Peabody Award Ceremony Recap

Peabody is an organisation that helps people in disadvantaged communities flourish by providing homes and investing in said communities to aid their resiliency. Their model is based on George Peabody, who declared that his obvious humanitarian mission is to “ameliorate the condition of the poor and needy of this great metropolis and to promote their comfort and happiness”. 

The first-ever Peabody Young People Awards event was held last Friday night, January 20th. The purpose of this celebration was to honour the contributions of their esteemed partners and volunteers and showcase gratitude for their initiatives to make their communities stronger, wealthier, and more resilient. This event was executed wonderfully. To adequately convey my experience, I will highlight key aspects which contributed to the success of the evening.

 The highlight of the evening was the entertainment. I thought it was fantastic that Peabody provided youth members of minority communities the chance to display their incredible artistic abilities. Anu Balofin, a passionate poet, performed three poems about her experience of being a member of Generation Z. Musician Nate Lyken sang a handful of his favourite tunes, including a rendition of Location by Khalid. Both of these performers immediately captured the audience. 

Maryam Chowbury, the Community Mobilisation Officer, and Kate McAleer, the Community Mobilisation Coordinator, created a lively atmosphere through their enthusiastic personalities. They focused on, and achieved, strong engagement with the audience and generated a lot of cheering and applause. Maryam presented various awards including, Volunteer of the Year, Community Group of the Year, Champion of Young People, and Inspirational Impact. I appreciated how each award honoured a person or group who had made a significant contribution to their community and Peabody, without expecting anything in return. The recipients of these awards were extremely appreciative.

There were countless aspects of this evening to enjoy. It is an honour for You Press to collaborate with Peabody. Youth empowerment and increased self-assurance are goals of You Press, but none of it is possible without adequate housing and the work of Peabody. In conclusion, especially because it was the pilot award ceremony, I would rate this event 5 stars. 

Written By: Jenna Goldberg