Nova Johns Honored for 'Unbelievable' Volunteer Efforts

Nova Johns thought her volunteers at should get pizza. So she convinced Domino’s – which was there to sell, not to donate its pies – to join other vendors and give the hard-working volunteers a free meal. 

This is just one more way that Johns, the Riverdale Park Day event planner, considers the small details and keeps the event on track. Johns, 29, coordinates with Ward 5 councilman Raymond Rivas to organize the festivities. 

Rivas has worked with Johns for two years and says she goes out of her way to contribute — whether that’s baking the pies for the event’s pie eating contest, soliciting volunteers and food vendors, or arranging activities. 

“When I get stressed with everything, Nova always says, ‘We’re gonna get by, Ray,’ and reassures me we’re doing a good job,” Rivas said. “She’s my right-hand person and my calming factor.”

At a recent worksession, the mayor and town council recognized Johns for her volunteer efforts with a proclamation of appreciation. Johns said she was “completely blown away” when she received it.

Johns also volunteers at the , works full time at an intellectual properties firm in the District, and is a mother to three boys between the ages of 3 and 13. 

“Nova is easygoing and gets along with everyone, but she’s not carefree in the sense that she takes things into her heart,” Rivas said. “She’s a real community provider.” 

Johns has been a volunteer firefighter and emergency medical technician (EMT) at the department since 2005, serving as the secretary for the past three years and the fundraising chair for the past two.

She described it as being almost a second full-time job but says it’s a community she loves being a part of. 

“After my mother passed away earlier this month, I walked into the firehouse, and you don’t really expect a bunch of guys to be emotional and break down and cry with you, but they were really there for me,” Johns said. “They’re a kind of family.”

Fire Chief Charles Ryan described Johns as a “great asset to the department” and said she always goes well beyond what is expected.

“There are a lot of things she does besides volunteering at the department, but the amount of time and effort she puts in here is unbelievable,” Ryan said. “Any task she is given, she completes to the fullest.” 

About a year ago, Johns was diagnosed with Alpha-1, a disease that keeps her liver from producing enough protein to send to her lungs such that they lack a protective coating from environmental hazards.

The diagnosis meant she had to stop responding to fire emergencies, so she said she decided to dedicate her time to something she could do: fundraising and public relations for the department. 

Johns said she sometimes worries about over-scheduling herself and making sure she is giving her kids enough time, but she feels driven to contribute.

“I live here, this is my town, my kids go to school here, we ride our bikes here, so it has to be a livable community for me,” she said. “I like being part of a force as a whole and knowing that people have my back.”