FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Audrey Ann Ross
215-985-2619
audrey.ross@accessmatters.org
AccessMatters’ Staff and Board Members among Awardees for Social Innovations Awards
[PHILADELPHIA, PA – January 25, 2018]: On Thursday, January 24th, the Social Innovations Journal honored innovators from multiple disciplines in the 2018 Greater Philadelphia Social Innovations Awards. Nominees included several people deeply connected to AccessMatters including staff, board, provider partners, and collaborators. AccessMatters is pleased to join the Social Innovations Journal and others to celebrate the accomplishments and recognize their important contributions.
“We are grateful to work closely with such high-caliber individuals who embody social entrepreneurship and are continually finding innovative ways to affect positive change,” said Melissa Weiler Gerber, President and CEO of AccessMatters. “This is a true testament to their steadfast commitment and creative talent that they channel in a way that serves the community at large.”
AccessMatters’ Director of Training and Capacity Building Jaymie Campbell, M.A., M.Ed., took third place in the Race and Gender category. Campbell was honored for his commitment and dedication to building inclusive and diverse spaces in the workplace. His hallmark training, Cultivating Awareness of Racial Microaggressions, addresses racial dynamics in groups and is “an effective entry point to the overarching task of establishing racial equity.” More information about the training can be found in Campbell’s article in the latest issue of the Social Innovations Journal.
AccessMatters’ Vice President of the Board of Directors and Executive Director of Philadelphia Futures Sara L. Woods received first place in the Non-Profit category. Woods was honored for her work in leading the organization that provides Philadelphia’s low-income, first-generation-to-college students with the tools, resources, and opportunities they need to succeed in college.
AccessMatters’ provider partner and Executive Director of the African Family Health Organization (AFAHO) Oni Richards-Waritay received first place in the Human Rights and Dignity category for her dedication to serving the needs of African and Caribbean immigrants and refugees who experience difficulties accessing health care due to cultural, linguistic, geographic, and other barriers.
AccessMatters’ collaborator and faculty member at the Children Hospital of Philadelphia’s PolicyLab Aletha Y. Akers, MD, MPH, FACOG took first place in the Government category for her work connecting public policy and service delivery to improve systems and create change for patients and communities.
Nominees and Awardees wrote articles about their work that will be featured in upcoming issues of the Social Innovations Journal.
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AccessMatters is the catalyst for providing access to sexual and reproductive health care for teens and adults in need reaching over 150,000 individuals annually. For more information about AccessMatters programs, visit www.AccessMatters.org, @AccessMatters4U on Twitter, and @AccessMatters on Facebook.