Having offered years of service and expertise to Serve Virginia, Dr. Sheila Williamson-Branch is the outgoing Vice Chair of the Governor's Advisory Board on Service and Volunteerism (GAB), serving as a Board member since 2018. "I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my time serving on the GAB as a committee chair, reviewer of grants, and as Vice Chair," reflects Sheila. "Meeting and learning about the many programs Serve Virginia was involved with was most enlightening. Serving on the board allowed me to be a part of an organization that truly cares about non-profit organizations and the communities they serve." Sheila first became involved...

As Central Virginia’s core hunger relief organization and a member of the Virginia Volunteerism Network, Feed More is where neighbors come together to uplift the soul of their community. Feed More’s service area covers 29 countries and 5 cities in Central Virginia, stretching from the Northern Neck, west to Louisa, and down to the North Carolina border. Feed More’s comprehensive programs and network of more than 400 distribution partners help ensure neighbors have access to healthy meals – because they believe that no one should go hungry and that thriving communities start with full plates. In 2024, Feed More distributed...

Debbie Brubaker, a Franklin County beef and dairy farmer, has been honored with the 2019 Agriculture Advocate Award by the National Agriculture in the Classroom Organization and the National Grange of the Order of Patrons of Husbandry. The award recognizes Brubaker’s dedication to advancing agricultural literacy in her community for more than 10 years. In partnership with the Franklin County Farm Bureau Women’s Committee, Brubaker has provided information about agriculture to an estimated 60,000 children. Over the years, Brubaker expanded a one-day dairy event at her children’s school to include 20 learning stations that teach students about topics like milking...

Congratulations to Codefy of McLean - winner of the 2021 Governor's Volunteerism and Community Service Award for Outstanding Education Organization! The vast majority of computer programmers across the globe are male. Seeing a lack of computer programming courses in their own school, one determined group of female students in Northern Virginia decided to work to change that statistic in their own community. The students created Codefy, an organization providing free computer programming courses to middle and high school students. In just two years, the organization has grown to include more than 600 volunteers and more than 10 courses reflecting a...

Congratulations to Doswell Limited Partnership of Ashland - winner of the 2021 Governor's Volunteerism and Community Service Award for Outstanding Small Business! Doswell Limited Partnership (DLP) recognizes the fact that residents of Hanover County can benefit in many ways from their position in the community and their access to resources. DLP, an affiliate of LS Power and owner of the Doswell natural gas power generation facility located in Ashland, employs 32 individuals and is capable of providing energy to meet the needs of more than1.2 million area homes in the Commonwealth of Virginia. DLP has made a commitment to supporting...

Congratulations to Mt. Zion First African Baptist Church and Church of the Incarnation of Charlottesville - winner of the 2021 Governor's Volunteerism and Community Service Award for Outstanding Faith-Based Organization! The dynamic duo of Mt. Zion First African Baptist Church and Church of the Incarnation are well known in the Charlottesville community for their outreach efforts and commitment to service. Since May 2020, these organizations joined forces with the University of Virginia Health System and the Blue Ridge Health District to conduct free COVID-19 testing events at each church. In addition to church leaders and staff, approximately 300individuals from the...