What Matters to Me

It is important that I give back to my community using my professional skills, time, and connections to advance causes that matter to me and so many others. I currently am a part of the cadre of Black Horse Forge, a blacksmith forge that provides skills training and community for active military, veterans, first responders, and their supporters and families. By learning the crafts of blacksmithing and blade smithing, those served by the volunteer veteran team at Black Horse Forge find community, a sense of accomplishment, mental and physical well-being, and the knowledge and experience to continue the craft on their own. 100 percent of donations serve the program, and there are no paid staff or volunteers. More than 11,000 veterans/responders have been served as of January 2022.

In the past, I served on the board of Calvary Women’s Services, an organization that offers housing and comprehensive support services to homeless women of DC.  Located on Good Hope Road in the Anacostia neighborhood of Washington, DC, Calvary provides homeless women with housing and comprehensive support services including educational programs, job readiness classes, mental health services, addiction recovery support, one-on-one case management, health and wellness activities and more. Calvary is known as a place where women go when they’re ready to make a real change in their lives, and it works.  Every five days a client moves into her own home.