Mrs. Chapman is an excellent and well-deserving candidate for the Service Impact Award. She is a role model for the youth and a inspiration for all of us who work in the service arena.

As her AmeriCorps*VISTA supervisor, it is an honor to nominate DeNeak Chapman for the Service Impact Award. She exemplifies someone who lives out a service-oriented life. 

Based at Queens University of Charlotte, Mrs. Chapman has created and expanded community and student engagement. She has planned, coordinated, and implemented fundraising efforts that have lead to over $7,000 of in-kind contributions for service-learning activities and was instrumental in Queens University of Charlotte's MLK Day.

Through her efforts, student volunteers traveled to New Orleans to assist with cleaning and restoring the wetlands that had been destroyed due to the BP Oil Spill and Hurricane Katrina. DeNeak had 41 students to volunteer their time during their winter holiday vacation to assist in this effort. She did so by securing food donations from Lance and Harris Teeter for snacks for our students and faculty. Working with L.E.A.D (an after-school tutoring program), she coordinated the schedule of 3 volunteers to mentor and tutor students at the YMCA. 

Through her impeccable personal skills she has created and cultivated community partner relationships for student and faculty volunteering opportunities. One such organization, Myers Park Homeowners Association, has agreed to assist with the new community garden DeNeak has helped to establish on the campus of Queens University of Charlotte.  Through this partnership, she hopes to recruit at least 50 volunteers from the community alone.

Prior to coming to NC Campus Compact, Mrs. Chapman was an AmeriCorps member at the American Red Cross. There she prepared and performs disaster preparedness presentations and training. This entailed her recruiting, screening and interviewing volunteers. Also, she assisted with shelter operations and organized blood donations drive.