It’s Our Birthday!

It’s our Birthday and today we turn 1 year old! We wanted to share some reflections with you to celebrate. Happy Birthday VA BLOC!

From Marcia: It is my absolute pleasure to be the director of such an awesome team. Everyday, I see you. I see you giving your all, creating, building, exploring, empowering, and so much more. I see your drive, I see your hopes, but mostly I see your love. Our community is better because of you.

This year has been quite the adventure. From our intense voter work for multiple elections, to working with the youth in our community, to advocating for policy changes on the local, state, and federal levels – we have packed in a lot in 12 months. But we know the work is just beginning.

Thank you for all you do.

We could not do our work without amazing volunteers and partners in the community. Thank you to our friends who make our work fun and impactful!

Also, thank you to those who were with us 12 months ago to help establish a foundation on which we could build. We appreciate you.

Alex, Cameron, Darius, and Melissa – here’s to another year of growth, learning, teaching, development, progress, faithfulness, hard work, dedication, passion, and empowerment!

Help us get the word out. We offer fun and engaging voter education sessions, leadership development workshops and camps for youth and adults, and we help you learn how to advocate for issues that are important to you! We are looking for more volunteers and partners in our endeavors. Join us today at www.tinyurl.com/VABLOC – we meet you where you are in the process of civic engagement!

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From Cameron:
“Working with VA BLOC has truly been a labor of love. I count it an honor and a privilege to be able to be back in my hometown (home-region) and serving my community. I am indescribably grateful to be able to use my talents and gifts to help lay a strong foundation for our organization specifically and our community at large. Every day at “work” I get to do my part to help make this world just a little bit better and work with a team who shares my passion and dedication. The work is grueling and can weigh heavy on my soul, because I care so deeply, but I know this is where I need to be and what I need to be doing right now. From helping people register to vote and apply for rights restoration, to legislative advocacy and our summer reading book drive, I am in awe of what we’ve been able to accomplish and thankful to our supporters and members for their role in making this possible. I especially want to highlight the dedicated Education Advocates who continue to blow me away with their ideas and thoughtfulness in serving our students and schools! When I think back on this past year, my heart smiles. I look forward to what this next year will bring!”

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From Melissa:
“Working with VA BLOC has helped me be able to get involved in my community and really make a difference. In my short time with this organization I have learned more about the legislative process while also being able to share what I have learned with my community.”

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From Darius:

“Working for VA BLOC has been a true eye opener. In this experience I have been exposed to a deep, intimate world of politics. The decision making power that few are given to represent the masses amazes me. I now find myself in the center of the community, elected officials, and policies. In this center, excitement, optimism, and hopefulness fuels my day to day efforts as I strive to connect the three. I find great passion in bringing people together, educating people, and inspiring people for a greater tomorrow. I now have great knowledge of how much change needs to take palce. This experience has given me great admiration for the leaders in this community, state, and nation. Through this experience with VA BLOC I now know that my role in creating change is to serve as a liaison between the elected officials and the community, connecting them by my creative, outside the box thinking. Despite many failures, rejections, and oppositions I’ve gained so much strength to continue being a conduit for change.”

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From Alex:

“I am a firm believer that nothing happens by chance. Working for VA-BLOC has been a true testament to that. If you had asked me 5 years ago if this is what I would be doing, I would not have guessed it, but life has taken me into this pathway and with my reflection over the past year, I could not see myself anywhere else. VA-BLOC has pushed me out of my comfort zone and truly allowed me to grow in so many ways. I absolutely love that my job is to be creative, think outside of the box, and most important, help and educate others. I also get to work with an amazing team who continue to push and assist in my growth on a daily basis and I am beyond thankful for that! My heart and love for helping others has guided me here and I am exactly where I need to be! Here is to 1 year down, and many many more to go!! Happy 1 year VA-BLOC!!!”