Youth Volunteer Corps of Hampton Roads

11/03/2026

Some service meets a need with your hands. Some meets it with your heart. On this Election day, our volunteers did both.

Today YVCHR youth volunteers took on two projects. At Warwick Forest’s Lifelong Health & Rehabilitation, they played Bingo with residents and brought smiles, conversation, and companionship. At Peninsula Rescue Mission, they counted and sorted heavy boxes of donated Thanksgiving food to help neighbors enjoy the holiday.

One project was about connection. The other was using muscle to complete a big task. It was such a big task all hands were on deck which meant that only one picture got taken at the beginning! Both made a real difference.

Thank you, volunteers, for showing up and serving in every way our community needs.

10/27/2026

A beautiful fall day, hardworking youth, and a community coming together! 🍂 Today, seven students from Heritage High activated their hearts and hands for service at the Virginia Peninsula Foodbank's mobile food distribution drive-thru event at Gethsemane Baptist Church, helping provide food to 150 households in our community.

Beyond the meaningful work of uplifting our neighbors, students took part in a reflection activity to connect their service experience to the workplace readiness skills they’re building along the way. From teamwork and communication to logistics coordination, work ethic and stamina (physical/mental), problem-solving, quality control (accuracy), positive attitudes, and integrity, youth saw firsthand how volunteering helps prepare them for success in the workplace and beyond. At YVCHR, we know that when young people show up to serve, they’re not just making a difference today—they’re building skills that will last a lifetime! 💪❤️

We love partnering with and are grateful for the opportunity to support initiatives throughout the year. Every student brings valuable insights and energy to these service-learning experiences... while supporting the important work of local nonprofit organizations!

Youth Volunteer Corps

10/26/2026

Eight young ladies from Heritage High joined the volunteer team at SAME - So All May Eat today, enthusiastically serving 172 guests with big smiles, lots of heart and a little Halloween fun. 🎃 These students prepped food, assembled “cold packs” and birthday bags, set up dessert trays and counted out bags in preparation for a record-setting number of our neighbors to come for lunch.

While they may have accomplished a lot behind the scenes, it was when the guests arrived that our youth volunteers really shined. ✨ They were attentive, caring, conversational, energetic, and focused on filling the room with positive energy . The result? An overwhelming sense of community—cultivated through many years of dedicated service by the S.A.M.E. team and embraced by this next generation of engaged, compassionate citizens.

Kudos to all for creating a space where our neighbors feel cared for, seen, and valued.

Experiences like today are how we break down barriers. Erase assumptions. Spark hope. Create community. ❤️💛🧡

Youth Volunteer Corps
Newport News Public Schools
NNPS Youth Development

10/25/2026

Love you can taste! This weekend our youth teamed up with lasagnalove to bring comfort to families right here in Portsmouth.

On Saturday, volunteers rolled up their sleeves to assemble and bake FIVE homemade lasagnas from scratch. On Sunday, another crew hit the road and delivered those lasagnas to NINE families across our community.

Every layer was made with care, and every delivery was a reminder that our youth show their love through service. Thank you to everyone who cooked, carried, and connected this weekend!

10/22/2026

Big things are coming to WJCC schools! Thanks to Williamsburg Community Foundation, YVC is launching new school-based service clubs this year. Students will plan and lead hands-on projects with local nonprofits, gaining real-world skills while strengthening the Historic Triangle.

Behind this big check are 34 local nonprofits doing important work across Williamsburg, James City County, and York County!

At Tuesday's fall grants luncheon, we awarded more than $152,000 to support their work.

We’re grateful for the nonprofit leaders who make a difference every day, the donors who make these grants possible, and TowneBank for sponsoring the luncheon.

10/21/2026

🌟 Meet our 2026–27 Service Through STEAM near-peer mentors! 🌟

Representing An Achievable Dream, Denbigh, Heritage, Menchville, Warwick, and Woodside High Schools, these incredible teens are heading into 5th-grade classrooms across Newport News Public Schools to lead hands-on STEAM challenges throughout the year. 🔬🎨🔧

They’ll be building, testing, problem-solving, and (sometimes) failing forward right alongside their younger teammates, showing 5th graders that science, tech, engineering, art, and math are for everyone. And they’re proving that you don’t have to wait until you’re grown up to make a difference in your community. 💙

Swipe through to meet the crew 👉 and help us give them a huge shoutout in the comments! 👏

A big thank-you to our Newport News Public Schools teachers and partners for opening their classrooms to this amazing team.

10/19/2026

Great project day!

10/12/2026

Sign up today! Be a difference maker!

Are you ready to make a difference in the world? We have some amazing service opportunities calling your name and in need of your unique gifts and talents. The link to find our more is in our bio. Don't wait, sign up today to start a journey that will make a real impact!

10/11/2026

This time last week, YVCHR was in New Orleans for the 2026 YVC Summit! It was an amazing opportunity to join other YVC affiliates from across the globe to learn and serve together in the heart of the city.

The YVCHR team led an impactful “Price of a Pot” simulation which allowed youth to experience budget constraints, family responsibilities, and unexpected life events…all while cooking pots of hearty stew! The food was then donated to free pantries in NOLA - and locals facing hard times were eager to have a home-cooked option! It was eye-opening for many of the youth to realize that hard-working people can be one “unexpected event” away from struggling to pay bills and feed their families.❤️‍🩹

YVCHR also facilitated a communal art project, with participants each painting a tile to reflect a meaningful service experience or a contribution that they’ve made to their community. We are eager to see this Mural Mosaic come to life in 2027! 🎨

The awards banquet was an incredible way to recognize the efforts and dedication of the youth, program leaders and affiliates! Kudos to our 100-in-1 Awardees and to Kiley Jensen for being recognized with the Innovation Award for her innovative service-learning lessons! We are so proud of the entire YVCHR team and grateful for the year-round energy and passion they invest into our Hampton Roads youth! ❤️🧡💛

Our hearts are happy. Our minds are inspired. And our bellies are full of beignets.😋

Youth Volunteer Corps

09/27/2026

A little service project spotlight from our Walk for Compassion! ⭐️❤️

Our YVCHR youth showed just how much can be accomplished when creativity meets a heart for service. From recycled T-shirt bags and calming keychains to SPCA enrichment items and handwritten notes for first responders, each project was created with a purpose and a person—or pup!—in mind. 🐾💌

By the end of the day, our volunteers had completed 264 projects to give back to our community. That’s 264 reminders that you’re never too young to make an impact. 💛