Awardees

During the 2025 Fourth of July flooding along Texas’ Guadalupe River, fourteen Kerrville ISD bus drivers and coaches courageously drove their school buses into rising waters, despite damaged bridges and treacherous conditions, to rescue some 900 children and counselors trapped at Camps La Junta, Mystic, and Waldemar.

As a high school student, Carolina showed extraordinary courage by stepping in to teach her classmates when algebra and chemistry teachers left mid-year, ensuring her peers were not left behind. She created lessons, provided supplies, and kept her classmates on track, drawing attention to critical staffing shortages that have since improved at her school. Her passion for education later led her to serve on the Chicago Board of Education as the Honorary Student Board Member, representing more than 300,000 Chicago Public School students.

After discovering that students statewide were burdened with $2.8 million in school lunch debt, DJ personally paid off debts at local schools and founded the Utah Lunch Debt Relief Foundation (UTLDR). Since its creation, the foundation has raised over $200,000, eliminated lunch debt for more than 30 local schools, and supported legislation guaranteeing free lunches for students in need.

Liz demonstrated remarkable courage by transforming her personal challenge of finding safe, affordable child care into a community-wide solution centered on children’s well-being. Through the creation of United Way’s Cora’s Kids Family Child Care Network, she empowered women, many of whom are from immigrant communities, to build professional careers as licensed child care providers while ensuring that more children have access to the safe, high-quality care they deserve.

Keith Childress, music director at Clinton Grace Christian School, wrote “I Believe in Me” as an anthem to combat bullying and inspire confidence among students. By involving his students in the production of both the song and its music video, he empowered them to take ownership of its message.

Jeremy reclaimed his late grandmother’s home on the Shinnecock Reservation and transformed it into Ma’s House & BIPOC Art Studio. Starting with no outside support, he poured in his own time and resources to restore the space and create a hub for Indigenous and BIPOC artists.

Through nearly three decades of leadership, Chief Coker has worked to ensure the Lenape Indian Tribe of Delaware could finally be seen, counted, and recognized. Under his guidance, the tribe achieved Census status and state recognition, opening the door to visibility, services, and a stronger future.

At just 24, Ahmad Hilal Abid transformed his immigrant experience into a movement that empowers youth and families through education, community, and compassion. What started with $300 in his father’s garage has grown into The House of Wisdom, a nonprofit which reaches over 200 students annually across four cities and has provided more than 110 volunteer, internship, and partnership opportunities to college students. Through mentorship, tutoring, and community programs, it supports immigrant, refugee, and underserved families while fostering belonging, mental health, and leadership opportunities for the next generation.

When flash floods devastated Triadelphia, West Virginia, Pastor Mike and Triadelphia United Methodist Church turned a single donation tent into a lifeline for the entire community. Within days, the church grew into a full recovery hub, serving hundreds of meals daily, distributing supplies, offering daycare, and even providing health and mental health support when outside help was slow to arrive.

An advocate for immigrant high school students in Atlanta, GA who helps them access advanced academic programs and provides mentorship, leaning on her and her family’s lived experience. Bridgette selected the Empowerment Society ATL to receive the “pay it forward” award.

While serving in the National Guard, Garrett stepped into leadership as Executive Director of the Appalachia Community Fund—becoming the youngest executive director of a philanthropic intermediary of its size and scope in the United States. He took on this role during a period of organizational transition, helping to stabilize and reorient a legacy institution to meet a moment of regional uncertainty. After completing his military contract, he focused fully on building civic infrastructure and resilient local institutions in Central Appalachia. Garrett selected the Appalachian Community Fund to receive the “pay it forward” award.

As owner of Big Mama’s Kitchen and Catering, Gladys preserves her late mother’s soul food restaurant as a cultural institution in North Omaha. She honors her family’s legacy while sustaining a space for storytelling, connection, and Black heritage. Gladys selected the Metropolitan Community College Foundation and Yes You Can to receive the “pay it forward” award.

A young Native American and Mexican community leader who, at age 11, founded the nonprofit, Isaac’s Blessing Bags, to support unhoused individuals in St. Paul, MN by providing bags filled with toiletries and other needed personal care items. Isaac selected the Tiwahe Foundation to receive the “pay it forward” award.

A Sikh community leader who organizes interfaith gatherings at the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin, the site of a 2012 mass shooting. Through his work, he has helped to transform a place of tragedy into one of healing and understanding by hosting interfaith dialogues and community meals. Prabhjot chose The Sikh Temple of Wisconsin and Urban Rural Action to receive the “pay it forward” award.

A Native American Marine Corps veteran who founded the Onslow Veterans Pow Wow in 2021 to create a space for cultural celebration and healing, bridging military and Indigenous communities. Raquel chose the Onslow Veterans Pow Wow to receive the “pay it forward” award.

Commander William Marks, Jinny Amundson, and Janice Holmes joined forces to distribute banned books in Annapolis, MD, providing access to students and community members alike. The awardees chose the Anne Arundel Literary Council and the ACLU of Maryland to receive their “pay it forward” awards.

Sarah Inama, a sixth-grade teacher from Idaho, who refused to remove a classroom sign that read “everyone is welcome here,” ultimately resigning rather than compromising on her core beliefs. Sarah chose the Wassmuth Center for Human Rights to receive the “pay it forward” award.

Jamie Cook, Jen Gaffney, and Jonna St. Croix led a small New York town in support of a local immigrant family detained by ICE, organizing a public rally that helped bring the family home. The awardees chose the Northern New York Community Foundation to receive the “pay it forward” award.