On Wednesday, Dec. 5, Councilmember Charles Allen (D-Ward 6) hosted the 12th Annual Brickies awards and community celebration. Begun by former Ward 6 Councilmember Tommy Wells as the Livable Walkable Awards with engraved bricks as a special honor, the free community event was nicknamed “The Brickies” by the local newspaper “Hill Rag.”
Winners of The Brickies are nominated by the Ward 6 community, and cover a wide array of categories, such as the Business Award, the Neighbor Award and the Civic Pride Award.
This year’s winners included:
- Business Award: Clean Decisions – A Ward 6 business offering high quality janitorial services, trash clean-up and yard maintenance, and is 100 percent operated and owned by returning citizens. Opened in 2014, Clean Decisions has successfully provided full- and part-time employment to over 30 people, and they have a 100% anti-recidivism rate.
- Neighbor Award: Frances Slaughter – Born and raised in DC, Ms. Slaughter is director and teacher at the Capitol Hill Cooperative Nursery School. With more than 30 years working in early child education, she has made an impact on countless lives in Ward 6.
- Community Organization Award: The Mount Vernon Triangle CID – A private, non-profit organization established to enhance the overall life for residents, workers and visitors alike in the Mount Vernon Triangle neighborhood. It has a year-round calendar of events that bring the diverse neighborhood together.
- Public Service Award: Larry Handerhan – Currently serving as Chief of Staff for the DC Department of Human Serves (DHS), Mr. Handerhan has served as the key person from DHS working alongside the Councilmember’s office and others to serve the seniors displaced from the Arthur Capper Senior Apartments after the fire that displaced the 160 members of the Arthur Capper community.
- Civic Pride Award: Arthur Capper Senior Apartments Fire – Community Response; This award recognized a wide number of people and organizations who have collectively worked to respond to the Arthur Capper Senior Apartments fire on September 19, 2018, and since then to assist with residents’ recovery. Honorees include:
- Arthur Capper Senior Apartments Residents
- Meredith Fascett
- Georgina Wallace
- AARP DC State Chapter
- Southwest Business Improvement District
- Capitol Riverfront Business District
- Marine Barracks Washington
In a press release the day of the event, Councilmember Allen said “This is a big night out for Ward 6 each year—neighbors enjoying food, music, and having fun together as we hand out bricks to recognize some of the important contributions from neighbors, organizations, and businesses. Every year, I feel lucky to recognize some great folks and this year is no exception.”
By Southwester Staff