Happy Valentine's Day from HandsOn Network. To kick off your Valentine's Day weekend, we'd like to share a volunteer love story for you to enjoy.

Jennie Reed graduated from college in 2006 and moved to Richmond to begin her professional life. Soon she became discouraged because she wasn't meeting many young people. She found HandsOn Greater Richmond on Craig's List and was drawn to the one-time service opportunities it offered in the city. She began volunteering for HandsOn Greater Richmond, and her second activity was working at a tent for the National Folk Festival in Richmond. A young man named Chris was drawn to the event by the combination of music, art and culture, so he decided to volunteer for it through HandsOn Greater Richmond as well. After Jennie and Chris had a great time volunteering together that afternoon, they decided to take in the festival together. Their first official date was a week later.


Today Chris and Jennie are both team leaders with HandsOn Greater Richmond. Jennie enjoys leading and volunteering for projects that alleviate hunger and homelessness, while Chris gravitates toward service projects related to art and children. However, Chris and Jennie usually find common ground by volunteering for special events, which often serve as a date night for the couple because they dress up and mingle with others while enjoying a night on the town!

Chris now recommends volunteering to his single friends who are looking to meet a significant other. Chris and Jennie have been dating for more than three years, and they celebrate their anniversary every fall by volunteering at the National Folk Festival in Richmond!