A Resounding Success!

On July 11th, the Williams-Daniels Family Foundation hosted our 6th Annual “Give Back Block Party,” bringing together over 200 community members for a day filled with celebration, unity, and joyful connection.

Families enjoyed delicious food and packed schedule of entertainment, including high-energy bounce houses, an incredible dance contest, and classic musical chairs. In keeping with our mission to empower students, we distributed free school supplies to prepare local youth for the upcoming academic year.

Special Guests & Civic Leaders

We were honored to be joined alongside prominent political figures Rita Joseph, Marc Levine, and Cindy Chen, who were present to encourage the community and stand alongside us as we presented our annual scholarships and community awards!

2026 Community Award Honorees

During the Block Party, the Foundation took great pride in recognizing exemplary leaders whose dedication lifts up our entire neighborhood:

ENTREPRENEUR AWARD: Mary Nelson

EMPOWERMENT AWARD: Rochelle Williams

COMMUNITY SERVICE: Mr. Wintley “Collin” Knight

Scholarship meet & greet celebration

On August 8th, the Foundation hosted an intimate Meet & Greet honoring our 2026 scholarship recipients and their families.

During this special gathering, we formally presented the scholars with their financial award checks, custom gift packages courtesy of the NAACP, and additional college essential gifts to prepare them for higher education success!

Meet Our Outstanding 2026 Scholars:

Gyasi Bowser Santiago: Attending University of Maryland Eastern Shore (Represented at the celebration by his brother, Yohances.)

Moriah Inez Brown: Attending Albertus Magnus College

Aamir Che Frederic: Sophomore at SUNY Delhi

Scholarship Announcement & Special Gratitude

A major highlight of the Block Party was the presentation of our 2026 Academic Scholarship Awards.

We are deeply grateful to announce that through a extraordinarily generous surprise donation from Arthur & Gail Shepard, our Foundation was able to fund and present a third academic scholarship this year! Thank you to the Shepards for investing in the future of our youth.

historic milestone: street renaming approved !!!

We are thrilled to share historic upcoming news! The Foundation has received official notice from Councilwoman Rita Joseph that the street renaming in honor of our beloved Founder, James P. Williams, has been officially APPROVED!

This permanent honor recognizes Mr. Williams' tireless legacy of community service, youth empowerment, and advocacy. The official Street Renaming Ceremony date will be announced soon.

Stay tuned!