NeighborWorks America and Aeon announced Friday that Aeon resident James Page, Jr. is a recipient of the 2023 Dorothy Richardson Resident Leadership Award, an honor that this year recognizes five leaders from around the country for their outstanding contributions to their communities.
“Our 2023 Dorothy Richardson Award for Resident Leadership honorees are creating access to opportunities and helping develop solutions to critical community issues,” said NeighborWorks America President & CEO Marietta Rodriguez. “It is my honor to recognize them and hold them as example to everyone that we can all inspire and improve our communities — we only need desire and support. Congratulations to all the winners and thank you to our network of affiliates who are doing the work in the community and who nominated our honorees.”
As an accomplished community speaker and author of two books, James uses his personal story of recovery to inspire communities of color in high-risk situations facing oppression.
He is a mentor, recovery coach, and spiritual leader who helps his clients by interrupting negative experiences with support and understanding. James spreads his message of vulnerability and transformation by facilitating support groups, speaking at correctional facilities and holding trainings for Aeon residents.
“I am thrilled that James is being recognized for his leadership and community outreach,” says Dr. Eric Anthony Johnson, President & CEO of Aeon. “He has turned his personal obstacles into a passion for helping members of his community experiencing similar struggles.”
The Dorothy Richardson Award was named for a Pittsburgh-based pioneer in the community-development movement who was the leading force behind the creation of the agency that eventually became NeighborWorks America.
NeighborWorks America, which creates opportunities for people to live in affordable homes, improve their lives, and strengthen their communities, supports a network of more than 250 nonprofits, located in every state, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Aeon is a proud member of the NeighborWorks network.
For more information about the 2023 Dorothy Richardson Resident Leadership Awards, visit www.neighborworks.org.
About Aeon
Aeon believes that home is at the center of everything. With a home, people succeed, families thrive, and our region remains strong. At Aeon, we act boldly to create and preserve quality, affordable homes for those who need them most. We develop and manage affordable homes that serve nearly 17,000 people in the Twin Cities each year. For more information, visit aeon.org or follow us on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.
About NeighborWorks America
For more than 40 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.
