Across Virginia, volunteerism has long been a quiet engine powering community resilience. In this current moment, as individuals work to meet new community engagement requirements created by HR1 and thousands face losing health insurance, increasing pressure is placed on already strained social safety net programs and the need for that “engine” becomes more critical than ever before.

A new tool, the Serve Virginia Volunteer Hub, offers a streamlined way for individuals to meet new HR1 community engagement requirements while helping social safety net programs meet the anticipated rising need. At the same time, the Hub strengthens capacity for community organizations by providing a no-cost, easy-to-use platform that expands their ability to recruit, organize, and track any and all community volunteers. By bringing these needs together in one unified tool, Virginia is taking an important step toward a more coordinated, accessible, and resilient system of service.

Opportunities to Learn More

Interested in recruiting local volunteers? Would organizations in your region benefit from this free tool? Serve Virginia is hosting two upcoming webinars open to funders, nonprofits, and community partners interested in learning more about the Hub and how it can support their work:

Introducing the Serve Virginia Volunteer Hub: Your Gateway to Mobilizing Volunteers

August 6 | 3 – 4:00 PM | Click here to register. 

August 18 | 10 – 11:00 AM | Click here to register.

What is the Serve Virginia Volunteer Hub? 

The Serve Virginia Volunteer Hub is a digital platform designed to connect Virginians with meaningful, verified volunteer opportunities and support organizations in managing their programs—all in one place.

Any individual or group can search the platform to find local volunteer opportunities, utilizing filters for variables like accessibility or social cause to find meaningful service. Volunteers can create a free account and sign up directly on the Hub to make volunteering easier than ever before. Hours logged from signed up opportunities or directly logged by the volunteer are presented in a “volunteer resume”, making reporting verified volunteer hours simple for both the individual and organization.

This free tool also helps community organizations build capacity for volunteer recruitment, management, and reporting. For organizations already posting volunteer opportunities online, the Hub offers integration, not duplication. Existing volunteer platforms across Virginia smoothly feed into the new system, ensuring that a single search can reveal a full landscape of opportunities statewide.

For communities without an existing volunteer center or platform, the Hub becomes an immediate, no-cost solution. Local nonprofits, community groups, and public agencies can create free accounts, post service opportunities, manage volunteer communications, track volunteer hours, and organize volunteers through a user-friendly platform built for the complexities of real-world volunteer work. It’s a capacity-building tool without the price tag, and an easy way for rural or under-resourced communities to gain access to infrastructure that many have gone without.

A Reliable Pathway for Individuals Navigating New Requirements

For Virginians navigating community engagement requirements connected to HR1, including SNAP or Medicaid participants, the Hub provides something essential: clarity.

With verified opportunities, simple sign-ups, and built‑in hour tracking, individuals can find activities that meet program expectations and maintain a reliable “volunteer resume” accessible from any device. Serve Virginia is working closely with partners at VDSS and DMAS to integrate systems so that hours logged in the Hub can be made accessible to case workers reviewing eligibility. This means fewer barriers, less confusion, and a more supportive experience for participants and staff alike.

Whether someone needs hours for school, court-mandated service, employment programs, or simply wants to give back, the Hub creates a clear and convenient starting point.

A Capacity Boost for Communities

Funders know that building local capacity is essential, and see organizations leverage the value of volunteers everyday. The Hub offers a new way to strengthen communities without increasing grant budgets while using an idea familiar to many: engaging volunteers more efficiently and effectively to both improve health and wellbeing of community members while building support and resources for local initiatives.

Serve Virginia is already partnering with several members of the Virginia Funders Network across the state, including the Community Foundation for a Greater Richmond, the River Counties Community Foundation, the PATH Foundation, the Center for Nonprofit Excellence, and the Community Foundation of the Rappahannock River Region. There is growing interest in how funders can help share the Hub with nonprofit partners or even explore region-specific engagement strategies.