August 2021
Congratulations to Lilly:
YVCHR's Volunteer of the Month!
Lilly was first introduced to YVC three years ago by her 7th- grade math teacher, who just happened to also be her school's YVC club sponsor. All it took was one afterschool club meeting for Lilly to fall in love with YVC, and since then, she has volunteered at a variety of projects (totaling nearly 100 hours!). Her favorite has been the bed build with Sleep in Heavenly Peace because "it was a unique experience to be able to work with power tools." Additionally, she enjoyed the teamwork aspect of the project, as well as seeing the scope of what the group accomplished together. Her advice to new youth volunteers is to "be flexible with the tasks you are handed and keep an open mind."

What she enjoys most about volunteering is knowing you can make a difference in the community, as well as meeting new people from all over Hampton Roads. After high school, Lilly plans to attend college as a student-athlete to study science.
Fun Facts: When she's not volunteering, Lilly enjoys swimming, playing field hockey, reading and hanging out with her friends.
September and October Service Opportunities

Check out the PROJECT CALENDAR on our website and be sure to sign up when new projects are posted! Volunteer spots go fast!

Click the project links below for more information about each service opportunity. Some projects have special requirements/considerations, so please read carefully.

You can see our youth volunteers in action by following us on Facebook and Instagram!
Children's Projects
Click the project links for more information.
Food Insecurity Projects
Click the project link for more information.
September 12th

September 20th
Animal Projects
Click the project links for more information.

September 16th

October 2nd
Construction Projects
Click the project link for more information.
Environmental Projects
Click the project link for more information.
Disabilities Community Projects
Click the project link for more information.
September 13th

Weekly Project
September 15th - October 20th

October 4th
Craft Projects
Click the project link for more information.
Weekly Project
October 7th, 14th, 21st, 28th

October 9th
SAVE THE DATE:
Sunday, October 17th
Join YVCHR at Topgolf on Sunday, October 17th from 2:00 - 5:00PM for our fall fundraiser! This tournament-style event will be open to families and individuals. Not an avid golfer? No problem! All guests can play for prizes, bid on silent auction items, and enjoy food on the buffet--all in support of youth volunteerism in Hampton Roads!

Tickets are currently on sale, so mark your calendars, invite your friends and get ready to golf "fore" YVCHR!
Last year YVCHR facilitated a four-week virtual project called Adventures in Volunteering, where youth volunteers wrote children's stories based on their own experiences at YVC service projects. The goal is to publish these stories by the end of the year. The great news is that we have already started the process of formatting each story. However, we are in need of a few talented youth who are willing to illustrate a couple of stories that need graphics.

If interested, please submit a picture of your drawing style to Kimberly Moore by clicking the button below.
Back-to-School Bed Deliveries
Sleep in Heavenly Peace is looking for volunteers to help them deliver beds to kids in need on August 21st and 28th.
No experience is necessary and families can volunteer together. All the information you need can be found by following the link below.

Please note that this is NOT a YVCHR project, so YVCHR will not track your hours. Sleep in Heavenly Peace can provide verification of service hours if necessary.
Adult Volunteer Appreciation Spotlight

As another program year comes to a close for YVCHR, we want to thank the many adult volunteers who lend their time, talents and passion to our organization! Featured below are just a few of those who have devoted many hours to advancing the YVCHR mission.
Karon Hardy
As a member of Military Women Across the Nation (MWT #152) and a Veteran of the Women’s Army Corps, it has been Karon's honor to support Saunders Elementary School’s military families, as well as the larger community and the YVCHR mission by providing design support for the SES butterfly garden. Karon's favorite part of YVCHR’s mission is youth empowerment through service! She believes YVCHR helps prepare youth for roles as local, state, national and global leaders. The most memorable moment Karon recalls since she started volunteering with YVCHR was the first day of the 2019 Big Build Project and installation of the Certified Monarch Waystation, where she was witness to YVCHR's careful implementation of safety measures, emphasis on teamwork, and intentional connections to important issues and service-learning opportunities. She loved that youth grasped the long-term vision and far- reaching impact of conservation by developing a butterfly garden.
Other hobbies: Karon is a butterfly conservationist and an avid reader.
Zachary Abdallah
Once a dedicated youth volunteer, Zach recently became a devoted adult volunteer and dynamic team leader for our Summer of Service program. What he loves about YVCHR's mission is the variety of projects that allow youth to help address different needs in the community. He values the YVCHR model and believes it equips young people with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to stay engaged in their communities in meaningful ways. Zach discovered YVCHR as a middle school student. His most memorable moments were volunteering with Special Olympians; the people he met and the experiences he had then still resonate with him now 9 years later. Throughout middle and high school, he immersed himself in other service opportunities with YVCHR, all of which left a lasting impact--a big reason why he returned this year after graduating from the University of Richmond.
Other hobbies: Zach enjoys exercising, playing basketball, going to the beach, and being with friends and family. He is currently pursuing his medical degree at Virginia Commonwealth University.
Carrie Lyon
Carrie and her husband were looking for volunteer opportunities for their teenage sons and for other teens in their church's youth group. They came across the YVCHR website and loved what they saw! For Carrie, the fact that YVCHR is building a lifelong commitment of service in young people while filling needs in the community is inspiring. A memorable moment for Carrie was when her two boys, ages 13 and 16, attended a YVCHR clean-up event. When they finished, both immediately exclaimed, “That was really fun, we would definitely do volunteer work with them again!" Carrie knows it's no small feat to provide teens with volunteer work and then organize and create a well-run, fun experience! Currently, Carrie is organizing efforts to offer more service opportunities for youth volunteers on the Southside (Virginia Beach and Norfolk areas).
Other hobbies: Carrie enjoys yoga, horseback riding & traveling overseas.
Scott McNally
Scott began supporting YVCHR when his daughter became a member in middle school several years ago. Now his younger son is also an active youth volunteer! What he loves about YVCHR's mission is that it teaches kids the importance of volunteering in their community in a variety of ways and gives them the opportunity to try things they may not have done before. One of Scott's most memorable moments has been working on the little libraries with youth volunteers and seeing them build confidence in themselves while using tools and learning new techniques. Scott also played a critical role as on-site project consultant for the Goat City project at Bluebird Gap Farm, which was completed in December of 2020. His efforts to engage youth in these construction projects have been hugely impactful!
Other hobbies: Scott enjoys camping, hiking, fishing, woodworking, and mechanics.
Download YVCHR's Mobile App!
Being part of the YVCHR family just got easier! Apple and Android users can now easily access the volunteer waiver, service project info, their record of service hours, updates about big events and more. To download, simply search YVC Hampton Roads in the App Store or Google Play. For more information, click here.
Community Partner Spotlight