WASHINGTON, May 21, 2008 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- The Community Foundation for the National Capital Region announced today the four recipients of its 2008 Linowes Leadership Awards, recognizing each individual's visionary and creative approach to sustained community service. Now in its 11th year, the award is named for the late R. Robert Linowes, one of the Washington metropolitan area's most influential philanthropists and civic leaders, and former chair of The Community Foundation. The awards will be presented at The Community Foundation's "Celebration of Civic Spirit" on Thursday, May 22 at The Ritz-Carlton in Washington, DC.
The 2008 Linowes Leadership Award recipients come from highly diverse backgrounds and range in age from 23 to 72 years old. The issues they work on are equally diverse, from reducing poverty and advocating for civil rights to promoting reproductive health among young African American males and providing faith-based education and mentoring programs. Each receives a $2,000 cash award as well as $3,000 to donate to the nonprofit organization of his or her choice.
"This year's Linowes Leadership awardees represent the best in all of us," said Terri Lee Freeman, President of The Community Foundation for the National Capital Region. "They are living proof that each and every one of us can make a difference and help bring about positive community change when we draw upon our special talents."
The 2008 Linowes Leadership Awards recipients are:
Dr. Mark Bergel, Founder and Executive Director, A Wider Circle
Mark Bergel founded A Wider Circle in 2001, with the mission of helping residents of the Washington metropolitan area lift themselves out of poverty. The organization provides clients with basic necessities -- food, shelter and furniture for their homes -- but also stresses the importance of building self-esteem and self-worth.
Dr. Bergel's unwavering commitment -- he is known to work 12-hour days, seven days a week, selflessly doing whatever it takes to help those in need -- stems from his days as a volunteer delivering food home-to-home to individuals and families in the grip of seemingly intractable poverty. Under his direction and tireless work, A Wider Circle's holistic approach and comprehensive range of services provided critical assistance to more than 7,700 individuals in 2007.
Ms. Arva Jackson, Community activist and advocate for Montgomery County children and youth
Arva Jackson has been a passionate advocate and activist, particularly on issues related to civil rights, children and health, all of her adult life. While Ms. Jackson retired in 1996 from the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration, where she served as the agency's first director of its Office of Civil Rights, in truth, she has never truly retired.
For more than a decade, Ms. Jackson has been a persistent and persuasive presence in Montgomery County as a full-time volunteer, facing head-on some of the most difficult challenges facing many of the county's most vulnerable residents. Her dedication to issues such as infant mortality, caring for the uninsured and culturally sensitive outreach services has earned her widespread admiration in Montgomery County and beyond.
Irwin Royster, Director of Community Outreach, Ophelia Egypt Teen Center, Planned Parenthood of Metropolitan Washington
Irwin Royster's work with young African American men living in Washington's Ward 7 has expanded Planned Parenthood of Metropolitan Washington's reach in innovative and effective ways. The key to his success? Creativity and the ability to inspire and mobilize young people as they spread the message of healthy lifestyles, reproductive responsibility and the importance of leadership skills among their peers.
Under Royster's guidance and leadership, young people become Peer Educators, Peer Advocates and Peer Leaders as they complete an ongoing series of education and training programs focused not just on reproductive health, but also embracing a broader set of lifestyles, reinforcing the importance of education, and fostering community development. Irwin Royster's creative and caring spirit is bringing hope and opportunity to the young people of Ward 7.
Trayon White (youth recipient), Woodland Terrace Program Coordinator, East of the River Clergy Police Community Partnership
Despite his 23 years, Trayon White arguably is a highly respected "elder" of the Woodland Terrace community in southeast Washington. In this embattled neighborhood where crime and lack of education hold young people back all too often, Trayon's friendship, courage and optimism are building self-esteem and bringing much-needed services and educational opportunities to his peers and to his community.
Recognizing that behavioral issues among his peers threatened to derail their futures, Trayon partnered with local churches to create the Rites of Passage program, which focuses on character development and provides young people with positive role models. His work also stresses the importance of education, and at Woodland Terrace he has organized tutoring services to complement classroom learning. From testifying as a youth advocate before the DC Council to preparing a young man for a job interview to being one of the first on the scene of a neighborhood crime, Trayon White is not only a voice for youth -- he is a leader among them.
Linowes Leadership Award nominations are submitted by a unique "spotter" process. Anyone may submit a nomination (self-nominations are not accepted), and nominees are not informed that they are under consideration. Nominations are reviewed by a diverse committee of community leaders, funders and Community Foundation donors. Selections are based on an individual's vision for community change, willingness to go "above and beyond" and the ability to inspire leadership in others. In addition, recipients must have been operating "under the radar screen," receiving virtually no prior recognition for their work.
Founded in 1973, The Community Foundation for the National Capital Region is the largest funder of nonprofit organizations in the Washington, DC area. In FY2007, The Foundation and its donors awarded some $95 million in grants to nonprofit organizations in the Washington, DC region and beyond.
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