Can you believe it's that time of year again? Thanksgiving? Christmas? No, the Ward 6 Brickies! 

The Brickies are Ward 6's annual get-together where we celebrate some of our neighbors and community organizations who have gone above and beyond to serve and contribute to what makes Ward 6 such a great place to call home. Normally, we'd be getting together in-person and enjoying some great food from local businesses. But in order to ensure a safe environment for as many people as we can, we're going to be virtual again this year. 

The event will be live on Zoom on Thursday, December 2 from 8-9 pm, and simulcast on my Facebook page. You're welcome to watch on either.

Click here to RSVP directly on Zoom! 

And here are your 2021 Ward 6 Brickie Award Winners: 

Neighbor Award: Wendy Hammond

A third-generation resident of Hill East, Wendy Hammond has been described as someone who truly embodies what it means to be a good neighbor. Wendy has maintained a “Blessings Box” in front of her home since before the pandemic. And once the pandemic upended life as we know it, she worked overtime to help arrange for her homebound senior neighbors to get tested and sign-up for vaccines, coordinating at-home visits with the local fire department, and even transporting residents . Neighbors say it is impossible to walk past Wendy’s home without her greeting you and checking in. While this is only a short list of her work as a neighbor, it’s more than enough to recognize her with the 2021 Neighbor Award.

Community Organization Award: Capitol Hill Village

Since 2007, Capitol Hill Village has been a forceful and effective advocate for DC‘s and Ward 6’s senior residents. Whether that means working to bring more affordable housing dedicated to senior residents, strengthening aging-in-place initiatives such as improving home health aide work or transportation, or helping make a vaccine clinic possible for senior residents, Capitol Hill Village has proven itself a capable and nimble organization, working on behalf of senior residents who don’t always have the tools or voice to speak up for themselves.

Public Service Award: Monica Williams, Mary Scott, and Kendra Ambrose | DC Traffic Control Officers assigned to Tyler Elementary School and Digital Pioneers PCS

Every year, there is one nominee who receives a massive amount of community support. This year, there were three people. Parents, teachers, and neighbors around Tyler Elementary School and Digital Pioneers PCS rallied to recognize the twice-daily work of the three traffic control officers who protect students going to and from school each day. Monica Williams, Mary Scott, and Kendra Ambrose’s support for a Brickie is a reflection on what their public service means to these school communities.

Business Award: Shop Made in DC

When Councilmember Allen was first elected, an early effort of his was to create the Made in DC brand, which sought to give a bigger platform to DC’s talented maker community. It would’ve been a wild dream to believe years later stores like Shop Made in DC could exist. Shop Made in DC carries products made in DC, by DC residents, across six locations. It brings together, and elevates, DC small businesses and local makers, and puts their hard work in front of many more customers than might’ve otherwise been possible. As we enter the holiday season, Shop Made in DC is now located in Georgetown, Union Market, The Wharf (Ward 6), The Roost (Ward 6), the Convention Center (borders Ward 6), and the Canopy Hotel on Rhode Island Ave, NW.

Civic Pride Award: Eastern Market Metro Park

The Civic Pride Award is always dedicated to an effort, person, or group that elevates the entire community. Earlier this year, the ribbon was cut on a nearly 10-year transformation of the area around the Eastern Market Metro from a place people walk through to a place people walk to. The final result has been a stunning success, a new Town Square for Capitol Hill that has already played host to a series of outdoor concerts, lunch and coffee dates, quiet time for residents, and just recently, the annual lighting of the Holiday Tree on Capitol Hill. Accepting the award on behalf of the dozens of people who helped make this transformation possible is David Perry, a man who spent countless hours on behalf of Barracks Row Main Street in planning meetings and helping coordinate the process from start to finish. David would be the first to acknowledge that this project truly took a whole village to complete. This award acknowledges the enormous contributions of dozens of community volunteers, organizations, and government agencies, including the Eastern Market Metro Park Advisory Team, the DC Department of General Services, Advisory Neighborhood Commission 6B, the Capitol Hill Business Improvement District, Eastern Market Main Street, CHAMPS, Friends of Southeast Library, the DC Public Library, the DC Department of Parks and Recreation, and the National Park Service.