Written by Jacki Boone, Data Manager

April is National Volunteer Month, and the City of Philadelphia is thanking all volunteers who give the gift of time and service to our communities.

We’re celebrating with a daily volunteer spotlight! Each day on social media, we’re sharing the story of a volunteer or national service member making an impact in Philadelphia.

Learn about our featured volunteers for April 8 – 14 below:

Danelle Connolly
Danelle has served with the American Red Cross for 13 years as a Disaster Action Team responder and disaster mental health worker. She helps people recover following disasters like home fires and hurricanes. In addition to service in Philadelphia, she has deployed across the US at least 10 times to help with disaster operations across the country. Danelle uses her skills as a bilingual psychologist and social worker to help people start over after disasters.

Lynette Valle
Lynette volunteers with Congreso as a certified tax preparer for the VITA and TCE tax assistance and counseling programs. She ensures that individuals have access to programs and services that help to provide a better quality of life. Lynette takes pride in giving back to the community. She goes above and beyond to learn more about the community she serves and resources available to support Congreso’s clients.

Erika Chen
Erika volunteers with Youth Volunteer Corps (YVC) of Greater Philadelphia. She is their most active and consistent volunteer and is a senior leader of the YVC club at her high school. Erika is currently leading a team to build compost bins and recycling containers for a local pollinator garden. Erika also serves on the Youth Advisory Board that guides YVC’s work and represented YVC Philly at an international volunteer summit in Kansas City.


Olivia Stallings
Olivia serves with Joyful Readers as a full-time reading tutor for students at Mastery Smedley Elementary. With Olivia’s help, many of her students had significant growth in their reading skills this year. Olivia has a strong relationship with teachers, students and administrators at Mastery Smedley.


Holly Meng
Holly has been a volunteer with the American Chinese Museum for 4 years. Holly supports the museum’s operations, plans events, trains other volunteers, and increases visibility. She works closely with the museum’s board and staff and collaborates with other organizations. Holly is dedicated to planning events and initiatives that are responsive to challenges facing the Asian American community. Holly has also volunteered with other Philadelphia nonprofits and received the President’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2022.

Lauren Doberstein
Lauren served with City Year Philadelphia as a tutor and mentor during the 2016 – 2017 school year. As a City Year alum, Lauren continues to support the team’s mural work and advocate for national service in her career. She shares her national service experience with the undergraduates she works with, helping City Year increase their reach and inspiring others to consider a year of service.

Kaitlyn Granville
Kaitlyn volunteers for CASA Philadelphia as a Court Appointed Special Advocate. She is passionate about advocating for the children assigned to her and is always eager to learn more to help the children she serves. Kaitlyn’s professionalism, kind heart, and skills as a mediator stand out in challenging situations. She is an asset to the child welfare team working toward family reunification.

Many thanks to these volunteers for your time, dedication, and commitment to service, and to the organizations who shared their volunteers’ stories and impact!

Want to volunteer with any of the organizations featured on this page? Check out their opportunities below:

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to see all of our daily Volunteer Month features!

Search and sign up for a volunteer opportunity today at the Mayor's Volunteer portal.