The Virginia Commission of National and Community Service praised Madison House, the University's volunteer center, by awarding it one of 11 Governor's Community Service and Volunteerism Awards.
Madison House won the outstanding Youth Group Award category Friday at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in Richmond.
Ida Lee Wooten of University News Services nominated Madison House for the honor, citing its dedication to Charlottesville and the surrounding Albemarle County community.
"For me and about 7,000 other parents in the Charlottesville area, Madison House volunteers have been cherished and much appreciated tutors, coaches and friends to our children," Wooten said in her speech at the award ceremony.
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The award commended Madison House's programs targeted to local youth, including the Athletics Program, in which students serve as referees and assistant coaches for children's teams, and the Big Sibling Program, which pairs youth with students who serve as role models.
The committee also recognized Madison House's Sci-Tech Mentoring and Tutoring, Boosters, Hoos Out There and Migrant Education Homework Helpers Programs, Madison House Executive Director Cindy Fredrick said.
Kevin Whelan, a fourth-year College student and co-chairman of the Madison House board of directors, accepted the award on behalf of the organization.
"The greatest thing [about the award] is that it serves as a reminder to the University to what an excellent institution Madison House is, not only for the community in general, but for the University as well," Whelan said.
Although Madison House has been nominated three times in the last 15 years, this is its first win, Fredrick said. "It's really a great thing," she said.
Of the more than 3,000 volunteers contributing about 100,000 total hours of service per year, Madison House's youth-oriented programs involve around 1,500 students volunteering over 47,000 hours per year, Fredrick said.
The award "recognizes the invaluable talents of University students as a group committed to community service. I think it's great that the state recognized the students' dedication," she said.
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