All Things Are Possible Celebrates Community With Kwanzaa Awards
The Community Awards with their Certificate of Authentication. Handcrafted from Ghana earlier this year. Photo by Erika Heinrich
BY ERIKA HEINRICH | For AC JosepH Media
CINNAMINSON – The influential Willingboro-based nonprofit All Things Are Possible celebrated their sold-out Community Service Awards and Kwanzaa Gala this past Friday, Dec. 6 at The Merion.
Among the honorees are Burlington County Commission Felicia Hopson, Lori Wilson, Latimani Morgan and Tatiauna Morgan, of Willingboro Recreation Competition Cheerleading and Adrain Jones, president of the Life Center Academy.
Hopson, the honoree for Courageous Leadership, formerly served as the president of the Willingboro School Board. The Center for Women and Politics shared during that Hopson’s tenure, Willingboro saw an increase in academic achievement in English and Math, as well as an increased graduation rate for Willingboro High School.
Hopson said that her greatest achievement she had this year was the breaking ground for Burlington County’s first ever emergency homeless shelter on Oct. 30.
“Breaking ground for the homeless shelter has been my absolute, for sure, one thing that I wanted to accomplish,” Hopson said. “I’ve been talking about it since I was elected, and I’ve been in office six years now. Knowing that it is coming into fruition, is my biggest accomplishment.”
Now on her third term at the board of commissioners, she plans to try to implement Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Initiatives to make more opportunities for minorities during her term in the upcoming years.
“We are moving in a positive space where it feels more inclusive. But now it needs to look that way,” Hopson said. “I would like to try to create more spaces to grow DEI initiatives.”
One of the Building for the Future honorees, Lori Wilson, a coach for the Willingboro Competitive Cheer Team said they have had the best year yet by using their own network of cheerleaders that make the transition to coach.
“In the last five years we have gained so much momentum. And cheer has changed a lot in the past 20 years,” Wilson said.
“The kids have come a long way with the bare minimum. No big gyms, no equipment. We have my daughters who coach and other former cheerleaders as coaches. And this year was the best year we have had yet. Only lost once this year.”
The honoree for Humility and Strength, Adrain Jones, was humbled by her awards and emphasized she’s just an engaged parent. But from her actions, it inspired more parents’ involvement which increased the overall culture around learning for students.
Jones said she uses her community engagement as an outlet from her career work as a co-owner of Hodges Financial Services. As well as being a financial director, Jones talked about her biggest achievement this year as PTA president.
“[We need] more parental involvement in education,” she said. “When parents are involved in education, whether it’s academic, social. Increasing the parent engagement, I would say, has been the most rewarding. Seeing parents that were never involved before becoming excited about events, it has been very rewarding.”
Jones also said she’s ready to take on something new with her leadership skills and help the next president make the best of their term.
Dr. Tiffani Worthy, the ATAP co-founder and CEO, showed off the organization’s Kwanzaa awards, wooden statues with representations of humans and earth, humans connecting, human thinking.
Worthy custom ordered the awards from Ghana in February, each a statue representing their categories: Building for the Future, Peace & Unity, Courage Leadership, Faith & Trust, Humility & Strength, Hope & Inspiration, Understanding and Cooperation, Perseverance and the ATAP Scholar.
Honorees received their awards and certificate of authenticity for recognition of their unique positive impacts.
In 2024, the ATAP Foundation brought together community members that completely exemplified their respective categories. Their contribution to the community is an investment for years to come.
Organizations like the All Things Possible Foundations showed these community members’ efforts do not go unrecognized, but to empower them to create the positive change they aspire to make.
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