NeighborWorks® America is proud to celebrate the recipients of its annual Dorothy Richardson Award for Resident Leadership. The national award honors resident leaders who strengthen their communities and inspire their neighbors to do the same.
It is named in honor of Dorothy Mae Richardson, who, in the 1960s, fought disinvestment in her Pittsburgh community by bringing neighbors, bankers, and government officials together to find a path to rehabilitating and repairing homes, saving a neighborhood from neglect. The effort resulted in Neighborhood Housing Services of Pittsburgh, a new model for reinvestment that became the cornerstone for NeighborWorks America, a congressionally chartered nonprofit that expanded the model across the country.
"I am inspired by the people who know their communities best, the people who live there," said NeighborWorks America President & CEO Marietta Rodriguez. "This year's honorees demonstrate what is possible when residents step forward to find solutions, bring people together and strengthen their communities. Their leadership will have an impact for years to come."
As part of America250, the bipartisan initiative to engage every American in the 250th anniversary of the United States, NeighborWorks is sharing the stories of people who build their communities and make them stronger. This is the theme of what the Dorothy Richardson honorees do every day.
“NeighborWorks America is proud to carry forward the tradition of honoring Dorothy Richardson Awardees, whose leadership reminds us that lasting change begins with residents who care deeply about their communities,” said Sarah Parmenter, director of Community Building & Engagement for NeighborWorks America. “This year's honorees exemplify what can happen when people turn their passion into purposeful action.”
The 2026 recipients include:
Felix Colon, nominated by NewVue Communities, Fitchburg, Massachusetts
Three years ago, Colon created and founded Meek and Humble Ministries, a nonprofit organization that cooks and delivers approximately 80 hot meals three times per week to individuals and families in need. But he's been doing the work for
much longer.
“Felix has been a volunteer resident leader since 2020, right after the pandemic broke,” shared Francisco Ramos, director of Community Organizing for NewVue. The pandemic was considered especially harmful to older adults, and in his hometown of Fitchburg, Massachusetts, one of the organizations that committed to feeding unhoused residents had a director in that vulnerable age group. Colon took over the field work so that the director could stay socially isolated and safe. Soon after, he started his own ministry to continue feeding and providing comfort for unhoused individuals and families.
“He goes to where they are, instead of waiting for them to come to him,” Ramos says. “Felix has been very clear in his mind and his heart that his mission is to humanize unhoused individuals and families within our society and has been committed to that goal for years.”
Felix has also developed relationships with other nonprofits in the area, including NewVue. In addition to developing new partnerships, Meek and Humble Ministries developed a relationship with a local restaurant and with a local church to use their kitchens to cook the meals. “Felix has not only become an inspiration to others but has helped individuals recover the control of their lives in the process,” Ramos said.
Carmelita Wood, nominated by Piedmont Housing Alliance, Charlottesville, Virginia
Wood dedicated her life to ensuring that Charlottesville remained a thriving community for her neighbors in the historically Black neighborhood of Fifeville. A community leader and president of the Fifeville Neighborhood Association for more than a decade,
she became a homeownerwith the support of Piedmont Housing Alliance. After witnessing displacement in neighborhoods like Vinegar Hill, her goal is to ensure that people can continue to call Fifeville home. She worked on a new land use plan that eliminates exclusionary single-family zoning and restricts density in core neighborhoods that are historically Black; worked on new zoning approved in 2023 that codifies the “core neighborhood” designation and provides bonus density for affordable housing, created an anti-displacement group within her neighborhood association, bringing together landlords, developers, renters and homeowners to discuss development strategies, and is working to include that a grocery store is part of a mixed-use affordable housing development in a neighborhood that is considered a ‘food desert.’
Wood also serves on the board of Albemarle Home Improvement Program (AHIP) which to date has conducted over 180 vital home repairs for more than 90 low-income homeowners in the region.
In the nominating her, Piedmont Housing Alliance said Wood is proof that resident leadership works and is worth the investment for local governments and housing developers.
“Her roots and her history embody a lot of what's happening in housing and development,” said Luis Oyola, director of the Piedmont Community Land Trust. “She does the day to day behind-the-scenes work and she does the public advocacy. I think she really understands that balance of being a leader.”
Wood’s goal of preserving affordable homeownership led her to help Oyola in his work at the land trust. “She’s proud of the community and wants to keep working to improve it,” he said.
Olivia Gomez, nominated by Self-Help Enterprises, Visalia, California
Olivia Gomez is a lifelong member of the Planada community, growing up in Bear Creek, Self-Help Enterprises’ first rental community for farmworkers, and the self-help home she watched (and helped) her parents build.
Today, she works to ensure that community members have a strong voice in shaping their future, especially in times of crisis and long-term recovery. A member of Self-Help Enterprises’ Board of Directors and Executive Committee, Gomez serves as a bridge between neighbors, public agencies and nonprofit partners, much like Richardson herself.
In 2023, when a flood devasted Planada, Gomez served as a volunteer leader in coordinating response and recovery efforts. Her impact lasted long after the floodwaters disappeared.
Gomez’ relationship with her community helped her identify urgent needs and access to resources. She worked alongside the Sheriff’s Department to reopen Planada after evacuation, partnering with county officials to secure emergency support. She also advocated with state legislators to secure flood recovery funding. And the coordinated efforts led to long-term housing stability for 45 families most impacted by the flood.
She’s continued to collaborate with the County and Department of Water Resources to strengthen levee infrastructure and reduce future flood risk.
“Olivia Gomez is a homegrown leader in Planada,” said Tom Collishaw, president & CEO. “Growing up at the Bear Creek farm labor housing project, she went on to help her parents build their own home through the mutual self-help housing program. From there, she pursued a college degree and engaged in community service through leadership at the primary public institution in her rural community, the Community Services District. Her empathetic representation of the needs in her community is relentless and effective.”
Margaret J. Wright, nominated by Neighborhood Finance Corporation, Des Moines, Iowa
Margaret Wright is committed to assuring neighborhoods in the city’s poorest areas receive the resources they need, especially the children and families who live there.
She has served on the Chautauqua Park Neighborhood Association Board and currently serves as the president of the King-Irving Neighborhood Association and on the Near Northside Neighbors Leadership Teams. She has also served in numerous roles with The Director’s Council advancing their One Economy Initiative and African American Leadership Academy throughout Polk County.
Her goal? To make sure neighborhoods work together to benefit all.
When a branch of the YMCA closed in 2021, community members wanted to see it replaced by a safe place where all people could come together. Wright became a strong advocate for such a place and worked to make it happen. The new $22 million recreation center opened this spring.
When early plans for the Reichardt Community & Recreation Center (RCRC) did not meet local resident’s expectations, Wright amplified voices and changed the conversation. The final project includes the city’s only indoor swimming pool, a track, basketball court, innovation lab and a community room with a kitchen – all things the community wanted.
And Wright is making use of that kitchen. When she led a group of community leaders to the NeighborWorks Community Leadership Institute (CLI) in 2025, their project was to launch cooking classes at the center to build connection, reduce isolation and foster understanding. The result, she hopes, will be a more connected, empowered community.
“When the northside neighborhood needed a new recreation center, Margaret believed that her neighborhood deserved an excellent building with a wide range of options,” said Stephanie Murphy, executive director of Neighborhood Finance Corp. “She made it her mission to lift community voices and make sure the center would meet everyone’s needs. She’s worked tirelessly for our community, and we’re pleased to see her recognized for the work she does every day.”
As part of America250, the bipartisan initiative to engage every American in the 250th anniversary of the United States, NeighborWorks is sharing the stories of people who build their communities and make them stronger. No one exemplifies that more than resident leaders.
