Senior Corps RSVP Volunteer of the Year
Francine Nelson, Volunteer Prince William, Manassas
Francine Nelson, a retired educator, has dedicated her time and talents teaching fourth grade students in Prince William County the skills they need to handle being at home alone at the end of the school day. The ‘Safe at Home Safe Alone” program is a partnership between Volunteer Prince William, Virginia Cooperative Extension, Virginia Tech, Virginia State University, American Red Cross and Prince William County Sheriff’s Office. Ms. Nelson’s participation in the program has reached more than 1,700 students, many of whom attend Title I schools. Her calm demeanor and steady, step-bystep guidance has done much to instill students’ faith in themselves and make them feel better able to handle the challenges of being home alone. Ms. Nelson clearly loves what she does and is one of those individuals who was born to teach and work with children and youth. The success of “Safe at Home Safe Alone” is due in large part to her ongoing support and expertise.