The 11th annual event held to recognize the achievements of the area’s humanitarians also acknowledges contributions to the organization from the county’s business community, including the event’s sponsors, Lockheed Martin, Marriott International and The Gazette Newspapers. The organization, formerly known as Community Ministries for about 35 years, also celebrated its first breakfast under a new name.
‘‘It was important to me that the students realize that they are in a unique situation in that they come from a very affluent population, and that it was really important for them to understand that not everybody lives in that little bubble,” Nachbar said about her work following the awards ceremony.
Every year she and her students raise money to buy lunch and dinner supplies for a week’s worth of meals at an Interfaith Works shelter. At the same time, Nachbar leads her class in discussions of social justice and social action. Once the money is raised, the students and their families prepare and eat meals at the shelter with the homeless families for a week.
In addition to Nachbar, organizers also recognized longtime civic leader and businesswoman Carol Trawick as Humanitarian of the Year for her financial and advocacy work supporting Interfaith Works’ programs.
Trawick and her husband, Jim, head the Trawick Foundation, which benefits local health and human service and arts organizations. For about 20 years the couple owned an information technology company providing services to 60,000 federal government users before selling the company and establishing the foundation two years ago. In addition to Trawick’s involvement with Interfaith Works, she has served on several civic boards and is the vice chairwoman of the Strathmore Music Center Board of Directors.
U.S. Rep. Christopher Van Hollen Jr. (D-Dist. 8) of Kensington introduced Trawick as a ‘‘community builder” who has helped shape and spur economic development.
‘‘I feel strange accepting an award when all I’m doing is following my heart and my God,” Trawick said.
As part of her acceptance speech, Trawick told the audience about Alvin Thomas, a homeless man helped by Interfaith Works’ programs who has gone on to become a professional artist. Through private donations, Thomas was enrolled in art classes at Montgomery College and continues rebuilding his life.
Large life-changing opportunities are rare, Trawick said, ‘‘but small opportunities are with us every day, and that is Interfaith Works.”
The Rockville-based organization helps thousands of the county’s poor through a coalition of more than 140 congregations, corporate sponsors and 7,000 volunteers. In addition to operating the homeless shelters, Interfaith Works also provides clothing, temporary housing services, pregnancy programs and donations of school supplies.
As part of the breakfast, Executive Director Rebecca Wagner reported that Interfaith Works was on track to meet its $3.6 million revenue goal by June 30, an amount that will double with private donations. The organization also boasts a low 4.8 percent overhead.
‘‘We work at the edges. Working poor families are literally falling off the edge trying to make ends meet,” she said.
About 50,000 people living in Montgomery County are below the federal poverty line. At any given time 1,500 people a day are homeless in the county. One-third of the homeless are children. About one-fourth of students in the public school system qualify for free and reduced lunch.
‘‘It is the chronic shortage of income that does people in,” Wagner said. ‘‘If you are listening, you will hear people in pain.”
