Carina May believes in giving back to her community and that belief is summed up in one simple statement: “Don’t live in a bubble.”
Carina grew up in Alexandria and first became involved in volunteering with local community groups during her youth. Volunteering, she admits, took a backseat while a Merchandising Management major at Virginia Tech and during her early career in retail buying. Doing some soul searching, Carina knew she wanted to stay close to home and be part of her community. She turned to the field of communications and founded C. May & Associates, a digital marketing and strategic communications firm, in the heart of Alexandria.
After some years of focusing on work, Carina began to feel that familiar yearning to give back to her community. This led her to Volunteer Fairfax in 2012. She became an active member of Volunteers for Change, the service program specially designed for busy, busy adults like Carina. Through VFC, Carina became part of the volunteer staff at Shelter House which combined her love of service with a love for children. She worked with a team to host weekly Kids Nights providing activities for children whose families were going through challenging times. Her support helped to ease some of the burden for the families. One of the little girls drew Carina a picture which still has special meaning for Carina today.
True to her spirit for civic engagement, Carina has taken volunteering to a leadership level by becoming a Community Ambassador for Volunteer Fairfax. As such, she represents Volunteer Fairfax at community events to promote volunteering. Additionally, Carina is committed to other community initiatives. She is co-founder of Sweethearts and Patriots, an annual gala benefiting local veterans organizations. She also holds a Young Ambassadors Council position with The Children’s Inn at the National Institutes of Health.
Carina feels strongly that “Volunteering can widen your horizons and expose you to experiences you might not otherwise have in your everyday life. Helping others takes the focus off yourself and it’s great to see your efforts benefit the local community.”
In 2013, Carina earned the President’s Volunteer Service Award Bronze Level in recognition for having served over 100 hours in the calendar year.
Volunteer Fairfax salutes Carina May for her service. She has a full life with her business, friends and family and yet finds time to “not live in a bubble” not only finding time for involvement with the Community Ambassador Program and Volunteers for Change, but also with several other community initiatives. You go, Carina! We can’t wait to see what else you accomplish for volunteering and our community.
Would you be interested in serving the community in a leadership capacity as a Community Ambassador for Volunteer Fairfax? Please contact Rob Paine.