As team member Michele Curtis approached her 60th birthday, she found herself thinking about what the next years hold for her and what life after retirement might look like. As a person who likes to stay busy and has always enjoyed giving back, she decided to get more involved with the organizations she believes in and supports.

A couple of causes are especially near and dear to Michele’s heart: she supports the National Brain Tumor Society by fundraising and walking at their annual Race for Hope event in Washington, DC, to honor her late friend. Michele also participates in Wreaths Across America, placing wreaths at Quantico at Christmastime, where her parents, a close friend, and many friends’ parents have been laid to rest.

Thalia Lynn Baptist Church

Michele is very active in her church, Thalia Lynn Baptist, where she volunteers in the nursery whenever possible. Her women’s group, Women on Mission, supports local domestic violence shelters and a crisis pregnancy center. She does several other initiatives, such as packing backpacks for children at back-to-school time, sponsoring families at Christmas, a Valentine’s dance for special needs children, and feeding people experiencing homelessness.

Porche Club 

Michele and her husband are members of Porche Club of America, which supports a number of causes in the region, including Horizons Hampton Roads, Samaritan House, CHKD, VetDogs, and Habitat for Humanity. They also host annual events such as “Turkeys in the Trunk” and an air and auto show in which they collect food and funds for local food banks.

Roc Solid Foundation

Michele also wanted to find new opportunities to help people. She was introduced to the Roc Solid Foundation by team member D. Carpenter, our 2022 Core Community Challenge Champion. Michele joined D. at a “Warehouse Wednesday” event and quickly became more involved with the organization, which helps families battling pediatric cancer. Since then, Michele has participated in a Roc Solid playset build, volunteered at “A Night for the Fight,” their annual fundraising gala, and several more Warehouse Wednesdays.

The Core Community Challenge

In addition to CORE’s Volunteer Time Off (VTO) benefit, team members can participate in the Core Community Challenge and earn grants for their chosen philanthropies.

In the fourth year of our corporate volunteerism program, more than 60% of our team participated and collectively served more than 470 hours. Through the program, Michele earned a grant based on her volunteer hours, which she donated to Roc Solid Foundation. Other team members earned various grants also donated to Roc Solid and The Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughters (CHKD).

We asked Michele what the Core Community Challenge has meant to her this year: “It’s nice to be recognized for what we are doing to help our community, and it’s very encouraging to work for an organization that will give to the causes that are important to us.”

Congratulations, Michele, and thank you for your service to our vibrant local community!