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Our Stories
All across Maryland, change is happening. And it’s the reason we do what we do. We love hearing stories about how one of our volunteers made someone’s day or one of our programs changed someone’s life. Here are just a few of the countless stories of improved lives as a direct result of our committed employees, volunteers, and donors.
Stories
Supporting Children & Families
2025 Mission in Action Awards
Announcing This Year’s Mission in Action Award Winners! Congratulations to our 2025 Mission in Action Award winners, who were celebrated at our Annual Dinner on May 12. Employees who were nominated show their care and service by modeling, in an exceptional and unique way, our agency commitments of honoring the dignity in every person, encountering each individual with compassion, acting with humility, reaching out in a spirit of collaboration, serving with excellence, and acting with integrity. A committee carefully reviewed each nomination to make selections. Watch the 2025 Mission in Action Award Winners video here. Here are the 2025 Mission in Action Award winners, with quotes…
Achieving Independence
Even in Retirement, Anthony “Skip” Minakowski Remains Hard at Work Serving Others
By Mark Cheshire Perhaps he didn’t receive the memo regarding retirement, the one highlighting the fact that those who have concluded their professional careers no longer need to attend 8 a.m. meetings, manage others, and take on big assignments. It’s a plausible explanation for the tireless and transformational work he continues to do, but it’s also inaccurate. Like the roughly four million Americans who retire every year, Anthony “Skip” Minakowski, a certified public accountant, got the message about what his post-career life could look like – lots of relaxation and relatively little responsibility. But he has elected to pursue…
Supporting Children & Families
Brooklyn Safe Streets and Community Go to the White House
By Mark Cheshire Around 8 a.m. the day before Easter, people began to gather expectantly at the heart of the Brooklyn Homes community in South Baltimore. The chilly spring breeze prompted some to seek out patches of sunshine to stay warm while waiting to board a chartered bus bound for the White House. As the crowd grew, the event’s organizer pinged around like a pinball, moving from person to person to talk and take care of various last-minute arrangements. Wearing a fluorescent orange jacket, standing well over six feet tall, and exuding irrepressible warmth, Corey Winfield could not be missed.…