April 2025

Volunteers of the Month

Building Bonds Through Service:

A Friendship Strengthened by YVC

In honor of Global Volunteer Month, we are recognizing three exceptional youth volunteers--Piper, Jasmine and Erika--who prove that friends who serve together stick together! For these high school seniors, volunteering with YVCHR has meant more than just community service—it’s been a journey of growth, gratitude, and lasting friendship.

“What we enjoy most about YVC is having the opportunity to connect with our community,” they shared. “We’re not just helping—we're making a real impact while learning about others’ backgrounds and situations.” Through various YVC projects, they have gained valuable perspective and deepened their understanding of community needs. “YVC lets us connect on a deeper level with the people we’re helping, not just on the surface,” they explained. “We reflect as a group after each project, which helps us learn from each other’s takeaways, making connections to our daily lives and allowing us to be thankful for things we may have taken for granted."

Among the many memories, the Challenger Baseball Valentine's Dance stands out as their favorite project (pictured). “We built real connections with the kids while being active and having fun. It warms our hearts to see the smiles we put on their faces just by being there as a buddy."

Volunteering together has also brought Piper, Jasmine and Erika closer as friends. “It helped us grow, learn, and bond together, strengthening our friendship. The memories we've gained from volunteering helped shape our friendship into something built on positivity and love for the people around us,” they said. As seniors about to head off to college, these shared experiences mean even more.

Their advice? “Don’t be shy! It's a lot of fun to volunteer with friends because...it boosts your confidence. But even if you don't have a friend to invite, you will see a lot of familiar faces at different projects." The more you get involved, the more you can "grow your confidence, learn, and make many memories with other kids at YVC!"

Be sure to check out our youth-led podcast on Spotify, Apple, and YouTube. Episode links are also available on our website at https://www.yvchr.org/podcast

2025 Canstructure Competition

Saturday, April 26 at Patrick Henry Mall

Teams in grades K-12 are designing and building CANstructures to help feed vulnerable members of our community while bringing awareness to the issue of food insecurity. A CANstructure is a unique work of art that is created by collecting hundreds—sometimes thousands!—of canned food donations, which are then used to engineer a 3-dimensional structure relating to this year’s theme, "Oh, the Places You’ll Go!" The event will take place at Patrick Henry Mall on April 26th with awards announced at Center Court at 2:30pm. All are invited to witness the creativity and teamwork of these hardworking students. Voting for the Fan Favorite Award will take place from 9:00am-2:00pm. Visit the event table at Center Court to cast your vote!

YVCHR is aiming for a record-setting event by activating 24 teams and collecting over 25,000 pounds of shelf-stable food for the Virginia Peninsula Foodbank. But wait--it gets better! Smithfield Foods has generously offered to match our total donation pound-for-pound with a protein donation! This means more of our neighbors will enjoy a complete meal as a result of this year's Canstructure Competition!

Want to be part of this monumental effort as an event sponsor? Contact Anne Bibee at development@yvchr.org.

Join the international network of YVC alumni and connect with other professionals and community leaders while representing Hampton Roads!

Announcing YVCHR's 1st-Annual PicklebALLSTARS Tournament



Mark your calendars and register today!

Upcoming Service Projects

• Click the project links below or visit our Project Calendar for more information about each service opportunity. Some projects have special requirements or considerations, so please read carefully.
• Log in to your YDAT account to sign up for project(s)! Volunteer spots go fast, so be sure to reserve yours ASAP.
• Be sure you can commit and have transportation to the project(s) for which you are registered.
• Ensure you receive timely informational emails by adding programdirector@yvchr.org to your contact safelist. To avoid having our emails go to junk/spam, click here for Safelist directions!

You can see our youth volunteers in action by following us

on Facebook and Instagram!

Ready to register for a service project? Follow the steps below. If you do NOT receive a confirmation email after registering, please contact programdirector@yvchr.org.

Step 1. Visit https://ydat.org/site/HamptonRoads

Step 2. Log in with your existing credentials -OR- create a new account.

Step 3. Access your YDAT account and explore list of service projects.

Step 4. Register for a project by clicking the word "ADD" next to your project(s) of choice. Then scroll to the bottom and click the other "NEXT" button. You can register for multiple projects at once.

Step 5. You'll be directed to a screen with details for the project(s) you selected. Be sure to read all project information carefully and then click "SIGN UP." A confirmation message will appear, and you'll also receive an email confirming your registration to the email address associated with your YDAT account.

MLC 5K Fun Run

(Virginia Beach)

Saturday, May 3rd

10:00am-1:00pm

Earth Day @ Saunders Butterfly Garden

(Peninsula)

Saturday, April 19th

12:00pm-3:00pm

Earth Day: Lynnhaven River NOW Cleanup

(Southside - TBD)

Saturday, April 19th

9:00am-11:00am

Measuring & Cleaning Oyster Gardens

(North Suffolk)

Saturday, May 3rd

11:00am-2:00pm

Lynnhaven River NOW Clean-up

(Southside - TBD)

Saturday, May 10th

9:00am-11:00am

Soundscapes

(Peninsula)

Thursday, May 22nd

10:00am-12:00pm

Crafts with Kids at Parent Cafe

(Chesapeake)

Thursday, May 15th

6:00am-8:00pm

Youth Leadership Conference: REGISTRATION OPEN!

Click image below for more information.

Scholarship Opportunities!

Applications for the Don and Jean Sloan Scholarship are currently being accepted. Seniors in high school are invited to apply; deadline is April 30th. The $1,000 scholarship is open to active YVC volunteers who have demonstrated excellence in volunteerism and leadership and are committed to making a difference in their communities.

The Junior League of Hampton Roads (JLHR) is now accepting applications for the 2025 Volunteer Scholarship. This scholarship, ranging from $500 to $3,000+, is awarded to outstanding young women who have demonstrated exceptional volunteer service in the community. To be eligible, applicants must:

• Be a graduating female senior with a minimum 3.0 GPA
• Attend a high school in Hampton, Newport News, York County, Williamsburg-James City County, Poquoson, Smithfield, Isle of Wight, or Gloucester
• Be enrolled at least half-time in an eligible post-secondary institution for Fall 2025
• Have engaged in community volunteer work separate from school requirements

Deadline: Wednesday, April 30, 2025, at 11:59 PM.

Applications can be submitted via email to vpcommunity@jlhamptonroads.org.

Scholarship recipients will be notified by May 15, 2025, and recognized at the JLHR Annual May Dinner on May 14, 2025.

We need your plastic!

YVCHR is collecting plastic bags, bubble wrap and other plastic packaging material to meet our goal of 1,000 pounds by June 2025. You can drop off your bundles of plastic to our office and/or create your own drop-off site by picking up a recycling container from YVCHR.

Be sure all donations are clean, dry and free of residue. Please refer to the adjacent graphic for a list of acceptable plastic.

For more details, contact programdirector@yvchr.org!

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