The Courage Project Unveils New Slate of Honorees Ahead of July 4th Holiday

Organizations and individuals reflect American generosity and care for community. Public award nomination form now open to the public to honor individuals or organizations making a difference in their communities

In celebration of Independence Day, The Courage Project today announced a new slate of award recipients. The individuals and organizations honored in this cohort of awardees reflect the best of the American spirit—stepping up courageously to help their communities and neighbors, whether that’s providing meals, helping families stay housed, creating opportunities for community healing, or advocating on behalf of their neighbors. 

The Courage Project distributes awards ranging from $10,000 to $50,000 to organizations and honors individuals who may then recommend “pay it forward” donations to values-aligned American nonprofit organizations. Awards are announced throughout the year in alignment with moments of civic reflection—including commemorative dates, cultural observances, and milestones that reflect the values at the heart of the project.

This new slate of recipients includes:

Individual recipients receiving “pay it forward” awards

• Bridgette Sanchez-Garcia: An advocate for immigrant high school students in Atlanta, GA, who helps them access advanced academic programs and provides mentorship, leaning on her and her family’s lived experience.
• Garrett Blaize: While serving in the National Guard, Garrett stepped into leadership as Executive Director of the Appalachia Community Fund—becoming the youngest executive director of a philanthropic intermediary of its size and scope in the United States. He took on this role during a period of organizational transition, helping to stabilize and reorient a legacy institution to meet a moment of regional uncertainty. After completing his military contract, he focused fully on building civic infrastructure and resilient local institutions in Central Appalachia.
• Gladys Harrison: As the owner of Big Mama’s Kitchen and Catering, Gladys preserves her late mother’s soul food restaurant as a cultural institution in North Omaha, NE. She honors her family’s legacy while sustaining a space for storytelling, connection, and Black heritage.
• Isaac Garcia: A young Native American and Mexican community leader who, at age 11, founded the nonprofit, Isaac’s Blessing Bags, to support unhoused individuals in St. Paul, MN, by providing bags filled with toiletries and other needed personal care items. 
• Prabhjot (Parry) Singh: A Sikh community leader who organizes interfaith gatherings at the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin, the site of a 2012 mass shooting. Through his work, he has helped to transform a place of tragedy into one of healing and understanding by hosting interfaith dialogues and community meals.
• Sergeant Major Raquel Painter, USMC (Ret.): A Native American Marine Corps veteran who founded the Onslow Veterans Pow Wow in 2021 to create a space for cultural celebration and healing, bridging military and Indigenous communities. 

Organizations receiving awards

• Alliance for a Better Community: The Fuerza Fund, hosted through the Alliance for a Better Community, provides rapid response assistance to families affected by the Los Angeles wildfires who were excluded from traditional aid. The fund has helped over 370 families with direct cash assistance.
• Eastern PA Trans Equity Project: EPATEP provides direct services to transgender and gender-diverse Pennsylvanians in 42 counties, including legal name changes, support groups, and basic needs. The organization was instrumental in Allentown, PA, becoming an LGBTQ+ “safe haven” in April 2025.
• PICO California: As the state’s largest faith-based community organizing network, PICO California represents over 500 congregations and 650,000 Californians across 18 counties. Led by immigrants, formerly incarcerated individuals, and low-wage workers, PICO California drives systemic change through grassroots campaigns on housing, healthcare, and criminal justice reform.
• Rutland County Pride Center: The organization demonstrated solidarity by physically protecting participants during the NAACP-organized Juneteenth Strut in Rutland County, VT, ensuring Black, brown, queer, and allied community members could walk safely through their town despite facing aggression.
• Shady Oaks Camp: Founded in 1947, Shady Oaks Camp in Homer Glen, IL, provides year-round programs for children and adults with disabilities, featuring 1-to-1 staff ratios and adaptive activities that promote independence, personal growth, and community inclusion.
• Upward Transitions: Established in 1925 and celebrating 100 years of service, Upward Transitions prevents evictions for families and seniors, obtains identification documents for individuals experiencing homelessness, and offers emergency relief and case management in Oklahoma City and County, OK.
• We the People Warwick: Through dialogue and storytelling, We the People Warwick addresses civic polarization in Warwick, NY, bringing together diverse community members to take coordinated action to bridge divides and support the social and emotional well-being of teens. 
• Yarrow Collective: Yarrow Collective in Fort Collins, CO, provides peer-supported approaches to mental health services, centering recovery and harm reduction while empowering individuals to define wellness on their own terms through healing justice approaches.

Launched in May 2025 with an initial $5 million commitment, The Courage Project is a collaborative initiative supported by partners including CFLeads, the Freedom Together Foundation, The James Irvine Foundation, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, the Kenneth Rainin Foundation, the Marguerite Casey Foundation, the McKnight Foundation, Pisces Foundation, the Public Welfare Foundation, The Skillman Foundation, the Surdna Foundation, and United Way Worldwide. The Courage Project distributes awards to organizations and honors individuals who are exhibiting acts of courage and compassion in their communities by standing up for what they believe in, helping their neighbors, and building bridges across communities. 

“We are so proud to honor this group of everyday people and trusted community organizations who remind us that the founding values of our democracy are alive and well in every corner of the country, almost 250 years after its founding,” said Deepak Bhargava, President, Freedom Together Foundation. “It is a privilege to work alongside charitable foundation partners to uplift and celebrate those whose everyday acts of civic bravery reflect the best of the American spirit.”

“At United Way Worldwide, our work is rooted in the belief that true courage lies in the ordinary acts of service that strengthen our communities,” said Angela F. Williams, President and CEO of United Way Worldwide. “The Courage Project honorees recognized in this cohort show what it means to stand up for others with compassion, resilience, and shared humanity, demonstrating the collective power of togetherness that I have seen on the ground in cities and towns across the country. I am proud that United Way Worldwide is supporting this meaningful initiative that shines a light on the quiet heroes building an even more vibrant America.”

The Courage Project is accepting public nominations on a rolling basis. To learn more about The Courage Project, view past honorees, and view the nomination submission form, visit www.thecourageproject.org.