Volunteer Stories

CIOs overcome distance learning limitations to maintain a sense of community

CIOs overcome distance learning limitations to maintain a sense of community

The strong community that exists among the University’s students would be nothing without the support of the broader Charlottesville community. For that reason, Madison House directors and student volunteers have remained dedicated to serving the people of Charlottesville and supporting them through the most difficult times of the pandemic. Although Madison House’s volunteer services will function very differently than in previous years, many efforts will continue virtually in order to strengthen the Charlottesville community.

“Our programs will focus almost exclusively on virtual volunteering,” said Rose Cole, Madison House director of community engagement, in an email to The Cavalier Daily. “There will be some exceptions made for in-person volunteering based on community needs — focused only on medical services, food insecurity and food justice and support for essential workers — but we can’t begin in-person volunteering until we know how safe it will be.”

UVA medical students create 'Quarantine Trivia'

UVA medical students create 'Quarantine Trivia'

"We have players all over Virginia, all over the East Coast, in New York and Boston," he said. "We have people out on the West Coast, in Oregon and California and one player from England, so it has really kind of become a big thing."

Not only is the game bringing together family and friends but it also benefiting Charlottesville-area charities like Loaves and Fishes Food Pantry, Madison House and the Legal Aid Justice Center.

"There's so many great organizations already established in Charlottesville, we thought we could help them along and all those donations would go to a big cause," said White.

FROM LOUISA TO LESOTHO TO MADAGASCAR, SERVICE TOPS COMFORT FOR ALUMNA

FROM LOUISA TO LESOTHO TO MADAGASCAR, SERVICE TOPS COMFORT FOR ALUMNA

As a first-year student, Loyd got involved with Madison House almost immediately.

“It helped me connect to the community in Charlottesville and have some perspective on my own privilege and feel more like a community member,” she said. “I was not that comfortable in the social scene, in the sorority and fraternity scene. I felt a little bit like fish out of water. … I was a little overwhelmed.

“And so Madison House was a nice way for me to find my people and way of being.”

Once a week, Loyd made a 40-minute drive to Louisa with a fellow volunteer to tutor the teenager.

“I remember being really challenged by her in ways that were important for me to face,” said Loyd, who lost touch with the teen after college. “She would just stand up for herself a lot, kind of like, ‘I don’t want to do that and you have no idea how hard my life is.’