Alicia De Dios Fernández 

Alicia De Dios, a Mexican community health worker and cultural activist, founded Flor de Hidalgo to promote health and inclusion through dance and arts. A 2024 DALI member, she leads disaster response and Latino leadership initiatives. With over a decade of experience, she fosters resilience while raising her two children.

Proposal:Alicia De Dios Fernández’s project empowers Latina women through art, dance, and therapy, supporting emotional healing, resilience, and entrepreneurship. Seeking partners to expand impact and scholarships.

Ana Velasquez 

Bio:Ana Velasquez, a Bilingual Family Advocate in Durham for over 20 years, turned her undocumented status into a mission for change. A leader of Foro de Padres, she supports over 170 Hispanic families in Durham Public Schools. A dedicated mother and advocate, she continues empowering her community.

Proposal:Ana Velasquez’s Cleaning Services offers eco-friendly, specialized cleaning for seniors, ensuring safety, hygiene, and comfort. Support will expand services, enhancing independence and well-being for elderly clients.

Chauntia Gilchrist 

Proposal: Chauntia Gilchrist’s G.Y.B.L. (Grow Your Ball Life) provides a free summer program integrating academics, fitness, and life skills through basketball, fostering teamwork, accessibility, and preventing summer learning loss.

Clarence Taylor  

Bio: Clarence Taylor, sole managing member of Samuel Durango Properties LLC, has over 20 years in real estate, transitioning from part-time to full-time leadership. Since 2005, he has acquired, renovated, and managed homes to help renters become homeowners. Through strategic partnerships, he advances homeownership, fosters community impact, and promotes economic stability.

Proposal: Samuel Durango Properties seeks support to expand affordable housing in Durham, helping renters transition to homeownership through strategic partnerships, financial guidance, and community-driven initiatives.

Ebony Watts

Bio: Ebony Watts is a dedicated community leader, serving as Executive Director of Young Kingdom Pilots and Community Manager at Greens of Pine Glen Apartments in Durham, NC. Committed to empowering children in affordable housing, she has developed literacy programs that bridge educational gaps and create pathways to economic opportunity and success.

Proposal:Ebony Watts' Jr. Property Manager Program trains underserved youth in property management, providing skills, career exploration, and pathways to economic equity, real estate opportunities, and generational wealth.

Gabrielle Rivero 

Bio: Gabrielle Rivero helps kids, adults, and seniors use movement for self-expression, stress relief, and emotional healing. A dancer with 20+ years of experience, she holds an MA in Theology, studying dance’s historical rejection. As founder of Express & Release Therapeutic Dance, she promotes emotional well-being through movement-based therapy.

Proposal: Gabrielle Rivero’s Emotion Release Training equips foster youth and caregivers with tools for emotional regulation, self-expression, and stress management, fostering resilience through certified training and skill-building sessions.

Heydi Andino

Bio: Heydi Nohemy Andino Pereira is a Honduran lawyer dedicated to human rights, justice, and community empowerment. With a Human Rights diploma from Germany, she serves on Durham’s Hispanic/Latino Committee, advocating for inclusion. She continues her professional development in community development and taxation, strengthening social and economic opportunities for vulnerable communities.

Proposal:The Tax Preparation Workshop empowers Durham’s Latino community by providing essential U.S. tax knowledge, preventing scams, reducing costs, and fostering ethical, efficient, and informed tax practices.

Jakeina Sutton

Bio: Jakeina Sutton, originally from Duplin County, NC, now in Durham, is a public health consultant. She holds a Master of Public Health from UNC Greensboro and a Bachelor’s in Broadcast Journalism from Saint Augustine’s University. Passionate about serving marginalized communities, she equips them with knowledge and resources to advocate for healthier lifestyles.

Proposal: Jakeina Sutton’s Cooperate 9 Spring Garden program supports low-income minority families in Durham by providing resources to establish sustainable community gardens through a structured nine-month participation-based initiative.

Junior Sarmiento

Bio:Junior Alexander Sarmiento Hernández is a commercial lawyer specializing in Human and Civil Rights, public policy, and personnel management. He has held leadership roles, including Director of the National Tourism Registry of Honduras and Legal Advisor to the Armed Forces. The National Autonomous University of Honduras graduate, he advances legal, policy, and human rights initiatives globally.

Proposal:Junior Sarmiento’s Manejo Financiero de Reembolsos Fiscales en Durham educates 30 residents on managing tax refunds, promoting budgeting, saving, and investing for financial stability and long-term economic security.

Keshi Satterwhite

Keshi Satterwhite founded Planning Ahead, dedicated to environmental literacy, social equity, and economic opportunity. With over a decade in program management and community engagement, Keshi empowers Central East Durham and Raleigh residents through initiatives like Elevating from the Backyard to the Community, fostering sustainable and resilient communities through education.

Proposal: Keshi Satterwhite’s Elevating from the Backyard to the Community (EBC) program empowers marginalized communities in Central East Durham through environmental education, workforce development, and sustainable solutions.

Lucero Ponce Neri

Bio: Lucero Ponce Neri, originally from Mexico City and a resident of North Carolina for over 24 years, is a passionate community leader dedicated to uplifting and advocating for the Latino community. A mother of three, she actively seeks opportunities to empower and strengthen her community through committed service and leadership.

Proposal: Lucero Ponce Neri’s Health Through Sport initiative offers free, inclusive training spaces for Durham children, focusing on Hispanic and low-income families, promoting physical activity and community wellness.

Midori Brooks

Bio: Midori McCoy Brooks is a dedicated community activist, health advocate, and parent committed to supporting families affected by sarcoidosis. She actively engages in public health initiatives emphasizing physical activity, nutrition, and healthcare access, collaborating with PANFA, CHIP, AACT, and Duke Research Team to champion health equity, awareness, and community empowerment.

Proposal: Midori Brooks' proposal creates supportive, empowering communities through fitness, wellness programs, nutrition education, and financial assistance resources for individuals living with sarcoidosis and chronic illnesses.

Onette Shaw

Bio: Onette Shaw is a dedicated ministerial team member at The River Church in Durham, NC, experienced in youth and prison ministries. Passionate about guiding families in faith, she actively advocates for youth impacted by gun violence, promoting community healing, personal growth, and positive change through her committed service and leadership.

Proposal: Onette, founder of YANAA (You Are Not Alone), LLC, supports families affected by gun violence through Pathways to Peace, offering counseling and healing-focused activities quarterly.

Oni Nu Bey

Bio: Oni Nu Bey is a dedicated educator, community advocate, and founder of Durham Homeschooled, supporting homeschool families in Durham, NC. With over eight years of homeschooling experience, Oni passionately creates equitable, hands-on learning opportunities fostering creativity, critical thinking, and community engagement, bridging traditional and nontraditional education through partnerships with local businesses.

Proposal: Oni's Homeschool Discount Card program empowers homeschool families by providing exclusive savings at local businesses, significantly reducing costs and fostering stronger community ties.

Sicily Johnson

Bio: Chef Sicily Sierra, a culinary visionary with over 17 years of experience, uses food to drive social change and community empowerment. A Le Cordon Bleu graduate, she founded inclusive culinary ventures supporting communities of color, implemented flexible scheduling for students, and established free childcare services, promoting economic mobility and opportunity.

Proposal: Sicily Sierra’s Kind Kitchen Group equips Durham youth with critical life skills, resilience, and leadership through innovative culinary education, mental health support, and social-emotional learning.

Tanya Best

Bio: Rev. Tanya Best, founder of World Hunger Day Durham, Mount Calvary UCC Food Pantry, and TLC Best Ministries, is a dedicated Durham native and influential community leader passionately committed to supporting individuals facing challenges through sustainable initiatives, advocacy, and compassionate outreach programs, promoting lasting community resilience and positive change.

Proposal: Tanya Best’s Senior Wish List project supports Durham seniors with personalized services such as home safety modifications, technology support, and community resources, fostering independence and comfort.