Claude Moore
Community Builders

The Claude Moore Community Builders (CMCB) program has been connecting Loudoun County teens with meaningful volunteer opportunities at local non-profit organizations since 2007. CMCB participants (a.k.a “Builders”) are matched with non-profits where they serve as volunteer interns. Builders also participate in group service activities where they provide support to organizations holding special events, such as the YMCA’s 5k/20k race, the annual Chocolates Galore & More fundraiser, and tournaments sponsored by the Special Olympics. Builders are also required to attend CMCB training sessions where they learn professional skills they will use throughout their lives. Topics that may be covered during these trainings include communication, leadership, collaboration, and business etiquette.

Thanks to the generous support of the Claude Moore Charitable Foundation, the CMCB program is free for all participants. Applicants to this widely recognized, teen volunteer and leadership program must be Loudoun County residents of high school age.

CMCB Allows You To

Gain real-world experience while serving your community.

Build relationships with non-profit leaders and peers across Loudoun. Carry with you skills that will last a lifetime.

Earn the Presidential Volunteer Service Award if you volunteer 100 hours or more during the program.

Learn the importance of public service.

Develop leadership skills that will be attractive to colleges and employers.

How CMCB Works

Learn the importance of public service

Runs annually from June through March

Participants

Are matched with non-profits where they commit to serve a specific number of hours based on the needs of the organizations,
volunteer at special events with other program participants, and
attend trainings where they learn valuable leadership skills such as communication, team-building, and business etiquette.

Impact of Covid-19 on Program

Due to the global pandemic, the CMCB program was on hiatus during what would have been the 2020-2021 program year. Loudoun Youth is determined to bring CMCB back for the 2021-2022 season but since Covid-19 is still impacting our community, this year’s program will be different. In the past, Builders were required to attend an in-person orientation and an overnight retreat before they began their volunteer service. Those events will not happen this year.

To ensure the success of this year’s program, our Builders will need to be flexible and understand that we cannot predict exactly how the pandemic will impact our program. In the past, Builders were required to perform 100 hours of service, consisting of 50 hours at their internships, 30 hours at group volunteer activities, and 20 hours of CMCB training. We don’t know whether it will be possible for our Builders to meet these hourly requirements this year so instead of calling them “requirements”, we will refer to them as “goals” for the 2021-2022 program. If sufficient opportunities to reach these goals are available, we expect our Builders to achieve them.

The only thing we can guarantee about this year’s CMCB program is that we will do our best to revive it to the fullest extent possible. We are in the process of contacting non-profit organizations throughout the county to inquire about possible volunteer opportunities and we anticipate that as Covid-19 conditions improve, more opportunities will become available.

If you are a Loudoun County resident of high school age, we encourage you to apply for the 2021-2022 Claude Moore Community Builders program!

Questions? Contact Jill Weiss, CMCB Program Director at jweiss@loudounyouth.org