FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 9, 2004
Contact: Susie Zimmermann, 301-229-0688
Hometown Heroes Recognized for Community Leadership
Dorothy Richardson Awards Celebrated
Washington, DC (August 9, 2004) – Eight community
leaders from around the country stepped out of the trenches and
into the spotlight when the 13th Annual Dorothy Richardson Awards
for Resident Leadership were announced by the NeighborWorks®
system and the Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation.
Typically, these honorees roll up their sleeves and work behind
the scenes and on the front lines. They rally neighbors and communities
to work together to address crime, lack of affordable housing,
disenfranchised young people, and other challenges of city living.
Tonight, they were formally celebrated for their leadership and
accomplishments when they received the awards at the organization's
annual event showcasing community resident leadership and empowerment.
Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation CEO Ken Wade said, "These
awards celebrate those leaders who refuse to accept ‘no'
for an answer and those who won't use ‘can't'
as part of their vocabulary when it comes to improving their neighborhoods."
"While economic development can bring opportunities into
urban and rural communities, it must not come at the expense of
existing low- and moderate-income neighborhoods," he continued.
"Through these awards, the NeighborWorks® network supports
those communities who work with private- and public-sector interests
to cooperatively bring development, enrichment, and ongoing sustainable
strength to these neighborhoods. The result is civic pride, long-term
residency, and safety in neighborhoods that have struggled in
the past."
The Dorothy Richardson Awards, created in 1991, celebrate those
leaders in neighborhoods and communities throughout the U.S. who
foster relationships with private- and public-sector organizations,
while at the same time motivating activism in their fellow residents
to create improvements and self-sustaining enrichment in their
neighborhoods.
Each year, the NeighborWorks network honors a resident from each
of its districts who epitomize the qualities of Dorothy Richardson.
Their accomplishments ranged from behind-the-scenes community
administration, to on-the-streets event planning and fundraising,
to outspoken activism and issue organizing. Click here for more information about
the award recipients and their achievements.
This year's honorees are: Pamela Cates, Gwinnett Housing
Resource Partnership, Norcross, Georgia; Meg Grande, Neighborhood
Housing Services of Staten Island, Staten Island, New York; James
K. Howard, Pasadena Neighborhood Housing Services, Pasadena, California;
Maye Johnson, Project Renew, Fort Wayne, Indiana; Mishell Lilly,
West Elmwood Housing Development Corporation, Providence, Rhode
Island; Andrea Pardo, El Centro, Inc., Kansas City, Kansas; Kerra
Thurston, Community Housing Partners Corporation, Inc., Charlottesville,
Virginia; and Cleola Williams, Avenue Community Development Corporation,
Houston, Texas. More information about the award recipients can
be found at www.nw.org.
The award recipients also received the President's Volunteer
Service Award. Established in 2003, the award is issued by the
President's Council on Service and Civic Participation on
behalf of the President of the United States to recognize those
individuals who have contributed significant service hours to
their communities. In turn, these individuals and the President's
Volunteer Service Award serve as encouragement for all Americans
to improve their communities through volunteer service and civic
participation. The NeighborWorks® network is a certifying
organization participating in the national award program.
The NeighborWorks network, which was founded by the Neighborhood
Reinvestment Corporation, is composed of more than 225 community-based
nonprofit organizations that are working to revitalize more than
2,500 communities through resident-led affordable housing and
community development activities. NeighborWorks organizations
involve the work of thousands of residents, business people, government
officials and other partners.
Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation, created by an act of Congress
in 1978, strengthens the NeighborWorks network through training,
technical assistance and funding. Neighborhood Reinvestment provided
$66 million in grants to the network in fiscal year 2003. Each
year these federal funds are leveraged locally to attract much
more in private and state/local public investment. The total direct
investment generated by the network has increased from $268 million
in 1994 to more than $1.9 billion in 2003.
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