Housing and Neighborhood Development Services (HANDS) in New Jersey is a nonprofit with an average of just six employees. But being part of NeighborWorks’ AmeriCorps VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America) program means the organization can do more. The VISTA program pairs full-time volunteers with service positions meant to make an impact in education, economic opportunity and environmental stewardship.

Housing and Neighborhood Development Services (HANDS) in New Jersey is a nonprofit with an average of just six employees. But being part of NeighborWorks’ AmeriCorps VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America) program means the organization can do more. The VISTA program pairs full-time volunteers with service positions meant to make an impact in education, economic opportunity and environmental stewardship.

NeighborWorks America was built on a foundation of equity, inclusion, integrity and service. This month, the national nonprofit has named two individuals as the 2023 recipients of the NeighborWorks Founders Award, presented to those who embody NeighborWorks' core values and whose lasting contributions shaped both NeighborWorks and its network: Rev. Norman Fong and Donald R. Phoenix.

For decades, residents in West Baltimore have had to travel if they wanted to sit down to a restaurant dinner with their families. "Those of us with cars could go somewhere else," recalls Jacqueline Caldwell, who grew up in the area. "But if you didn't have transportation, there was nothing besides the Chicken Box on the corner."

The new Mill on North Food Hall, set to be completed this summer, will change that. 

Each time NeighborWorks America hosts one of its trainings for housing and community development professionals, there are new courses and new ways of looking at and finding solutions to issues. For this week’s Winter Virtual Training Institute, held Feb. 6-10, one of those courses will focus on a topic that has been an integral part of NeighborWorks since its inception – but is now being discussed in new ways.

In summer of 2022, when NeighborWorks America established a grant to support NeighborWorks network organizations with wealth-building programs for Black and Latino clients, there was one big change: The application was available in Spanish. Not only that, but network organizations were able, if they chose, to submit their grant application in Spanish and have it reviewed by a native speaker.