Share Your Volunteer Stories

"Faces of Service" on VAservice.org features profiles about organizations, businesses, families, and individuals whose volunteer and community service efforts focus on building and strengthening Virginia. Let us know about the volunteers who are making a difference in the lives of others. Your stories and photos will be featured on VAservice.org where they will serve as an inspiration to the Commonwealth. Volunteer profiles will also be highlighted at the 2008 Virginia Conference on Volunteerism and Community Service, April 23-25. Read other volunteer profiles and find instructions on how to post your stories.

Conference on Volunteerism to Host VA Service Community

The 2008 Virginia Conference on Volunteerism and Community Service will be held, April 23-25, in Virginia Beach. The conference is the largest and most comprehensive event of the year for individuals and organizations working to strengthen their communities through service. This year's conference will take place at the Virginia Beach Wyndham Hotel. The keynote speaker will be Tony Brown, bestselling author and commentator of Tony Brown's Journal, the longest-running series on PBS. The winners of the 2008 Governor's Volunteerism and Community Service Awards will be honored at a ceremony on Thursday, April 24. We are looking forward to seeing Virginia's service community come together to share ideas and get re-energized for the coming year!

Get to Know Margo Horner

Governor's Commission on Community and National Service

For Margo Horner, service to her country is part of a family legacy going back more than 200 years. Many in her family -- including her father, grandfather, great grandfather, brother, and uncles -- have devoted themselves to military service. Born in Norfolk during her father's military assignment, Ms. Horner gained a global perspective after moving from post to post due to her father's military orders. Both her parents and grandparents influenced her to consider service, not only to the country, but also to the community. She says, "Public service is a unique opportunity to help many people of varying ages and cultures." In high school, she became involved in community organizations and in college, she was part of a community sorority and tutored students at Old Dominion University and volunteered in a Head Start program in Norfolk. Some of her community work has included serving with the Virginia Democratic Party, working with the Arlington Red Cross, acting as a board member with the Veteran's Memorial YMCA, and participating as a Delegate on the Arlington County Civic Federation. She is currently the Executive Office Manager of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority.

National Conference on Volunteering and Service

Registration has opened for the 2008 National Conference on Volunteering and Service, June 1-3, in Atlanta. Presented by the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), the conference will feature more than 175 workshops designed for today's service leaders to re-imagine, rebuild and re-inspire a movement for service and engagement. Some of the scheduled speakers include U.S Representative and civil rights leader John Lewis; Neil Bush, Chairman and CEO, Ignite!; Stephen Goldsmith, Chairman of the Board for the CNCS; former U.S. Senator Sam Nunn; Isaac Farris, Jr., director of the King Center; and Dr. Sue Sehgal, President of The Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Partnership Foundation. AmeriCorps will hold its annual grantee meeting at the conference and the newly merged Points of Light Foundation and Hands On Network will launch their vision for a new century of change. Details and registration.

Latest Report on Virginia's Nonprofit Sector

The Virginia Network of Nonprofit Organizations (VANNO) has released its latest statistical report on the nonprofit sector in the Commonwealth. The study reveals that there were nearly 9,000 reporting charitable nonprofits in Virginia in 2005. The 1,354 foundations in Virginia held $7 billion in assets and gave $357 million in grants. The primary sources for this data are fiscal year annual reports filed with the IRS by charitable nonprofits with more than $25,000 in gross annual receipts. The data in this report was released in June 2007 by the National Center for Charitable Statistics. Data is based on information from 2006 IRS Form 990 filings, detailing 2005 activities.  Download the report.

SynerGeo Reaches Out to NYC Neigbhorhood

Staff and volunteers of SynerGeo, a Richmond-based nonprofit and AmeriCorps program, traveled to New York recently to work with Rauschenbusch Metro Ministries, a outreach program within the Metro Baptist Church in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood of the city. The group served by helping out at a food pantry, assisting with clothing distribution, and working with children in their after school program. The trip was valuable to SynerGeo, allowing them to experience similar programs in a much larger neighborhood with greater need. The outreach visit has inspired a local survey going out to residents of Richmond's Oregon Hill neighborhood in an effort to begin new programs and/or services in order to better use SynerGeo's resources. Find out more about SynerGeo.

Make a Difference in the Lives of People with Disabilities

The Virginia Board for People with Disabilities (VBPD) invites individuals and parents of young children with developmental disabilities to be considered for the 2008-2009 Partners in Policymaking (PIP) advocacy training program. Candidates who are selected will join nearly 300 current alumni of the Virginia PIP program, and thousands who have graduated from similar programs across the country. PIP participants will attend advocacy training, resource development, and skill building workshops led by state and national experts.  Topics covered include the history of the disability movement, self advocacy, independent living, supported employment, building inclusive communities, natural supports, legislative advocacy, assistive technology, communication, team building, and more. Program participants attend and actively participate in eight monthly, two-day sessions in Richmond. For more information and for downloadable applications, visit the VBPD Web site. The deadline for application materials is May 14. 

National Volunteer Week Resource Kits Available

A service of the Points of Light and Hands On Network and sponsored by Target, the 2008 National Volunteer Week is April 27-May 3. This special week offers opportunities to thank some of America's most valuable assets -- volunteers. National Volunteer Week was created in 1974 when President Richard Nixon signed an executive order to establish the week as an annual celebration of volunteering. This year's theme is "Volunteer to Change the World." Be sure to recognize your volunteers during this special week. Go online to get a Volunteer Week Resource Guide. 

Faith-Based and Community Initiative Video Contest

The White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives invites organizations to submit videos to the "Portraits of Compassion" video story contest. The goal of the contest is to shine light on the countless caring Americans who offer help and hope to their neighbors in need as part of the Faith-Based and Community Initiative. Video submissions should highlight the efforts of those who have made a difference through volunteer organizations, local nonprofits, houses of worship and other civic groups to serve their neighbors and lift their communities. Eligible applicants include any domestic or international nonprofit organization that has partnered with a federally-funded program since 2001 to serve the needy. All videos must be submitted by May 1, midnight EST. Winning videos will be shown during the White House National Conferences on Faith-Based and Community Initiatives in Washington, D.C., June 26-27. Details on the contest.

Virginia Grants to Reduce Underage Drinking

The Virginia Department of Alchohol Beverage Control is offering grants (up to $10,000) in an effort to reduce underage drinking throughout the Commonwealth. The annual Community Coalition Grants support collaboration between local businesses, community organizations and state agencies. Programs should promote zero tolerance for underage alcohol consumption through the use of prevention initiatives that focus on environmental, educational and informational dissemination strategies in their respective communities. Funding for these grants is made possible through the U.S. Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. The deadline for applications is June 6. Find out more.

Global Youth Service Day this Month

Global Youth Service Day events are planned for April 25-27. The event, sponsored by Youth Service America, is the largest service event in the world with millions of youth volunteering in projects worldwide. Youth Service Day is designed to foster a life-long path of service and civic engagement. The event is also designed to educate the public, the media, and elected officials about the role of youth as community leaders. Youth are urged to tutor young children, engage in disaster relief, register new voters, educate their communities about good nutrition, distribute HIV/AIDs prevention materials, and meet many more community needs through their service. More on Youth Service Day in Virginia.

Two New Reports: America's Prisons and Religious Life

The PEW Charitable Trusts have released two new reports. The Center on the States Project evaluates the status of America's correctional institutions. The study reports that the prison population rose to nearly 1.6 million in 2007, costing states $44 billion annually. Virginia was one of ten states reporting the highest number of incarcerated, up 5.1% over the previous year. Read the corrections report.

The PEW Forum on Religion and Public Life details the religious affiliation of the American public and explores the shifts taking place in the U.S. religious landscape. The study says that more than one-quarter of American adults have left the faith in which they were raised in favor of another religion - or no religion at all. Among Americans ages 18-29, one-in-four say they are not currently affiliated with any particular religion. Read the religious life report.