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April 2008

Local heroes to be lauded by IMPACT Silver Spring

Awardees to include teenage leader, Latino parents’ group,
and a public safety advocate

by Sam Taute

IMPACT Silver Spring, a nonprofit organization that seeks to empower area residents by cultivating local leadership and engaging citizens in public decision-making processes, has determined the winners of its second annual IMPACT Awards.

The awards are given out to honor groups and individuals who have had positive impacts on Silver Spring.

“The awards acknowledge that there are people taking risks to help the community,” said Maria Markham, a director at IMPACT. According to Markham, the winners all demonstrated an exceptional ability to overcome race and class differences while significantly impacting the Silver Spring community in a positive way.

The winners were selected by a committee of prominent community leaders, including representatives from local businesses and leaders of local nonprofit organizations. None of the members of the Selection committee were part of the IMPACT staff.

In coming to a consensus on the award winners, the committee met for several hours on multiple days to consider the candidates.

“There was a lot of spirited discussion.” said Ana Marie Argilagos, who co-chaired the selection committee. “People became very emotional and excited about the winners.”

The awards were chosen in three categories: “pioneer,” “explorer,” and builder. The categories were created to differentiate between emerging leaders, established leaders, and partnerships between both established and emerging leaders.

Hawa Touré is a young activist working with Silver Spring's Gandhi Brigade.

Erwin Mack takes the steering wheel every Independence Day to chauffer elected officials or other luminaries at the Takoma Park parade. Mack. Among his many community efforts, Mack is being recognized by IMPACT Silver Spring for his work with public safety.

Eighteen-year-old Hawa Touré will be the youngest to receive one of this year’s awards. Touré has been a member of the Gandhi Brigade, a youth developmental program in which members produce documentaries and other forms of media that are designed to educate people about important issues and foster public discussion.
Touré has been a member for two years, during which time she recruited many young people in Silver Spring to help her explore critical issues such as immigration.

“At 18, most people are at home watching T.V. or texting,” said Argilagos. “Toure, on the other hand, is doing some tremendous things in helping young people find a voice through media and technology.”

The winner of the Explorer Award, Erwin Mack, has been a prominent member of the Silver Spring community for the last 20 years. One accomplishment that caught the eye of the selection committee was Mack’s efforts in creating CSAFE, an organization that coordinates the activities of the police departments of Montgomery County, Prince George’s County, and the City of Takoma Park. According to IMPACT, “Mack is tireless in pursuing matters in the public interest, and never seems discouraged by momentary setbacks.”

The Builder Award will be given to the Latino Padres en Acción Committee, who recently changed their name from The Family Involvement Committee. The group is being recognized for its role in encouraging minority parents to become more actively involved in their children’s education.

The Family Involvement Committee was created when Jennifer Lane, a Title 1 specialist, noticed that most of the decision making at Rolling Terrace Elementary School was being done by white parents, even though only about 22% of the students at the school are white and over 70% are either African American or Latino. Through the efforts of the committee, the participation of minority parents has increased greatly.

“The program has touched hundreds of parents,” said Argilagos. “Parents— especially recent immigrants who are overstressed, vulnerable, or just haven’t had role models to show them how to become involved in decision making processes—are finding ways are having their voices heard because of this group.”

The awards will be presented on Wednesday, May 8 at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in downtown Silver Spring. Tickets are $50 per person, with the proceeds going towards funding future IMPACT spending.

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