Rebecca Hatfield's first day as president and CEO of Avesta Housing in Maine also happened to be her daughter's first day of kindergarten. Hatfield woke up extra early so she'd have time to wait at the bus stop with her daughter, whose name and teacher were written on a tag hanging over the dress that her daughter had picked out for her first day. 

"She wanted to be perfect, and I wanted to be perfect," Hatfield recalls. 

Rose Garcia grew up living with her grandparents in New Mexico. Her grandfather owned a bar and pool hall, and her grandmother operated a grocery store and meat market. "My grandma had me helping in the store from a very young age – stocking cans, sweeping floors and bathrooms, and waiting on customers," Garcia recalls.
 

Rose Garcia grew up living with her grandparents in New Mexico. Her grandfather owned a bar and pool hall, and her grandmother operated a grocery store and meat market. "My grandma had me helping in the store from a very young age – stocking cans, sweeping floors and bathrooms, and waiting on customers," Garcia recalls.
 

In a way, the gathering of older, monolingual residents in what has become a Chinatown Town Hall started with egg salad. "We had these Sunday lunches," recalls the Rev. Norman Fong, who spent 30 years at the helm of Chinatown Community Development Center. "When we started, we didn't have a lot of money, so I asked my church to make egg salad sandwiches." 

Housing and Neighborhood Development Services (HANDS) in New Jersey is a nonprofit with an average of just six employees. But being part of NeighborWorks’ AmeriCorps VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America) program means the organization can do more. The VISTA program pairs full-time volunteers with service positions meant to make an impact in education, economic opportunity and environmental stewardship.

Housing and Neighborhood Development Services (HANDS) in New Jersey is a nonprofit with an average of just six employees. But being part of NeighborWorks’ AmeriCorps VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America) program means the organization can do more. The VISTA program pairs full-time volunteers with service positions meant to make an impact in education, economic opportunity and environmental stewardship.

NeighborWorks America was built on a foundation of equity, inclusion, integrity and service. This month, the national nonprofit has named two individuals as the 2023 recipients of the NeighborWorks Founders Award, presented to those who embody NeighborWorks' core values and whose lasting contributions shaped both NeighborWorks and its network: Rev. Norman Fong and Donald R. Phoenix.