Baltimore Homecoming, an organization that aims to inspire alumni to reconnect with and reinvest in the city, announced today the five winners of its third annual Homecoming Hero Awards program presented by T. Rowe Price. The winners – Steve Allbright, Janet Glover-Kerkvliet, Noah Smock, Dorian Walker and Atiya Wells – were selected through a public-driven nomination and voting process and represent some of Baltimore’s most innovative and committed citizens enacting change citywide.
“The Homecoming Hero Awards support our mission to spark new connection and investment in Baltimore by bringing Baltimore City’s visionaries, entrepreneurs, activists, artists and leaders together with notable Baltimore alumni. These Heroes showcase why Baltimore is worth investing in – from connecting BIPOC families with the outdoors to feeding healthy prepared meals to the community – and we look forward to introducing them to this year’s event attendees,” said Baltimore Homecoming Executive Director Robbin Lee.
The public nomination period launched last September through The Baltimore Sun website to help identify individuals that have had a significant impact on Baltimore. Nominations were then narrowed down by members of the Baltimore Homecoming host committee, representing prominent business, nonprofit and community leaders, including past Homecoming Hero award winners. In selecting the semi-finalists, the committee considered the challenges the nominee has sought to address and their progress in doing so; the capacity to transform the lives of individuals or touch the lives of many; the geographic area of impact; how each nominee has inspired others to act and the potential of the nominee’s work to break new ground or create a new model for change. The finalists were then selected via a public online voting process.
Alumni attending this year’s event will have the opportunity to hear remarks from each of the following 2022 Homecoming Hero Award winners:
- Steve Allbright, chef and culinary director at the Franciscan Center Baltimore, serving 400-600 healthy prepared meals from scratch daily to those in need and to all people in their community.
- Janet Glover–Kerkvliet, therapist and director of the Baltimore Job Hunters Support Group (BJHSG), assisting older, long-term unemployed workers with the social, emotional and psychological pain of mid-career job loss.
- Noah Smock, executive director of the Baltimore Community ToolBank, which provides tools and resources to enhance service projects and make ambitious community projects possible.
- Dorian Walker, executive director of Family Survivor Network, an organization supporting the mental, emotional and physical health of individuals, families and communities impacted by violence.
- Atiya Wells, a pediatric nurse and founder and executive director of Backyard Basecamp, which introduces, educates and connects Baltimore families of color to local outdoor spaces.
The five runners-up, who will have the opportunity to attend the three-day event to network with alumni and the Baltimore business, nonprofit and arts community, are:
- Michael Battle, Jr., founder and executive director of Restoring Inner City Hope (RICH), which designs programs that address gaps and needs in the Baltimore community like youth and workforce development.
- Alanah Davis, assistant director of community arts at the Maryland Institute College of Art, and a cultural worker, columnist and social designer committed to the betterment of Baltimore City.
- Tyde-Courtney Edwards, founder of Ballet After Dark, a program that provides free, trauma-informed dance therapy classes to youth and women impacted by sexual trauma and violence.
- Ateira Griffin, CEO and founder of Building Our Nation’s Daughters (BOND), which mentors single mothers to cultivate positive mother-daughter relationships and increase their economic mobility.
- Sam Novey, founder of Baltimore Votes, an organization that ensures a future for Baltimore City where every person, in every precinct, votes in every election.
“The Homecoming Heroes have had a positive impact on the lives of so many of our neighbors,” said Chip Wendler, vice president of strategic distribution initiatives for T. Rowe Price and Baltimore Homecoming board member. “Our city is a better place because of their creativity and tenacity—we’re thrilled to amplify their amazing work.”
In addition to sharing their stories on stage at Amplify, Baltimore Homecoming’s annual event, the 2022 Homecoming Hero Award winners will receive a $3,000 cash prize and be invited to join the host committee to help shape the future of the program. The 10 semi-finalists are invited to participate in the T. Rowe Price Foundation’s capacity building program, a cohort that meets several times a year focusing on specific challenges and makes use of leadership development resources.
The Homecoming Hero Awards launched in advance of the inaugural event in 2018 with the goal of celebrating individuals in Baltimore and bringing to light the stories and people that are making an impact on Baltimore’s future.
A past winner, MOMCares Founder Ana Rodney, shared, “Baltimore Homecoming has truly served as a catalytic experience for me as a leader and MOMCares as an organization. Gaining the attention and support of Baltimore alumni has served to open doors and increase support that we’ve been able to use to grow our work. The Homecoming Hero title has won me meetings with elusive prospective partners and provide a larger stage to amplify our mission to those who want to support and believe in our work who may not have been connected without the help of The Homecoming Hero program.”
To complement the awards program, Baltimore Homecoming has robust community programming, which includes Crab Tank, a startup pitch competition launched in 2019; Campaign for Baltimore’s Heroes, which has dispersed $500,000 in direct aid to its community partners since its launch in 2020; Homecoming Field Trips to introduce alumni to organizations uplifting the city; and Baltimore Conversations, a virtual content series that launched in early 2020 to highlight interesting alumni and inspiring locals.
Learn more about Baltimore Homecoming here.
About Baltimore Homecoming, Inc.
Baltimore Homecoming, Inc. is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization designed to gather Baltimore’s most accomplished natives and alumni from around the U.S. and the world to spark new partnerships, investments and collaborations; make connections to the city’s next generation of innovators, artists, activists and community leaders; and to reawaken and deepen our personal ties to the city. Founded by Nate Loewentheil and JM Schapiro, who serve respectively as President & Chair of the Board and Board Treasurer, Baltimore Homecoming engages the professional community through its Board of Directors which includes Loewentheil, Schapiro, Rachel Bendit; Michael Chesser, chairman emeritus of Great Plains Energy; Michael Fader, vice president of MileOne Holdings; Josepha Hendler; Ganesha Martin, consultant; Anthony Moag, chief operating officer of The Whiting-Turner Contracting Company; Chip Wendler, vice president of strategic distribution initiatives for T. Rowe Price, and Brittany Young, founder and chief executive officer of B-360. More information is available at www.baltimorehomecoming.com.
