Virginia Lottery employees spend April giving back across the Commonwealth
RICHMOND, VA — Virginia Lottery employees traded tickets and terminals for blankets, food boxes, cleanup projects and construction tools during a month-long volunteer push that stretched across communities statewide.
Lottery officials announced that employees volunteered with 16 organizations throughout April as part of Global Volunteer Month, contributing hundreds of hours to projects supporting schools, food banks, cancer patients, animal shelters and neighborhood improvement efforts.
According to the Virginia Lottery, 128 employees from its 423-person workforce participated in volunteer events, contributing more than 349 hours of service.
“The Lottery has a strong commitment to encouraging employees to help their communities across Virginia,” Virginia Lottery Executive Director Khalid Jones said in a statement.
The agency’s Lottery Outreach program provides employees with 24 hours of paid volunteer time annually to support charitable and community organizations.
Among the projects completed during April were blanket-making sessions for Jill’s Blankets, an organization that provides blankets to cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy treatments.
Employees also participated in homebuilding projects with Habitat for Humanity in Richmond and volunteered with school mentorship and educational programs across Virginia.
Food insecurity efforts were another major focus, with Lottery staff helping package and sort meals through multiple food banks, including Feed More, Chesterfield Food Bank Outreach Center, Feeding Southwest Virginia, Northern Virginia Food Rescue and the Virginia Peninsula Food Bank.
Workers also assisted with beautification and cleanup efforts at parks and community centers, while others volunteered with animal care and shelter cleanup projects at SPCA facilities in Richmond and Fredericksburg.
“The Virginia Lottery is regularly named a top workplace, and our culture of outreach and volunteerism is a big reason,” Jones said.
The Virginia Lottery noted that all profits generated by the agency support K-12 education across the state.
In fiscal year 2025, the Lottery contributed more than $901 million toward Virginia public education funding, representing about 10 percent of the state’s total K-12 school budget.
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Key Points
• Virginia Lottery employees volunteered more than 349 hours in April
• Workers supported food banks, schools, shelters and cancer patients
• Lottery says profits continue funding K-12 education statewide