2011 Director’s Community Leadership Awards

The Baltimore Division is pleased to honor former Harlem Globetrotter Allen “Duffy” Samuels, who established Duffy’s HOPE, Inc., to serve at-risk youth in Wilmington, Delaware.

His work with HOPE (Helping Our Young People to Excel) includes providing mentoring, prevention, intervention, social enrichment, and academic support to local youth. The program, which is run by volunteers, encourages parental involvement by cultivating family participation in school, sports, and community activities.

Mr. Samuels works to provide a safe haven for teens that live in at-risk neighborhoods with high crime rates. Students involved in the program are exposed to weekly information sessions about life skills, etiquette, safe relationships, conflict resolution, healthy lifestyles, and anger management.