Virginia Service

Emergency Preparedness and Disaster Recovery: Tim Moore, Rockville
Tim Moore recognized a need for persons with disabilities to be prepared for emergencies. He has volunteered countless hours of his time and energy toward a project he called “Are You Ready? Disaster Preparedness for People with Disabilities—Part II,” which provides vital information for disaster preparedness that includes “go-bags” for each participant. He serves an average of 33 hours per week as the volunteer project director, and has distributed 212 bags and 85 kits to Virginia citizens. Tim has often been described as “unstoppable” and has worked hard to develop community partners who help provide materials and locations for the events. He has even created his own web site, “A Voice for Gap Kids,” at http://www.voiceforgapkids.com. In Tim’s words, “Each life experience provided me with challenges and disappointments along with empowering me. I have demonstrated the determination and self-control to never give up on my dreams, goals and vision of making a difference in my life and the lives of other youth with disabilities.” He is an inspiration to all through his tireless work.
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Faith-Based Organization: Valley Interfaith Child Care Center, Blacksburg
Valley Interfaith Child Care Center, or VICCC, was created in October 2003 by lay leaders of local Episcopal, Presbyterian and Catholic churches, but is committed to being broadly interfaith in all its workings. VICCC, located in Blacksburg, assists with the large number of low-income working families unable to find high-quality, affordable care for their infants and children. Parents make a co-payment of ten percent of their income for the cost of their child’s care, while VICCC covers the rest. The organization has garnered support through several key partners such as the New River Community Action Agency and New River Head Start. VICCC is an expression of a growing support network in the New River Valley of donors, social service agencies, churches, civic groups, and childcare professionals who generously share resources to make the organization a well-funded and well-run childcare provider for working poor families.
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Family: Walker Family, Purcellville
The Walker family includes mother Rhonda and daughters Jessica and Shannon. The Walkers are being recognized for their work on Loudoun County’s Advisory Commission on Youth. The family’s volunteerism efforts began in 2000 when Jessica, the eldest daughter, became involved as a youth member and volunteered during the Listening to Youth symposiums. As chair of the commission, she spoke to audiences of up to 500 advocating for the needs and concerns of youth. Her efforts led to the creation of the Loudoun Youth Initiative. Her sister Shannon joined the commission and two years and 200 volunteer service hours later the first Youthfest was hosted, and drew more than 1,500 attendees and more than 30 exhibitors. Rhonda Walker, a long-time supporter and advocate of volunteerism began volunteering after reading about negative statistics regarding teen behaviors. Her varied and talented skill sets led her to assist with the Drug Abuse Prevention Project, among others. The Walkers represent a great example of the impact just one family can make in their community.
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Government: Fairfax County Park Authority’s Adapted Aquatics Program, Fairfax
The Adapted Aquatics Program of the Fairfax County Park Authority teaches children, teens, adults, and retirees to cope with a variety of physical and developmental disabilities through the sport of swimming. Volunteers have created new innovative programs such as the Paralympics Swim Training Program. Volunteers have provided outreach to parents; attended board meetings in support of people with disabilities; and visited local hospitals caring for disabled military personnel, including soldiers severely injured in Iraq and Afghanistan. The volunteer coaches of this program assist with disabled community activities and visit sports teams in the Washington metro area as well as meeting with wounded veterans to encourage them to join the swim team. Coaches traveled with team members to Michigan last May for the 2006 Disability Paralympic Time Trials. Because they have given so much more than swimming instructions through their enthusiasm and encouragement, they have truly turned the team into a “swimming family.”
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National Service Individual: Dr. Nicole Hurd, Charlottesville
In 2004, Dr. Nicole Hurd founded the College Guides Program at the University of Virginia. The College Guides Program, also an AmeriCorps program, aids high school students in underserved areas by assisting them with applications for college admission, financial aid, and scholarships. While director of the Center for Undergraduate Excellence at U.Va., Nicole worked to raise money for the program, recruit volunteers, and gain institutional support from the school and various foundations. The program was so successful that the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation has committed $10 million to start programs in other states, using U.Va.’s program as a model for the national program, called the National College Advising Corps. The Guides have shown impressive results, and have expanded to 23 Guides across the state, including two in community colleges. College attendance rates that have incorporated a Guides program into their school rose to 65 percent, well above the state average of 53 percent. Not only has the program helped high school students but it also has inspired college graduates to give back to their communities through public service.
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National Service Program: Boaz and Ruth, Richmond
Boaz and Ruth, an AmeriCorps program, has developed a training program that tackles the systemic issues of prisoner reentry, recidivism, and community revitalization. Located in one of Richmond’s highest crime areas, the program has made a significant difference. As AmeriCorps members, individuals who were previously incarcerated participate in Life Labs, held 25-40 hours each week, where they practice emotional competencies and life skills while learning marketable skills at Boaz and Ruth’s nine businesses. In the program’s first three years, 63 participants entered the program with only a 12 percent re-incarcerated rate compared to the state rate of 30 percent. In addition to changing individual lives, the Boaz and Ruth AmeriCorps program is influencing long-term change by raising visibility of the North District area, providing employment for 80 people in 2006, and helping increase visitors to the neighborhood from 300 people in 2002 to more than 2000 three years later. Boaz and Ruth works closely with the Richmond City Jail and the Virginia Department of Corrections and have contributed heavily to their community’s revitalization efforts.
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Nonprofit Group: St. Mary’s Health Wagon, Clinchco
St. Mary’s Health Wagon is a mobile health clinic that provides healthcare to the medically underserved and indigent, and has done so for the past 25 years. Five days a week, the program reaches some of Virginia's poorest counties on a weekly, bi-weekly or monthly basis at no charge to their patients. One of the most successful efforts includes a massive regional healthcare outreach called Remote Area Medical, or RAM, with one recent event surpassing a U.S. record for the number of patients treated in a three-day period. That event resulted in treating over 7,900 patients, valued at $1.3 million in health care services. Services included general medical care, eye exams, dental care, and mammograms and required more than 1,200 volunteers, most of whom were medical professionals who contributed over 20,000 hours of donated time to the worthwhile endeavor. St. Mary’s Health Wagon has a small staff consisting of one nurse practitioner, two nurses and two office staff, but dedication from the entire staff has accomplished so very much. The planning for the RAM event and the post follow-up is challenging and the work is year round. Individuals, families and the entire Appalachia region have benefited with the outreaches conducted by this dynamic organization.
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Senior Volunteer: Ann Burruss, Hayes
Ms. Burruss has been an instrumental force behind organizing, sustaining, and maintaining an educational program at the Glouchester County Jail with the Literacy Volunteers of Gloucester. Since the program’s inception in 2003, the number of students receiving GED instruction has increased by an incredible 300 percent! And Ms. Burruss leads the way. She has instructed 95 offenders of which 28 have received their GED diplomas, with some accepted into colleges. She has also worked closely with the Gloucester County School’s Adult Learning Programs to ensure uniformity and consistency and remains a strong advocate of the trades and providing workforce skills for students not interested in continuing in formal education. She is also very active in her church as an elder, as president of The Five Rivers Woman’s Club, and as a board member of Gloucester County Public Schools, as well as serving as a consultant for a local middle school and Relay for Life She does not draw attention to herself, yet certainly deserves recognition for her contributions to her community.
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Small Business: OMNIPLEX World Services Corporation, Chantilly
OMNIPLEX World Services Corporation has been an active company, especially when it comes to service. Julien Patterson, President and CEO, has adopted the philosophy of "Right people, Right Values." To this end, OMNIPLEX created OMNI-Aid, an employee-driven committee, for the purpose of selecting charitable causes to support. Over $75,000 has been donated to charitable organizations such as Rebuilding Together, the Garbarino and Armel Family Trusts to assist fallen Fairfax County police officers, the Virginia Public Safety Foundation, the Good News Jail and Prison Ministry, and the Boys and Girls Club of Washington, D.C. The company has also partnered with a local school to provide mentoring to their students. In addition, Mr. Patterson donated his childhood home in Norfolk to Covenant Place to create an eight-bed, faith-based therapeutic group home for female adolescents who are victims of abuse. The business was also instrumental in helping to launch a new chapter of the Boys and Girls Club in the Northern Neck of Virginia. OMNIPLEX is a business that lives out its principles through service to the community.
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Volunteer: Dr. Neil S. Kaye, Tangier
Dr. Kaye has been an active volunteer in many different capacities. He has volunteered as a physician, pilot, mentor and beautifier of his community in Tangier, Virginia. Dr. Kaye is a pilot for Angel Flight Mid-Atlantic, which transports patients requiring hospital medical treatment. He often flies patients from Tangier Island to the mainland using his own money for fuel, maintenance, and repair of the helicopter. Additionally, Dr. Kaye provides free medical care in his field of psychiatry and mentors island children. He is seen weekly with his wife, Susan, in the marsh hauling out trash in an effort to beautify the community. His latest efforts include planning the construction of a free lending library, a Visitor’s Center, and the Tangier History Museum and Interpretive Cultural Center. He has been instrumental in garnering funds for the Visitor Center with the hope of also creating a walking trail to aid in increasing the health of the residents of Tangier. Dr. Kaye has not only moved into the Tangier community, but into the hearts of its people.
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Volunteer Administrator: Elaine Anderson, Orange
Ms. Elaine Anderson is an extraordinarily hard-working woman who passionately serves the senior population in her community through her work with the Orange County local TRIAD. TRIAD’s purpose is to help ensure the safety of seniors through education, resource development and the free distribution of safety aids. Elaine spends a large portion of her time and energy helping individuals on local and regional projects. She volunteers an average of 120 hours per month where she serves as the Triad volunteer coordinator, treasurer, office secretary, receptionist, file clerk and office manager. She was instrumental in the formation of the first regional TRIAD group among the adjoining counties in Orange. In another “first,” Ms. Anderson was also key in establishing the Central Piedmont Project Lifesaver Coalition, the first coalition of its kind in the United States. This coalition allows community volunteers and officials to locate vulnerable children and adults through tracking devices. Ms. Anderson has done an excellent job in supporting and guiding her volunteers in all TRIAD events, program presentations and activities.
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Youth Volunteer: Shannon Scott, Alexandria
Shannon Scott is an active volunteer leader who has served more than 14 organizations over the past six years, including The FIGHT for Breast Cancer, 4-H camp, the Northern Virginia Urban League’s Nulites, the Alexandria Youth Council, and the First Night Alexandria Teen Task Force, just to name a few. As a key leader of the Alexandria Youth Service Council, she has helped other youth advocate for themselves. In 1999, Shannon developed the slogan, “It’s Just a Date, Let’s Wait,” which was later used for Alexandria’s teen pregnancy prevention campaign button. Ms. Ann Dorman, Executive Director of the First Night Alexandria states that “Ms. Scott is a true giver from the heart who can always be counted on to bring her energy, roll up her sleeves and get the job done.”
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