Source: FunTimes Magazine
Some nights feel like a celebration. Others feel like a testimony. Friday, May 22nd night was both the night when resilience became joy, and the night when every story of struggle was transformed into something larger: proof that healing, when sustained by community and commitment, can become a legacy.
Inside Mother Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church, that spirit filled every corner of the room. The Women of Influence Awards Dinner did not simply recognize achievement, it revealed the human stories beneath it. Stories shaped by foster care advocacy, nonprofit leadership, caregiving, and community transformation across Philadelphia.
Guests entered the historic venue as live violin music from Dr. Jack Drummond filled the room, creating an atmosphere that felt both elegant and grounded. Also, rhythms from our traditional tool of communication, the talking drums, added cultural spice to the event. Conversations unfolded across tables, centering on mentorship, youth development, economic opportunity, and the importance of stability in a child’s life.
Upholding FunTimes’ mission to root our events in our cultural Blackness, Lavonne Nichols gave a stirring performance of the Black National Anthem, “Lift Every Voice and Sing.” Then the opening remarks deepened the room’s reflection. A video presentation honoring the evening’s recipients highlighted stories of perseverance, service, and transformation.
Our Moderator and Master of Ceremony (MC), Nkwa Asonye, an award-winning broadcast journalist, did a great job, welcoming and guiding the evening’s program.
Before the awards began, Sandy Lawrence, Deaconess of Vine Memorial Baptist Church and Associate Publisher of FunTimes Magazine, offered a blessing over the meal. Guests shared a buffet of cultural dishes carefully prepared by Sekela’s catering, located at Reading Terminal on 12th Street in center city Philadelphia.
Source: FunTimes Magazine
Honoring Leaders Who Turned Pain Into Purpose
The heart of the evening was honoring individuals whose lives reflect strength, service, and transformation.
Dr. Victoria Best, founder of Victoria Urban Outreach Tutoring Service (VUOTS), was recognized for transforming her lived experience in foster care into a mission focused on educational access, mentorship, and youth empowerment in Philadelphia. Through tutoring, enrichment, and one-on-one support, her work provides stability and opportunity for underserved students navigating challenges similar to those she once faced.
Ms. Olga Ashby-Bacon, a Certified Nursing Assistant and longtime foster parent, was honored for a lifetime of caregiving and service. Having fostered more than 40 children and later adopting two, she has dedicated decades to creating stability, love, and support for children in need, while continuing to advocate for youth aging out of foster care.
Dr. Nikia Owens, President and CEO of Campaign for Working Families, Inc. (CWF), headquartered in Philadelphia, 935 N 29th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19130, with offices in New Jersey and New York, was recognized for her leadership in advancing economic empowerment, workforce development, and financial stability for underserved communities across Philadelphia. Her work reflects a sustained commitment to expanding access to opportunity and strengthening families.
The Ecosystem Behind the Work
As the program expanded, attention turned to organizations that sustain long-term foster care support, youth mentorship, and family services in Philadelphia.
Friends of the Children Philadelphia was recognized for its long-term mentoring model that pairs children facing adversity with professional mentors who provide consistent, relationship-based support for more than a decade. This nationally recognized youth mentorship program in Philadelphia helps children build academic success, emotional stability, and long-term resilience.
Progressive Life Center was also honored for its decades of work in foster care services, adoption support, and behavioral health programs across multiple states, including Pennsylvania. Founded in 1983, PLC continues to strengthen families through trauma-informed care, parenting education, and child placement service
Source: FunTimes Magazine
Voices That Carried the Room
The emotional texture of the evening deepened through performance and storytelling centered on foster care advocacy, poetry, and healing in Philadelphia.
Ambition Harper, a poet, journalist, educator, and founder of The Adopt Channel, delivered a spoken word performance highlighting identity, resilience, and a lived foster care experience. He is widely recognized as a national voice in foster care storytelling and advocacy.
Dr. Jack Drummond, who provided live music throughout the evening, is a restorative practices leader and Executive Director of the West Philadelphia String Music & Mentorship Program. His work integrates music education, restorative justice, and youth mentorship to support community healing and leadership development.
Nkwa Asonye, an award-winning broadcast journalist. He is the Chapter President of the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) Philadelphia, and the Vice President of Regions on the NABJ Sports Task Force board.
Lavonne Nichols Pleasant, singer, speaker, certified life coach, and multimedia host with FunTimes Magazine, guided the evening with warmth and presence while promoting empowerment through her platform, Say Something Good LLC.
Civic Leadership in Conversation With Community
Civic leaders also helped connect personal stories to broader Philadelphia public policy, child welfare systems, and community development efforts.
Councilmember Jamie Gauthier, representing West and Southwest Philadelphia, presented recognition awards, reinforcing her commitment to housing justice, economic equity, and neighborhood preservation.
Robin Chapolini, Deputy Commissioner of Child Welfare Operations for the City of Philadelphia, contributed to the program through her leadership in improving the child welfare system and developing policy within the Department of Human Services.
Dr. Bryant M. Greene, founder of Always Best Care Senior Services, was also recognized for his work in senior care, entrepreneurship, philanthropy, and media.
Additional voices included Jared Council, a journalist and civic engagement editor for Every Voice, Every Vote, and Joshua Childs, a former foster care advocacy participant now working in banking, focusing on youth financial literacy and economic empowerment.
What Remained When the Night Ended
As the evening drew to a close, the formal program transitioned into something more personal. Photographs, conversations, and embraces that extended the night’s meaning beyond the stage.
The guest list reflected a strong coalition of Philadelphia nonprofit organizations, universities, advocacy groups, and media outlets, including Temple University, Lincoln University, Love Now Media, Mighty Writers, the Alliance of Black Social Workers, Delaware Valley Association of Black Psychologists, the National Association of Black Journalists, WURD Radio, Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual DisAbility, Always Best Care, Philadelphia Journalism Collaborative, Wiggins Tours N More, URL Media, West Philadelphia String Music & Mentorship Program and others.
Source: FunTimes Magazine
Sponsors included The Lenfest Institute for Journalism, People’s Media Fund, Press Forward, UNCF (United Negro College Fund), and Campaign for Working Families, Inc.
Giving the closing remark, Dr. Eric Nzeribe, shared his appreciation and reminded us all of the power of these remarkable Black Women whose lived experiences and life outcomes are stories that reflect FunTimes mission to be a platform for our stories to be shared and documented. He offered an emotional thank you and the hope that the night would have an impact on our lives, both personally and professionally.
But what lingered most was not the program itself. It was the reminder behind it: that transformation is built through consistency, relationship, and people willing to stay invested long after recognition ends.
And in that room, on that night, every story pointed back to the same truth: what begins in struggle does not have to end there.
Diamond Jones joined the FunTimes family as an intern while earning her Bachelor’s degree from Temple University. After graduating in 2018, Diamond decided to stay with FunTimes continuing her role as a writer and content creator for social media. In addition to writing, she also enjoys reading, traveling, and art. Working at a magazine has always been a dream. As a child, she would collect and study popular entertainment publications such as Word Up and Teen Vogue. Diamond hopes to continue to create content that will inspire and entertain.
