On Friday, January 20, Trinity’s Bob Argabright was honored by House Joint Resolution No. 662 presented to the General Assembly.
The text of the resolution reads as follows:
WHEREAS, for more than a decade, Robert S. Argabright II has served as a trusted mentor to the students of Oak Grove-Bellemeade Elementary School through his dedicated volunteer work with the Micah Initiative; and
WHEREAS, desirous to be of service to their fellow Richmond residents, Robert “Bob” S. Argabright II, a retired executive with the Chesapeake Corporation, and other members of Trinity United Methodist Church began volunteering through the Micah Initiative; and
WHEREAS, the Micah Initiative connects church congregations and public schools in Richmond, creating opportunities for members of the community to enrich the lives of students through tutoring, mentoring, or other volunteer work; and
WHEREAS, Bob Argabright began his work with the Micah Initiative by reading to elementary school students, and he now volunteers at Oak Grove-Bellemeade Elementary School for 30 to 40 hours each week; and
WHEREAS, Bob Argabright coordinates with the principal and faculty of Oak Grove-Bellemeade Elementary School to ensure that the school’s needs are met, and he has inspired other members of the community to volunteer their time in similar ways; and
WHEREAS, in addition to organizing athletic events and field trips, Bob Argabright helped create and maintains a butterfly garden at Oak Grove-Bellemeade Elementary School, giving students a peaceful place to enjoy and appreciate nature; and
WHEREAS, Bob Argabright has also worked to ensure that students arrive at school safely each day, holding a bicycle drive that provided bicycles to 200 students and advocating for a safe corridor for children who walk to school; and
WHEREAS, in 2016, Bob Argabright supported the creation of the Oak Grove-Bellemeade Elementary School Green Team; the team worked with Virginia Commonwealth University students and Groundwork RVA, a youth leadership organization, to learn multiple aspects of filmmaking and produce a short film on successful members of the community; and
WHEREAS, the Oak Grove-Bellemeade Elementary School Green Team has also worked on board games addressing issues like food deserts, stereotyping, and the environment, and it plans to establish a recycling program and a community garden or urban farm to help make the community greener and cleaner; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend Robert S. Argabright II for his dedicated service to the students of Oak Grove-Bellemeade Elementary School; and, be it
RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Robert S. Argabright II as an expression of the General Assembly’s admiration for his devotion to supporting students in Richmond.
Bob has worked on behalf of Trinity’s “Trinity in Richmond” ministry, especially with his work with the community of Oak Grove – Bellemeade School, including the systems which that community involves. We congratulate Bob on this recognition for his self-less servant leadership on Trinity’s behalf.