Youth Volunteer Corps of Hampton Roads

February 13, 2025

As a member of the Virginia Volunteerism Network, Youth Volunteer Corps of Hampton Roads (YVCHR) engages youth, ages 11-18, in team-based service experiences that build work and life skills while inspiring a lifetime ethic of service. Established in 2009, YVCHR is the first YVC affiliate in the state of Virginia and is one of more than 40 affiliates internationally.

In October 2024, they celebrated their 15th anniversary by co-hosting the annual YVC Summit in Virginia Beach. This two-day international conference featured 24 workshops; 5 hands-on service projects that engaged over 70 youth attendees and benefited 5 local nonprofit organizations; a large-scale, immersive poverty simulation for youth and program leaders; and an epic gala for conference attendees and local Hampton Roads guests to culminate a weekend of “Lighting the Way!” through service.

In 2024, YVCHR also surpassed 100,000 total youth volunteer hours since 2009.

Ashley Coulson

Story of Service: Ashley Coulson

As a recent high school graduate and 2024 Governor's Volunteerism & Community Service Award honoree, Ashley Coulson has been a dedicated volunteer in Y Street, the Virginia Foundation for Healthy Youth's youth-led statewide initiative, where she served 115 service hours in the past year. She helped lead the program's Share the Air campaign, working towards tobacco-free and e-cigarette-free parks, playgrounds, beaches, and trails across the Commonwealth. Her service included organizing booths at community events, gauging Virginians' attitudes toward tobacco-free outdoor policies, and meeting with elected officials and community leaders. Ashley also served on the Y Street Leadership Team for three consecutive...

Middlesex County Museum and Historical Society

Story of Service: Middlesex County Museum and Historical Society

The Middlesex County Museum and Historical Society is one of the oldest county museums in the state of Virginia, covering more than 400 years of local history. The museum's exhibits feature an array of objects and items not seen together before: fossils and Indian artifacts, 19th Century textiles and clothing, a 1930s country store, agricultural and industrial tools, historical money, toys, and medical instruments. The exhibits contain stories of the past, including local African American history, Civil War, Revolutionary War, WWI, and WWII eras. These exhibits and the museum's educational outreach are made possible through the outstanding support of volunteers....

RICKETTSFRAN10131--C-CAP Director Fran Ricketts 10/24/2013 MATT ARMSTRONG PHOTO

Justin Hu & Shayla Young

Story of Service: Justin Hu & Shayla Young

Virginia's top two youth volunteers of 2019, Justin Hu, 16, of Vienna and Shayla Young, 13, of Springfield, were honored in the nation's capital last night for their outstanding volunteer service during the 24th annual presentation of The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards. Justin and Shayla – along with 100 other top youth volunteers from across the country – received a $1,000 award and personal congratulations from award-winning actress Viola Davis at an award ceremony and gala dinner reception held at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History. The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards program, sponsored by Prudential Financial in partnership with the National Association of Secondary School Principals...

ALX Dog Walk

Story of Service: ALX Dog Walk

What do dogs, plastic-free living, and local community engagement have in common? The answer lies at the heart of the ALX Dog Walk, a vibrant, volunteer-powered nonprofit that seeks to educate the D.C., Maryland, and Virginia region about sustainable, plastic-free living through the lens of an annual two-mile dog walk and community sustainability festival that brings together thousands of people, pets, nonprofits, and eco-conscious brands—all driven by one idea: that education works best when it’s fun. At its core, the ALX Dog Walk uses the universal appeal of dogs and outdoor fun to start conversations about single-use plastic and how we...

Nancy Feldner

Story of Service: Nancy Feldner

Nancy Feldner is a volunteer with the Columbia Baptist Church's Spend Yourself Food Pantry ministry in Bailey’s Crossroads, Virginia. As a professional chef and baker, she first came to Spend Yourself to provide cooking and nutrition presentations for those served through the Food Pantry and saw a way to meet additional community needs. Six years ago, she initiated God's Closet (El Armario de Dios), which provides clothing and supplies to Food Pantry clients, especially those with infants and preschoolers. She assists hundreds of families each year, volunteering more than 100 hours each month to help meet the needs of low-income...

Dr. Lawrence Fleenor, Jr.

Story of Service: Dr. Lawrence Fleenor, Jr.

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...

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