Introducing the Community Is a Verb Awards

“I deeply believe that you cannot deliver on your mission without looking at the written and unwritten rules that influence our lives (i.e., public policy),” JP President and CEO Chastity Lord said during our inaugural Community Is a Verb Award Celebration Dinner.

She was referring to the “influence” in JP’s Do. Foster. Influence. (DFI) framework.

“Tonight is a reminder that three things can be true: the do, the direct-service programming that some of you are familiar with, which is a part of our 28-year history; the foster, which is around mobilizing alumni … and tonight is about the influence.”

On March 5 in Boston, JP celebrated corporate and civic leaders who are making intentional investments that drive economic mobility for lower-income families and children: Ulta Beauty, New York Life Insurance Company, Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens, and San Antonio Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones.

Hosted by NBC 10 Boston reporter Glenn Jones, the Community Is a Verb Awards Celebration Dinner gathered nearly 150 JP supporters, board members, staff, and community members at a family-style dinner that emphasized the power of the collective.

“There’s a lot of great policy, great strategies that are happening in our communities,” Chastity said that night, “and JP is going to amplify it, we are going to celebrate it, and we are going to try and make sure it gets as much light as possible — because it directly impacts the families we serve.”

We are inspired by and proud to amplify these leaders’ investments in single mothers and their families, and we appreciate the example they’ve set for other leaders.

COMMUNITY IS A VERB AWARDS
CELEBRATION DINNER

Learn all about each of our honorees, watch them accept their awards, and hear them speak directly about the intention behind their significant work for mothers and children.

WATCH THE HONOREES

The 2026 Community Is a Verb Award Honorees

Ulta Beauty

It is clear that Ulta Beauty stands on firm values, as evidenced by their career exploration campaign for the beauty industry and their Associate Relief Program, which supports associates in need when their families face unforeseen hardships.

Amy Dichard, vice president for Ulta Beauty’s Northeast region, accepted the award on her company’s behalf and spoke about her experience as a single mother who has felt supported since she joined Ulta seven years ago. She not only pointed to the company’s commitment to parents and its 91% female staff but also to those earning and paying off loans for post-secondary degrees. “Ulta Beauty fosters an environment where ambitious professionals who are also parents and single parents can and should thrive in both roles,” she shared.

New York Life Insurance Company

New York Life’s dedication to children experiencing grief and loss is significant, and we celebrate their guidance for single parents through curated financial and life insurance tips expressly for this group.

Accepting the Award for New York Life Insurance, Corporate Vice President Joe Harrold emphasized that “family protection isn’t a product; it’s a promise.” Referring to their resources supporting bereaved adults and children, he stated that grief can be lasting and profound — but financial hardship should not — and financially secure families result in financially secure communities. “We hope that our single-parent financial protection resources serve not just as something to celebrate,” he explained, “but as visible proof of what’s possible when corporations … focus with intention on improving the lives of families in all of our communities.”

City of Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens

We are heartened by Mayor Andre Dickens and the City of Atlanta’s commitment to empowering economic mobility through the Women in Technology (WIT) Single Mothers Program and the $5 billion Reinvestment Plan, which directly supports affordable housing, grocery store access, trails, and more.

Mayor Dickens could not be there in person to receive his award, but JP Alumni Fellow Staci Sawyer accepted the award in his absence and shared her experiences as a single mom making her way in the tech industry, inspired by the mayor’s support for Atlanta women in the field.

In a video shared with celebration attendees, Mayor Dickens stated that his approach to his work is partly shaped by his identity as someone raised by a single mother and as a “girl dad.” “When I look at Atlanta, I see families who are working hard, raising children, and betting on their futures,” he said in the video. “My job is to make sure this city bets on them too.”

City of San Antonio Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones

When federal SNAP funding was cut in November 2025, Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones and the City of San Antonio leveraged public and private partnerships and rallied the business community to ensure families had enough to eat, raising $1.6 billion in the effort. About 10,000 families received grocery gift cards to meet their most basic needs.

While Mayor Jones could not attend the event, JP Alumni Fellow and San Antonio resident Molly Miller accepted the award on her behalf. Molly also explained how Mayor Jones’s work has impacted families she supports in her own work managing coordinated care for people with disabilities.

Mayor Jones also sent a video to share with attendees, noting that her experience being raised by a single mother, living in subsidized housing, and receiving reduced lunch informs her advocacy. “The need in our community is great,” she said, “which is why I fight so hard for affordable housing; for high-quality, affordable child care; and, yes, making it easier for folks to vote.”

“This is not altruistic work. We need each other.” -JP President & CEO Chastity Lord

When Moms Win, Communities Win

Closing the evening, Chastity noted her awe and inspiration upon learning of the work of Ulta, New York Life Insurance, Mayor Dickens, and Mayor Jones. “Those are things that don’t always make the front of our news feeds,” she said, “but let’s be very clear: When women win, single moms win. When single moms win, our communities win.”

And that is where DFI returns to the conversation. The holistic, two-generation work we do at JP each day is critical. And fostering the shared power and expertise of our moms and alumni is equally important. But we are in a unique position to influence.

“This is not altruistic work,” Chastity emphasized to the room that night. “We need each other. We need donors, we need doers, and we need door openers.”

We need you.

If we are going to change the systems that make it harder for single-mother families to attain education and reauthor their futures, we need you to make introductions to people who can make a difference. We need you to advocate to public policy makers about the needs of single moms and their children. We need board members at the national level and in each of our nine cities. We need internships and career opportunities for JP moms.

As Chastity put it, “This is our community. You are part of JP’s community.” We are incredibly grateful for you.

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