service Award for Outstanding Senior Volunteer! Attorney Ed Weiner has combined his love for jazz and justice to raise much-needed revenue for music scholarships at George Mason University and for and supporting civil legal aid. Ed, who previously served as the past president of the Virginia State Bar and Fairfax Bar and presides over a highly successful annual Law Day event entitled “Weiner Roasts,” developed a special concert event and formed a nonprofit, Jazz4Justice, which has been replicated both within Virginia and across the country....

Jayeesh Chennupati is an AmeriCorps VISTA member serving at United Way of the Virginia Peninsula (UWVP) through a capacity-building project managed by Serve Virginia. In college, Jayeesh already knew about national service as a way to make an impact thanks to his interest in Peace Corps service. After graduation, however, he sought out AmeriCorps as a way to cultivate new skills and gain a better understanding of the world. He recalls, "I decided to take a year to develop some skills [and] really learn about poverty in a dimension that I haven't explored before." In considering the biggest challenge he...

Congratulations to Pepicelli's Pizza of Ashland -- winner of the 2017 Virginia Governor's Volunteerism and Community Service Award for Outstanding Small Business! For residents in the Town of Ashland and Beaverdam, there’s no such thing as a special event or community outreach effort without Pepicelli's Pizza. Lisa and Tom Checkosky’s restaurant is not only the best place to go in town for a slice, it is an outstanding example of giving back to the community. The list of organizations and causes supported by Pepicelli’s goes on and on – from the Hanover Humane Society to the Ashland Police Foundation. Pepicelli’s...

In Arlington, when low-income uninsured patients need cancer care, they have a wonderful option: Virginia Cancer Specialists of Arlington (VCS) -- winner of the 2016 Governor's Volunteerism Award for Outstanding Small Business. Without VCS, these patients would likely not receive the cancer treatment they need, which can often cost more than $50,000 a month. Fortunately superior care is provided because VCS believes that health care for all community members is a human right and that, as members of the community, VCS is responsible for helping anyone in need, regardless of that person’s ability to pay. VCS is an outstanding partner...

When Lawrence Jia saw someone close to him experience a financial crisis and face homelessness, he was moved to make a difference. He had an idea that if you could create a resource to help individuals become better informed consumers, better investors, and wiser savers…