Print pageBaltimore Hosts More than 600 Community Champions at NeighborWorks America Community Leadership Institute
For Immediate Release
October 29, 2024
Contact: Douglas Robinson
Washington, D.C. — Baltimore-based St. Ambrose Aid Center and Neighborhood Housing Services of Baltimore join with national community development organization NeighborWorks America to host more than 600 resident leaders from across the country in a three-day training aimed at developing and sharing solutions to a variety of local challenges to foster greater opportunity. The theme for this year’s Community Leadership Institute (CLI) is Diversity to Harmony: “Blending Perspectives for Common Goals. “
“We are delighted to be a part of the CLI here in Baltimore. Our city has a feel of authenticity to it, from its historic architecture and long history to its unique rowhouse communities and vibrant parks,” said St. Ambrose Aid Center Executive Director Gerard Joab. “Even with the challenges that Baltimore faces, residents are fiercely proud and protective of their city. We hope everyone enjoys their time here, takes home some great ideas and comes back again for another visit.”
“NHS is proud to partner with this year’s NeighborWorks Dorothy Richardson award winner Arica Gonzalez,” said NHS of Baltimore CEO Dan Ellis. “In her work as Founder and Executive Director of the Urban Oasis, Arica has brought transformative change to West Baltimore. Her vision and leadership are bringing excitement to the community.”
"NeighborWorks America has a deep and rich history of supporting and investing in local resident leaders to create solutions to their community's most pressing challenges," said NeighborWorks America President & CEO Marietta Rodriguez. "Our experience shows communities achieve better outcomes for everyone when residents have a say in community change — residents who live there and know the unique needs of their neighborhoods."
Arica Gonzalez, one of five recipients of the 2024 Dorothy Richardson Award for Resident Leadership and was nominated by NHS of Baltimore, will attend this year's event. She developed a neighborhood greenspace, an Urban Oasis of connected alleys and a transformed lot, that is “for doing things out in the open that we want to do. It’s for showing off the beauty of the people who reside here, of showing our creativity and our intelligence,” said Gonzalez.
Since the first national Community Leadership Institute in 2008, NeighborWorks America has trained over 10,000 community leaders and provided over $3.5 million to support resident-led community projects.
Since its inception, NeighborWorks America has remained committed to showing that communities are positioned to thrive when residents are engaged and involved in their growth and planning. Follow NeighborWorks America on social media (#NWcommunity), tag NeighborWorks America @neighborworks and visit www.NeighborWorks.org to learn more about how resident leadership and community engagement are at the core of NeighborWorks America's work.
About NeighborWorks America
Celebrating 45 years, Neighborhood Reinvestment Corp., a national, nonpartisan nonprofit known as NeighborWorks America, has strived to make every community a place of opportunity. Our network of excellence includes nearly 250 members in every state, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. NeighborWorks America offers grant funding, peer exchange, technical assistance, evaluation tools, and access to training as the nation's leading trainer of housing and community development professionals. NeighborWorks network organizations provide residents in their communities with affordable homes, owned and rented; financial counseling and coaching; community building through resident engagement; and collaboration in the areas of health, employment and education.
