NeighborWorks America Honors Eight Local Heroes for Community Building and Transforming Neighborhoods

For Immediate Release

March 20, 2007
Contact: Erin Angell, NeighborWorks® America, 202-220-6317; eangell@nw.org

NeighborWorks America Honors Eight Local Heroes for Community Building and Transforming Neighborhoods

National Organization Recognizes 16th Annual Dorothy Richardson Award Recipients

Washington, DC - Today NeighborWorks America honored eight community leaders from around the country with the 2007 Dorothy Richardson Awards for Resident Leadership during a special awards ceremony at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C.

“This year’s Dorothy Richardson Award honorees have demonstrated a steadfast commitment to improving the communities in which they live,” said Ken Wade, CEO of NeighborWorks America. “Their important contributions help transform and enrich neighborhoods and towns, creating lasting benefits for countless residents. We are proud to honor them for their generous service to others.”

The eight individuals and the NeighborWorks organizations that nominated them are:

Gary Eckenberg, Neighborhood Housing Services of Duluth, Minn.
Richard A. Hamilton, Marshall Heights Community Development Organization, Washington, D.C.
Doris A. Jackson, Kalamazoo Neighborhood Housing Services, Mich.
Larry Lauritzen, NeighborWorks of Grays Harbor County, Aberdeen, Wash.
Lois Phillips, Neighborhood Housing Services of New York City
Marta I. Rentas, Lawrence CommunityWorks, Lawrence, Mass.
Dona Stebbins, Neighborhood Housing Services of Great Falls, Mont.
Andrew Wise, Neighborhood Housing & Development Corporation, Gainesville, Fla.

Created in 1991, the Dorothy Richardson Awards for Resident Leadership celebrate the outstanding contributions of dedicated community leaders across the United States. Each year, the NeighborWorks network honors a resident from each of its eight districts who exemplifies the qualities of Dorothy Richardson, a Pittsburgh activist who helped advance the community-based development movement that informed the formation of the NeighborWorks network.

The individuals honored today have many accomplishments for which they can be proud. Achievements include finding new resources to fund affordable housing; spearheading a construction-training partnership that provides training to students of all ages in building new affordable homes; leading community beautification projects, including the renovation of neighborhood parks; successful redevelopment of vacant or abandoned properties; and the creation of partnerships with government and private organizations to address community needs. Through years of community building, activism and service to their neighbors, these individuals have made a difference in the lives of many.

For more information about the Dorothy Richardson Awards for Resident Leadership, and the 2007 winners, visit: www.nw.org/network/neighborworksprogs/leadership/award.asp.

NeighborWorks America provides financial support, technical assistance and training for communities across the nation through the NeighborWorks network of over 235 nonprofit organizations covering nearly 4,500 urban, suburban and rural communities. These organizations engage in revitalization strategies that strengthen communities and transform lives. In the last five years alone, NeighborWorks organizations have generated more than $12 billion in reinvestment and helped more than 845,000 families of modest means purchase or improve their homes, or secure safe, decent rental or mutual housing.

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