Ryan Bocompani
Alumns

Backpacks of Love Cumberland Elementary School Coordinators

Story of Service: Backpacks of Love Cumberland Elementary School Coordinators

Congratulations to Backpacks of Love Cumberland Elementary School Coordinators of Cumberland County -- winner of the 2017 Virginia Governor's Volunteerism and Community Service Award for Outstanding Educational Institution! Backpacks of Love, Inc., was born out of a personal mission from its founder Bobby Fulcher, who personally struggled with food scarcity while growing up. Backpacks of Love provides wholesome food to school children in the counties of Powhatan, Cumberland, and Buckingham, so that they don’t go hungry over the weekend. Backpacks of Love’s highly engaged board members collect all donations, distribute food items to schools, and solicit community and corporate sponsors....
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Lee Bernstein

Story of Service: Lee Bernstein

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...
Vista 1

China Tatum

Story of Service: China Tatum

National Service Award honoree China Tatum always felt the urge to help the at-risk members of her community. Through her tenure as an AmeriCorps VISTA, she has enjoyed the privilege of engaging directly with unhoused individuals through the United Way of Henry County & Martinsville, aligned with the mission of the West Piedmont Better Housing Coalition (WPBHC). China's supervisor at the United Way, Craig McCroskey, recalls, "China jumped right into the role and dug into understanding what the Coalition is and does and the weaknesses we were trying to strengthen. She has balanced the need to push with sensitivity and...
RICKETTSFRAN10131--C-CAP Director Fran Ricketts 10/24/2013 MATT ARMSTRONG PHOTO

Betty L. Robinette

Story of Service: Betty L. Robinette

Congratulations to Betty L. Robinette of Wytheville - winner of the 2021 Governor's Volunteerism and Community Service Award for Outstanding Senior Volunteer! For people who live in rural areas, fighting hunger is a serious issue. Communities like Southwest Virginia face a number of challenges – from scarcity of grocery stores and food pantries compounded with a lack of transportation to diminishing job opportunities and higher rates of unemployment. This is where Betty Robinette saw a growing need and did more than step into make a difference. Betty was the catalyst that started the Community Food Kitchen in 2012. When the...
Alumns

Lawrence Jia

Story of Service: Lawrence Jia

Congratulations to Lawrence Jia of Midlothian -- winner of the 2017 Virginia Governor's Volunteerism and Community Service Award for Outstanding Youth Volunteer! 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 -- you could change the landscape of adolescent financial literacy. In Lawrence’s freshman year, he created “Money Matters to Students” which today has almost 100 volunteers across three continents and has reached over...
RICKETTSFRAN10131--C-CAP Director Fran Ricketts 10/24/2013 MATT ARMSTRONG PHOTO

Olivia Gilbert

Story of Service: Olivia Gilbert

Congratulations to Olivia Gilbert - winner of the 2020 Governor's Volunteerism and Community Service Award for Outstanding Youth Volunteer! You could say Olivia Gilbert has been volunteering all her life. When 13-year-old Olivia was just four years old she began sending care packages to her cousin, Drew's, unit in Afghanistan. After Drew returned to the U.S. she began collecting food at her birthday parties for the Prince George Food Bank. In 2014, she began collecting food from her school and later expanded to collecting donations from her after school care organization and dance classmates. Today she receives donations from family,...

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