Chris Kerns – Community of Hope board member, volunteer and advocate – always says, “This is the most important work you will do every day.”
To mark 35 years of serving the District’s most vulnerable neighbors, we gathered our founding members for a reunion. We used that moment to present the first-ever Tom Nees Award for Exceptional Service to our champion, Chris Kerns.
The award – given in honor of our founder, Tom Nees – recognizes its recipient for his or her long-standing, deeply-impacting service to the women, men and children who turn to Community of Hope for help.
For 27 years, Chris’s leadership has built a much needed community for our families. He has gone above and beyond in his commitment to charitable giving by providing Community of Hope with his extensive knowledge of construction, real estate and legal services; connecting us to new partners and donors; and giving us his time and attention. His passion for Community of Hope is infectious and his heart incredibly big and open.
Gathered around Chris were those whose service helped lay the foundation for Community of Hope, including Bob Sloan and Tom Nees, whose vision inspired our beginnings. In Tom’s words, “We came to serve, but found that we were served.”
With this award, we want to thank Chris for being an integral part of Community of Hope’s growth and development.
Chris, through your service, we see hope every day.
(Pictured: Chris Kerns, Kelly Sweeney McShane, Founder Tom Nees, and Founding Board Chair Bob Sloan)
