Phoenix Awards
Annual scholarships and awards to celebrate perseverance
Phoenix Outstanding Achievement Scholarships
These educational scholarships are given to former ForKids clients who have shown remarkable tenacity and courage to overcome significant personal challenges and have broken their cycles of homelessness and poverty.
Children’s Champion Award
This is reserved for an individual or organization who has made specific, measurable contributions to improving the lives of children living in homelessness and poverty. The honoree is selected based on their work at the local, state or national level.
2020 Phoenix Achievement Awards Honorees
Pat Blackson
shown with ForKids CEO Thaler McCormick
Pat and her two daughters, Acheena and Neivda, have a long history with ForKids. They were one of the first families to come to Haven House when the shelter opened in 1990. After spending most of her childhood in foster care, Pat was battling addiction. She and her daughters returned to Haven House numerous times as Pat fought
and repeatedly lost that battle.
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Finally in 1994, ForKids was awarded a grant to open transitional housing units and Pat and her daughters were among the first to move in. In 1995, with the stability of housing, Pat conquered her addiction and has now lived drug-free for 25 years.
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After leaving ForKids, the family continued to struggle financially. In an industry notorious for part-time jobs, Pat juggled two jobs as a cook for over two decades. In 2017, Pat landed a full-time job with benefits at Harbor’s Edge where she has worked for three years and is loved by residents.
As a supportive mother and devoted grandmother, Pat is proud of the girls’ educational achievements and ready to personally tackle new challenges.
Capri Robinson
shown with ForKids CEO Thaler McCormick, Agena Foundation Executive Director Felicia Ford and ForKids Board Chair Kelly Sokol
Capri Robinson is focused and driven by the pursuit of a bright future. In 2005, after her mom and her brother found themselves with no place to call home, they found ForKids. Capri was four-and-a-half years old when the family moved into Morgan Place.
Motivated by her time in Hot Meals and Homework (now called Beyond the Bell), Capri knew early on that she wanted to go to college and become either a lawyer or a detective. She stayed focused on her school work and looked for opportunities to grow.
During her Sophomore and Junior years in high school, Capri participated in the Old Dominion University Model United Nations Conference which brought together students from around the globe to discuss how to impact the world around them. In her Senior year, Capri started her first job at Chick-Fil-A and this February will mark two years with the company.
Last year, Capri graduated from Booker T. Washington Hight School in Norfolk and is currently attending Tidewater Community College, majoring in Criminal Justice.
2018 Phoenix Achievement Awards Honorees
2017 Children's Champion
South Norfolk Community
Today’s residents of South Norfolk have accomplished much. Forward thinking and focused on community transformation, the Community of South Norfolk embraced ForKids and the new Center for Children and Families. They worked tirelessly to gain City Council approval for the sale of land to ForKids and succeeded. Their vision and courageous leadership speak to the community’s formidable will and their dedication to changing their community for the better.