Wallace Green
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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...
Tea Ragsdale

Tea Ragsdale

Story of Service: Tea Ragsdale

Tea Ragsdale is an AmeriCorps member serving as a Literacy Lab tutor at Saunders Elementary School. She has worked in office and property management jobs, but never felt that her personality and creativity were seen as assets in those roles. "I think, with AmeriCorps, I've found my tribe," she reflects. "I chose to serve with the Literacy Lab simply because reading got me through some difficult times, from an early age to the present day. As a childhood cancer patient in the 1970s, reading gave me comfort, gave me hope, and sometimes the answers I was seeking to improve myself and...
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Samantha Bradley

Story of Service: Samantha Bradley

Teaming Up with an AmeriCorps Member to Make Her Dream of a Military Career Come True Teresa Thompson, an AmeriCorps member with the Carroll County Public Schools Lift Up AmeriCorps and winner of the 2015 Robert E. Wone Award, recently shared an inspirational story about the impact of national service on a young person in her program. Teresa says student Samantha Bradley described herself in the past as a troubled teenager, but completely changed her outlook after the birth of her son. Working up to three jobs in addition to attending school where she excelled in her school work, Determined...
RICKETTSFRAN10131--C-CAP Director Fran Ricketts 10/24/2013 MATT ARMSTRONG PHOTO

Addison Raso

Story of Service: Addison Raso

Congratulations to Addison Raso of Hanover County - winner of the 2018 Governor's Volunteerism and Community Service Award for Outstanding Youth Volunteer! At just 16 years old, Addison Raso has a lot to teach all of us about love, compassion, and selflessness. Addison has dedicated hundreds of hours serving others since she was 9 years old and has a special passion for service to individuals with disabilities. This passion led her to propose an initiative at her church for a special needs ministry. Through God Inspire Friendships Together (GIFT) at Restoration Church in Mechanicsville, Addison leads a ministry each week -- creating...
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Hunter LeClair

Story of Service: Hunter LeClair

Hunter LeClair was Bay Aging’s first AmeriCorps VISTA member in 2016. The focus of her VISTA project was to build capacity of the Northern Neck Middle Peninsula Housing Coalition, the region’s homeless response system recognized by the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development. Projects focused on grant research, policy creation, and data analysis. While Bay Aging held the role of Lead Agency for this coalition, Bay Aging did not directly administer any homeless services. Post-service, Hunter was hired full-time as Program Manager and continued to pursue ways that Bay Aging could directly participate in functionally ending homelessness in the...

Fran Ricketts

Story of Service: Fran Ricketts

 For the families and individuals in the Winchester area who have fallen on hard times and face a struggle to even provide themselves with basic needs, Fran Ricketts is an angel of mercy providing hope during dark times. Fran, the winner of the 2016 Governor's Volunteerism Award for Outstanding Senior Volunteer has dedicated her life to helping others for more than 30 years. Her life’s work has been serving through the Congregational Community Action Project (CCAP), a council of 200 churches and synagogues dedicated to addressing the needs of the poor and disadvantaged in Winchester. Fran manages the entire program...

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