Citizen Information and Resources
April 29, 2022
CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, VA — Six different individuals/groups were recognized by the Chesterfield County Board of Supervisors during its April 27 meeting as being Chesterfield Community Champion winners.
The program, managed by the Department of Citizen Information and Resources, was created in 2020 to honor residents who volunteer their time and resources to effect positive change in their communities.
These awards recognize the impact of volunteer service in the community and celebrates the outstanding residents who are making a difference. Due to the pandemic, this is the first year the Board was able celebrate the Community Champions in person.
Here are the six categories and the corresponding winners:
- Youth: Tanner Ridley-Smith volunteers as a junior historical interpreter at Henricus Historical Park. He is dedicated to paying homage to our Chesterfield ancestors, European, African and especially Native. Thousands of annual visitors and students benefit from the programming offered by Henricus and Tanner is playing a very valuable role in this mission at just twelve years old.
- Teen: Andrea Farag carries the Virginia 4-H brand with pride and is passionate about making the organization one that feels inclusive and welcoming to all youth. Her work has focused on empowerment of teens to create safe spaces to carry out dialogue on several key social justice issues. Farag volunteers at least 20 hours a month to work with numerous local and state committees in addition to an average of 500 hours a year at events such as Virginia 4-H State Cabinet, 4-H State Congress, and Virginia 4-H Teen Summit.
- Adult: Candy Cecil has overseen National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) members' giving to Yeshua's House residents since 2016. Yeshua's House residents are women and children who are recovering from abuse and in financial transition. She supports The Doorways, a nonprofit that provides a home-like room and food at no cost to family members who need to stay close to a loved one in a Richmond hospital and also started one of the first monthly lunch/meal programs there utilizing volunteers from her church. Lastly, Cecil serves on the Board of Richmond Friends of the Homeless as the secretary.
- Senior: Norman Robinson volunteers as a Chesterfield Master Gardener. He devotes his talents and time to selflessly serve our community, his fellow volunteers, and the mission of Master Gardeners. His efforts empowered people to undertake projects that connected Master Gardeners to volunteer opportunities and each other, beautified the county and created an educational space where residents can all live, work and play.
- Group: CARITAS Clothing Closet Crew; Stephanie Krupa, Nancy Malatesta and Mary Beth Modena spend their volunteer hours assisting the participants in the CARITAS Works program. They help prepare the men to enter the workforce with the proper attire which helps the participants exude confidence. These three volunteers have selflessly devoted more than 10 years and more than 1,050 hours each preparing donated professional clothing‑-sizing, steaming and arranging--for the men in the CARITAS Workforce Development Program.
- Organization: New Life United Methodist Church has actively supported and completed 14 senior home service projects over the years 2019-2021, providing labor, material and support for disadvantaged Chesterfield senior citizens. They actively search and provide assistance to senior citizens who are in need. The impact is immeasurable, as each assistance opportunity has had a large impact to the individuals served.