Governor Northam Honors Recipients of 2020 Volunteerism and Community Service Awards

RICHMOND—Governor Ralph
Northam today announced the winners of the 2020 Governor’s Volunteerism
and Community Service Awards. The annual program recognizes the
outstanding contributions of individual volunteers and organizations to
the well-being of the Commonwealth and its people.   “People in every
corner of the Commonwealth are rising to the challenges brought on by the
COVID-19 crisis and volunteering their time, skills, and resources in
this time of great need,” said Governor Northam. “With these awards, we
recognize the spirit of volunteerism and celebrate the exemplary service
of individuals, groups, and organizations that have made significant
contributions to their communities and the lives of their fellow
Virginians. This year’s honorees embody our shared values of compassion,
empathy, and kindness, and we should all strive to follow their
examples.”   “We are grateful for the critical support, collaboration,
and dedication these volunteers have contributed to communities across
the Commonwealth,” said Department of Social Services Commissioner S.
Duke Storen. “It is through this spirit of ‘people helping people’ that
families are empowered, communities thrive, and Virginia becomes a
stronger place to live and work.”   “These ten award winners represent
the depth and breadth of volunteerism and community service of more than
two million Virginians who freely give their time and talents each year,”
said Chairman of the Advisory Board on Service and Volunteerism Julie
Strandlie. “The civic fabric of our communities is stronger because of
their generosity. The Board looks forward to joining Governor Northam to
celebrate the 2020 honorees at a future event. We offer our appreciation
and gratitude to all Virginians who serve.”   The awards are organized by
the Office on Volunteerism and Community Services, in partnership with
the Governor’s Advisory Board on Service and Volunteerism and the
Virginia Service Foundation. These organizations are charged by the
Governor with recognizing Virginians who have significantly contributed
to the life and welfare of the Commonwealth and its citizens.   The
winners of the 2020 Governor’s Volunteerism and Community Service Awards
include:   OUTSTANDING COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION | The Hope Center
(Petersburg) The Hope Center, which serves as the community outreach of
Downtown Churches United, Inc. (DCU), contributes more than 14,000 hours
of service to the Petersburg community annually. Providing hunger and
financial relief services, The Hope Center operates the Daily Feeding
Program, which includes a food pantry, help with paying utility bill
payments, and regular blood pressure screenings. The food pantry operates
approximately 20 hours a week and distributes groceries to an average of
175 households a week, and the Daily Feeding Program provides a hot lunch
for more than 80 people a day.   OUTSTANDING FAITH-BASED ORGANIZATION |
First Baptist Church Lambert’s Point (Norfolk) For a decade, the
congregation at First Baptist Church Lambert’s Point, led by Pastor
Anthony Paige, has served the physical, emotional, and intellectual needs
of students at the Madison Alternative School. Each year, volunteers from
the congregation collect and distribute much-need supplies for the
under-resourced students who come from many Norfolk Public Schools.
Throughout the school year, Pastor Paige and the volunteers also help the
students work through personal barriers that have interfered with their
success. At the end of the school year, a graduation is held at the
church—an emotional and moving day for the students and congregation
alike. OUTSTANDING CORPORATION | Northwest Federal Credit Union (Herndon)
Northwest Federal Credit Union has made a strong commitment to their
community by implementing a powerful community service initiative called
“Transforming Lives Through Acts of We.” By collaborating with many local
organizations, credit union staff have countless opportunities to serve
and receive 24 paid volunteer hours per year. In 2018, employees
volunteered more than 7,800 hours and donated more than $120,000 to their
community partners. OUTSTANDING EDUCATION ORGANIZATION | HERO Club of
Amherst County High School (Amherst) The student-led Helping Everyone
Reach Out (HERO) Club was started by freshman Alannah Wilson at Amherst
County High School four years ago. The group works to eliminate stigma
around disability by answering questions about disabilities, sharing
information about how disabilities affect people, and facilitating
self-determination and self-advocacy. Comprised of students with and
without disabilities, the HERO Club has grown to 30 volunteers. In
addition to hosting speakers on a variety of topics, the club presents
educational and outreach programs focused on their motto: “I can, you
can, we can, together.” OUTSTANDING SMALL BUSINESS | SecureTech360
(Springfield) SecureTech360 is a small company with less than 20
employees, but its employees are dedicated to serving their community.
Staff have dedicated more than 300 hours, volunteering their time by
mentoring students and annually participating in several walks to raise
funds for various causes including cancer, Parkinson’s disease, AIDS, and
heart disease. They have also donated more than $30,000 to local
charities and provided over $15,000 in scholarships to several nonprofit
organizations.   OUTSTANDING VOLUNTEER FAMILY | The Blanco Family
(Fairfax) For a decade the Blanco Family has dedicated their time and
talents volunteering for the Workhouse Arts Center in Fairfax County. The
entire family has dedicated countless hours to the center, including mom,
Caroline, who serves on the board; dad, Andrew, who provides his
operations expertise throughout the 55-acre campus; and their children,
David and Meridith, who volunteer for the organization’s annual haunted
trail, the center’s primary source of funding. Recently, the family
jumped into action when the event was in jeopardy, making sure that it
went on as planned and the center could continue its work in the
community.   OUTSTANDING SENIOR VOLUNTEER | Edward L. Weiner Esq.
(Fairfax) Attorney Ed Weiner has served the Commonwealth and his local
community as a champion of access to justice for all for over 20 years.
Ed combined his love for jazz and justice to raise much-needed revenue
for music scholarships at George Mason University and for civil legal
aid. Ed, who has served as president of the Virginia State Bar, Fairfax
Bar Association, and Fairfax Law Foundation, developed a special concert
event and formed a nonprofit, Jazz4Justice, which has been replicated
within Virginia and has inspired similar events across the country. Ed’s
events alone have raised more than $500,000 for music scholarships and an
additional $500,000 to support legal aid, reaching tens of thousands of
low-income Virginians experiencing life-altering civil legal issues
including domestic violence protective orders, custody disputes, illegal
evictions and unlawful foreclosures, or denials of benefits to which they
are entitled. Every May 1, more than 700 community members join Ed and
his law partners for the annual Law Day “Weiner Roast” celebration, which
also raises funds for the Fairfax Law Foundation and civil legal aid.
OUTSTANDING ADULT VOLUNTEER | Jean Schiro-Zavela (McLean) Since 2011,
Jean Schiro-Zavela has dedicated 1,700 hours of volunteer time to
Britepaths, a financial literacy program in Northern Virginia. Jean
provides administrative support to the organization and is responsible
for entering all of the data needed to implement, assess, and report on
the program. In the first 11 months of 2019, Jean was instrumental in
documenting and tracking the 900 individuals who attended free financial
literacy education classes or who met with a financial planner.
Additionally, she entered data for and tracked another 663 individuals
who attended one-on-one sessions with a financial literacy mentor. Her
competence, commitment, and passion have helped hundreds of Virginia
families become financially self-sufficient.   OUTSTANDING YOUNG ADULT
VOLUNTEER | Aniyah Hubert (Danville) Aniyah Hubert, a senior at Averett
University, began volunteering at a young age and continued throughout
her high school and college career in full force. Serving with
Sister4Sister, she acquired a sponsorship to support two local women’s
shelters by purchasing, organizing, and stuffing more than 40 care
packages. She also serves as a counselor for the crisis hotline and
assists younger students on campus for freshman orientation week. For the
next phase of service, Aniyah has decided to become an AmeriCorps member
as a STEM/Literacy Developer for the Danville Church Based Tutorial
Program.   OUTSTANDING YOUTH VOLUNTEER | Olivia Gilbert (Prince George)
At age 13, Olivia Gilbert is a force for fighting hunger in Prince
George, collecting more than 6,500 pounds of food to date. Olivia, who
started volunteering at just four years old, began by sending care
packages to her cousin’s military unit overseas and then went on to focus
on addressing hunger issues by collecting food donations. In 2014, she
started collecting food from her school and later expanded to collecting
donations from her after school care organization, dance classmates,
family, friends, community organizations, six schools in Prince George
County, and the Prince George County School Board office. She also
volunteers her time in the food bank, helping to distribute food,
clothing, and other items.   The Governor’s Volunteerism and Community
Service Awards are presented by the Advisory Board on Service and
Volunteerism and Virginia Department of Social Services’ Office on
Volunteerism and Community Services on behalf of the Office of the
Governor. These awards have recognized exceptional volunteer service in
Virginia for more than 20 years. Additional information about the program
and additional information on this year’s recipients can be found here.