As part of the new Virginia State Service Plan, the Virginia Service Commission has committed to assessing the culture of nonprofit and volunteer serving organizations across the state in order to better understand the landscape. The Commission is now surveying individuals about their experiences participating in Virginia’s volunteer sector (as volunteers, staff, board members etc.) as it relates to issues surrounding equity and inclusion. The data and insights from this survey will be used to inform the Virginia Service Commission’s strategy, practices, and policies as it relates to advancing equity in our volunteer and service ecosystem. We appreciate your input!

NSCHC UPDATE: Truescreen updated their platform on May 16. The Truescreen account holder is encouraged to attend the below session on the changes. Commission staff will also be attending and available to answer questions about any changes.

REGISTRATION IS OPEN FOR LIFE AFTER AMERICORPS 2022 - Please communicate to your members to register soon for the our Life After AmeriCorps training event June 3, 2022. The sessions will be virtual and feature a variety of topics to help your members transition from service to their next adventure -- whether it be continued service, career, or continued education.

VIRGINIA VOLUNTEERISM SUMMIT - We hope that many of you were able to be a part of the 2022 Virginia Volunteerism Summit. You can now view the recordings from ALL of the sessions On Demand by logging into the Attendee Hub. These recordings will be available for 90 days. If you attended, but haven't had a chance to complete the event feedback survey, please take a moment to let us know what you thought!

9/11 DAY OF SERVICE (September 11, 2022) - Although the 9/11 Day of Service is a few months away, now is the time to be planning for your program's activities. The Virginia Service Foundation will be awarding Mini Grants of $250 to Virginia organizations to help with the cost of project materials. The application process will be July 11-29, this year. Stay tuned for more information!

2022 VIRGINIA GOVERNOR'S VOLUNTEERISM AWARDS - The nomination period is now open for submissions to the annual Virginia Governor's Volunteerism Awards. The awards annually recognize the significant contributions of Virginia citizens to the life and welfare of the Commonwealth and its people. One award is presented in each of 10 categories. The deadline for nominations is 5pm, EST, June 17, 2022. Honorees will be celebrated at a special event in September 2022. We encourage you to nominate outstanding volunteers and volunteer groups in your region! (Note: Please keep in mind that AmeriCorps members are not eligible to be nominated for this award, but instead can be nominated for the Virginia National Service Awards next March. If you have any issues due to firewalls accessing the nomination form, please email VirginiaServiceInfo@dss.virginia.gov to receive a fillable PDF form.)

VIRGINIA AMERICORPS INFLUENCER PROGRAM - The Virginia Service Commission has already had the honor of hosting THREE Virginia AmeriCorps members as AmeriCorps Influencers since we announced the opportunity a few weeks ago! Amy Lapp and Qui Nguyen, both serving at Richmond Healthy Futures Opioid Prevention and Economic Opportunities Program (RHOPE) showed us a week in the life of members serving in Richmond greenspaces. Mary Wagner, serving with The Literacy Lab: Virginia Reading Corps, is offering helpful tips for members on a budget. Thank you Amy, Qui, and Mary for being our first Influencers! If you missed their content, make sure to visit the Virginia Service Commission's Instagram feed to get an idea of the creativity and energy that our incredible AmeriCorps members can provide to tell the real story of national service. Please continue to promote this opportunity with your members.