Christina Lipin, Program Manager for the Virginia Veterans Corps (VVC), an AmeriCorps Program, improves lives, strengthens communities, and fosters civic engagement through her service and efforts. Her hard work fortifies management operations and sustains a capable, responsive, and accountable organization with the goal of overcoming the barriers and obstacles faced by transitioning military service members, Veterans, and their families living in the Greater Hampton Roads area.

The Virginia Wounded Warrior Program (VWWP) serves Veterans of all eras through an extensive network of local, federal, and state partnerships by monitoring and coordinating behavioral health, rehabilitative services, and support. VVC is an initiative of the VWWP. It is a decentralized program comprising of seven community organizations and 20 members. Locations of service are apart, but the effort is aligned to the greater mission of VWWP. VVC is managerially complex but Christina has done a tremendous job of pulling all 20 members and seven community organizations together and building the synergy to make a difference.

Christina’s leadership and ability to encourage innovative approaches to solving problems impacts the wellness of Veterans and Military Families in a multitude of ways, including:

• The VVC has increased the number of Veterans and their families who take advantage of the federal, state and local benefits available to them by 851. 102 Veterans and their families were referred to and assisted by the VWWP Resource Specialists. 510 volunteers have been recruited by the VVC Members resulting in over 1800 hours of community service. VVC Members themselves have provided over 7,300 community service hours. Without Christina’s direction and oversight none of this would have happened.

• Christina’s ability to partner with other organizations and create a single force is remarkable. Without waiver her effort have increased the wellbeing of Veterans and their families, illustrated by the following Service Projects:

• “Bread Run”: a community program that distributes bread products to those in need.
  
• “Operation Hero:” serves families by attending military homecomings and predeployment events and directing service members and their families to needed resources.
• "Honor Flight:" presentations to middle school students discussing the plight of WWII Veterans and encourages volunteerism by explaining how the children can help their communities and improve their futures.
• “The Workshop for Children of Military Families”: focuses on deployment and reintegration of service members and the effect it has on children.
• “Adopt a Family:” helped 124 families (adopted 275 adults, 408 children).
• “Operation Give Back:” provided 1002 toys and 220 holiday stockings to military children and 100 toys to the Naval Medical Center Portsmouth children's ward. Additionally this effort provided over 900 Thanksgiving dinners to military families.

Christina Lipin has created a program that directly impacts the wellness of the Veterans and their families and clearly demonstrates innovative programming and/or best practices. Her cunning ability to create decentralized events across several different sites while maintaining a direct link to a single mission or goal has set her apart from her peers and truly deserves this recognition.