TOWSON, Md. — Baltimore County Executive Kathy Klausmeier recognized seven residents as recipients of the 2026 Community Heroes Awards during the county’s annual Community Leader Summit.The annual awards honor individuals for volunteer work, advocacy, and civic service across the county’s seven council districts.In remarks at the event, Klausmeier commended the recipients for addressing youth hunger, assisting immigrant families, supporting neighborhood development, and fostering community engagement.Th...
TOWSON, Md. — Baltimore County Executive Kathy Klausmeier recognized seven residents as recipients of the 2026 Community Heroes Awards during the county’s annual Community Leader Summit.
The annual awards honor individuals for volunteer work, advocacy, and civic service across the county’s seven council districts.
In remarks at the event, Klausmeier commended the recipients for addressing youth hunger, assisting immigrant families, supporting neighborhood development, and fostering community engagement.
The 2026 award recipients include:
Yanci Alvarez of District 1, a volunteer coordinator with the RISE community outreach program at Christ the King Church, who organizes food distributions and connects immigrant families with local support services.
Jessica Harris of District 2, a resident services professional with more than two decades of experience supporting housing stability, food security, and health programs for seniors and families. Harris was also named Service Coordinator of the Year by the American Association of Service Coordinators in 2026.
Lynne Kahn of District 3, the founder and executive director of the Baltimore Hunger Project, an organization operating out of Timonium that supplies weekend food packages to elementary school students to combat childhood hunger.
Crystal Micriotto of District 4, the Main Street manager for Reisterstown Main Street and the Reisterstown Improvement Association, who leads commercial revitalization projects, public art installations, and historic preservation initiatives in the area.
Vicki Keller of District 5, a retired supervisor with the Baltimore County Department of Health who currently serves with the Perry Hall Improvement Association, the Honeygo Regional Veterans Memorial Executive Committee, and local historical preservation efforts.
Susanna Barrios of District 6, an advocate who works with Disability Rights Maryland, co-founded the Latinos United Network for Advocacy, and serves on the Baltimore County New American Task Force to improve access and language support for residents.
Jacqueline “Jackie” Brewster of District 7, a longtime PTA leader and president at Charlesmont Elementary School who has served on the PTA Council of Baltimore County, led Cub Pack 342, and chaired the Southeast Area Education Advisory Council since 2009.
Details regarding county programs and community initiatives are accessible through the official Baltimore County Government portal.
NOTE: Some articles may be written with the assistance of AI and reviewed by a human editor.