John Hope Bryant

John Hope Bryant is the founder, chairman and chief executive officer of Operation HOPE, the bestselling author of Love Leadership: The New Way to Lead in a Fear-Based World (Jossey-Bass), advisor to the last two sitting U.S. presidents, a thought leader, social entrepreneur and businessman in the business of empowerment.

Operation HOPE, America's first non-profit social investment banking organization founded immediately following the Rodney King Riots of 1992 in South Central Los Angeles, now operates in 69 U.S. communities and South Africa, having served more than one million individuals, has more than 10,000 HOPE Corps volunteers, 5,000 partners from government, community (including faith) and the private sector, and has raised more than $500 million from the private sector to empower the poor.

Former U.S. President Bill Clinton described Mr. Bryant as "…a whirlwind of ideas and action." Mr. Bryant is a co-founder of Global Dignity, an organization which includes amongst its dignity principles:

• Every human being has a right to lead a dignified life.
• A dignified life means an opportunity to fulfill one's potential, which is based on having a human level of health care, education, and income.

John Hope Bryant has conducted Dignity Day teaching sessions with youth and leaders around the world. On October 20th, 2009, GLOBAL DIGNITY DAY 09' was held in 32 countries and six continents.

Raised in Compton and South Central Los Angeles, California and homeless for 6 months of his life by age 18, John Hope Bryant is today a businessman and social entrepreneur who has traveled the world tirelessly promoting a sense of hope, self-esteem, dignity, and opportunity for the under-served.

John Hope Bryant has received more than 400 awards and citations for his work to empower low-wealth communities including the "Use Your Life Award" by Oprah Winfrey, and was named a "Community Hero" by People Magazine on the 10th anniversary of the worst urban civil unrest in U.S. history. In December, 1994, Mr. Bryant was selected by TIME Magazine for their "America's 50 Most Promising Leaders of the Future" cover story. Mr. Bryant serves on the CEO Panel for USA Today Newspaper and writes regularly for the Huffington Post.

Mr. Bryant received an Honorary Doctorate Degree of Human Letters from Paul Quinn College of Dallas, Texas and in April, 2008, as part of the Forum of Young Global Leaders, Bryant completed the Harvard University John K. Kennedy School of Government, "Global Public Policy and Leadership for the 21st Century" executive education program. Mr. Bryant has received the National Community Service Award both from Spelman College and Livingstone College.

Patrice Harris

Patrice Harris is the Anchor for FOX45 Morning News. She joined the morning news team in April of 2003. Before her position with FOX 45, Patrice worked as a Reporter at WGAL-TV in Pennsylvania and KSBW-TV in California. Prior to heading to the west coast, Patrice spent a year in Boston where she received a fellowship to report for WCVB-TV. Her career in journalism began in 1995 at ABC News in Washington. She spent three years there as a Production Coordinator for Nightline. A native of Mitchellville, Maryland, Patrice graduated from Towson State University. In 2006, Towson University honored Patrice with their Distinguished Alumni of the Year Award. Since settling in Baltimore, Patrice has been active in community growth and development activities. She is a frequent speaker at community events and schools. She participates in the University of Maryland School of Social Work's Empowerment Conference for Young Women and was a participant in the Cherry Hill Summit.

She is currently working with Towson University to start a journalism program in Cherry Hill schools.

Margaret S. Sterck School/Delaware School for the Deaf, Newark, Delaware

The mission of the Delaware School for the Deaf, a program serving deaf and hard of hearing students birth through twenty-one years of age, is to educate students with rigorous achievement standards, to develop their linguistic competence in both ASL and English, and to prepare them to be contributing citizens, by providing access to language and information in a safe and supportive learning environment.

Statewide Services for Deaf and Hard of Hearing assists school districts and families in identifying the services necessary to ensure language development; in addition, Statewide Services promotes access to the curriculum for deaf and hard of hearing students. (source: http://dedhh.org/) The Parent Child Program, within the Statewide Services Division, provides family education and early intervention for families of babies and toddlers (birth to 3) who are identified with a hearing loss. The program gives comprehensive, neutral information which allows families to make informed decisions concerning their child's language development, communication and education. The services may be provided in the home and/or day care setting and are delivered by qualified teachers in collaboration with other service providers.

Through these services and programs, the Sterck School/Delaware School has assisted families in locating resources to support the development of children with sickle cell disease.

Overlea High School, Baltimore County, Maryland

Overlea High School's 45 acre campus serves the diversified communities of Overlea, Rosedale, White Marsh, and Raspeburg. The faculty is committed to providing a rigorous program of academic and occupational experiences combined with a variety of social and extra-curricular activities that challenge students to reach their full potential. Our objective is to prepare all students for post-secondary endeavors either in the world of work or in educational pursuits. A supportive environment is designed to allow students to excel on many levels thus increasing their self-esteem.

Recognizing that its student population is a microcosm of a multi-cultural and multi-ethnic society, the faculty and staff of Overlea High School strive to perpetuate this uniquely democratic and pluralistic society by instilling a respect in all students for themselves and for the beliefs and cultural differences of others. The staff consistently pursues the goal of producing students who become educated, responsible, and ethical members of society. (source: http://www.bcps.org/)

In 2009, the Overlea High School Student Government Association held a fundraiser during Spirit Week and donated the proceeds to the Fund in order to help raise awareness about sickle cell disease, which affects several of their students.