Photo | Mark Mattos

ProsperityME’s 16th annual Community Block Party took place on October 10 at the University of New England’s Portland campus. The event featured three awards, including the “Commitment to Service Award,” which went to Deqa Dhalac, Co-Founder of Cross Cultural Community Services (CCCS) and Maine State Representative, for her dedication to serving the immigrant community – and all of Maine – through her work at the local and state levels.

Kellia Uwase (L) and Joyce Simbi pause at the Social Hour buffet

ADVERTISEMENT

The “Outstanding Community Partner Award” went to the Genesis Fund for their work promoting economic opportunity in communities that face significant barriers to prosperity. The “Volunteer of the Year Award” went to Helen Andreoli, Chief Financial Officer and Founding Partner of Great Diamond Partners, who served on the board of directors at ProsperityME for eight years. This year ProsperityME awarded 12 Prosper Scholarships to outstanding asylum-seeking students. 

L-R Steven Riley, Deqa Dhalac, and Elyse Tipton

Claude Rwaganje (L) and Sherri Stevens (R) present the Commitment to Service award to Deqa Dhalac

PROSPER Scholarship recipients

Kerem Durdag was Master of Ceremonies for the evening

Commitment to Service award recipient Deqa Dhalac

PROSPER Scholar Severina Pedro