/
Sixth Grader Honors Dr. King
Sixth Grader Honors Dr. King
MV

Mackenzie Vuotto

Story of Service: Mackenzie Vuotto

In her time as an early educator, Mackenzie Vuotto began to see the pivotal impact that service and volunteerism can have on young people and families. "An important part of educating young children is informing them about who is in their community, and how their 'community heroes' (like firefighters, doctors, or mail deliverers) help them every day," says Mackenzie. "I realized it was also important to educate children, from a young age, about ways they can help others so we had multiple food and supplies drives in my preschool classroom throughout the year!" Mackenzie is now serving as an AmeriCorps...
Background

Rachel Haines

Story of Service: Rachel Haines

Rachel Haines
IMG-4072-768x1024

Karen Cullen

Story of Service: Karen Cullen

Karen Cullen has served Virginians for many years, professionally through her career in social services and by her prolific lifelong community service efforts. Since 2014, Karen can most often be found serving alongside other volunteers as the Food Pantry Director at Three Chopt Presbyterian Church. Under her leadership, the food pantry has gone from serving 25 families to 3,055 individuals each month. This dramatic increase is a direct result of Karen’s hard work, both in building capacity despite shrinking budgets and increasing need, as well as her commitment to inspire, mobilize, and support an entire community of volunteers. Karen’s innovative...
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...
RICKETTSFRAN10131--C-CAP Director Fran Ricketts 10/24/2013 MATT ARMSTRONG PHOTO

Aniyah Hubert

Story of Service: Aniyah Hubert

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...
JMSPROF (2)

Julie Strandlie

Story of Service: Julie Strandlie

Having offered years of service and expertise to Serve Virginia, Julie Strandlie recently concluded multiple terms on the Governor’s Advisory Board on Service and Volunteerism (GAB). "I have thoroughly enjoyed my eight years of service on the Governor’s Advisory Board and, since 2023, as chair of the Virginia Service Foundation," she reflects. "I was first appointed in 2015 by Governor Terry McAuliffe to an unexpired term and then reappointed twice by Governor Ralph Northam. I was also honored to serve as [GAB] Board Chair for two years." "I am so proud of the appointed Board and the fantastic [Serve Virginia] staff...

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.