Lee Bernstein serves with the  Virginia College Advising Corps as a College Adviser at Rappahannock County High School in Washington, VA and is one of the highest performing advisers in Virginia College Advising Corps (VCAC) history. She not only exceeds expectations in every aspect of her role, but she epitomizes servant leadership in all she does. Starting in August 2020, Lee is the second college adviser to serve Rappahannock County High School. During a time when many school staff and college advisers were discouraged, Lee served her students with efficacy and grit, relentlessly pursuing one-on-one and small group meetings with...

Congratulations to Dr. Lawrence Fleenor of Big Stone Gap - winner of the 2019 Governor's Volunteerism and Community Service Award for Outstanding Senior Volunteer!  Dr. Fleenor has taken his love for and dedication to the history of Southwest Virginia and turned it into a remarkable way to serve his community. A tireless advocate and volunteer for the Southwest Virginia Museum Historical State Park, he has volunteered more than 5,550 hours. Additionally, Dr. Fleenor volunteers as historian at Natural Tunnel State Park and the Daniel Boone Wilderness Trail Association. He led the work to create the Southwest Virginia Museum's historical bus...

Isabel Gross, an AmeriCorps member with the Aspire! Afterschool Learning - Learning Links program in Arlington, saw the spark of excitement recently working with a student on his science fair project. “(My student) Brian and I were . . . building different kinds of bridges and seeing how many books they would hold before breaking. We were trying to figure out why some bridges held more books than others, and Brian came up with a number of potential factors -- length, different binding materials like glue, tape, and twine -- but could not determine conclusively which one of these had...

Established as a nonprofit in 2019, Kids Give Back grew out of an afterschool club and a realization that there were not enough opportunities for children between 6 and 12 years old to volunteer. Since then, over 300 volunteers have completed over 3,000 volunteer hours, contributing over 2,000 in-kind donations in 2022. Youth are engaged in virtual volunteer events, Family Volunteer Days, Summer Volunteer Camps and more. Every project completed meets an identified need in the community, while inspiring the next generation of volunteers. Volunteer leaders and board ensure that students are actively engaged in projects that make a difference...

Congratulations to Virginia Beach Schools Federal Credit Union - winner of the 2019 Governor's Volunteerism and Community Service Award for Outstanding Small Business Volunteer Program!  Virginia Beach Schools Federal Credit Union (VBSFCU) is creating a lasting impact on the financial literacy education of the students in their community.  VBSFCU serves as a Partner in Education with Virginia Beach City Public Schools (VBCPS), volunteering annually in more than 30 schools. Each year, 18 volunteers deploy to the schools for 300 hours of service to enhance financial education through programs like Reality Store events; student-run, school-based credit unions; work and family studies;...

Congratulations to The Hope Center of Petersburg - winner of the 2020 Governor's Volunteerism and Community Service Award for Outstanding Community Organization! The Hope Center, which serves as the community outreach of Downtown Churches United, Inc. (DCU), contributes more than 14,000 hours of service to the Petersburg community annually. Providing hunger and financial relief services, The Hope Center operates the Daily Feeding Program, which includes a food pantry, help with paying utility bill payments, and regular blood pressure screenings. The Hope Center is Petersburg's largest social service charity dedicated to alleviating hunger. Access to healthy food and hunger are critical...