Kidz2Leaders Receives 2025 Howard Koepka Award

We were thrilled to award Kidz2Leaders with this year’s Howard Koepka Collaborative Spirit Award! Established in 2022 by the Board of Cobb Community Foundation to honor the legacy of Howard Koepka, whose dedication to collaboration inspired countless efforts to uplift those in need, this award is annually bestowed upon a Cobb nonprofit that embodies his spirit, bringing people and resources together to meet critical needs. CCF was also able to recognize other local heroes making extraordinary contributions and transforming lives in Cobb County.

The award was presented during the 32^nd Annual Human Services Awards Luncheon, held on December 2^nd and co-hosted by the Cobb Collaborative and Cobb Community Foundation (CCF). The event brought together over 150 attendees, including nonprofit leaders, community advocates, and supporters, to recognize the power of collaboration and service.

The luncheon featured three distinct awards honoring outstanding achievements in human services: The Jack Vaughan, Jr. Human Services Awards and William E. “Bill” Hanson Collaboration Award, presented by the Cobb Collaborative, and The Howard Koepka Collaborative Spirit Award, presented by Cobb Community Foundation.

The Koepka Award as well as a check of $10,000 was presented to Christina Cummings, Executive Director of Kidz2Leaders by CCF CEO, Shari Martin, who also recognized the other eight nominees for their spirit of collaboration and service.

Congratulations to Our 2025 Recipient and Nominees:

Chattahoochee Nature Center
Kids Care
Kidz2Leaders (Award Recipient)
Keystone Village
LiveSafe Resources
MUST Ministries
Skye Precious Kids
The Earl and Rachel Smith Strand Theatre
Waymark

Below is a short description about each of them.

Kidz2Leaders (Recipient)

Provides a holistic support network for children of inmates, aiming to break the cycle of generational incarceration. They partner with Prison Fellowship/Angel Tree for family referrals, with churches for mission teams and grants, with the Tommy Nobis Center to create work-readiness opportunities for young adults with disabilities, and the Wilson Sheehan Lab for Economic Opportunities (Notre Dame LEO) to rigorously evaluate and scale their programs.

Chattahoochee Nature Center

Provides environmental education, wildlife rehabilitation, trails, and conservation programs on 127 acres of forest, wetland, & riverland along the Chattahoochee river.

They partner with the Georgia Forestry Foundation, Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area, Georgia Public Libraries, Georgia Department of Natural Resources, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Georgia Wildlife Network, Georgia Native Plant Society, Master Gardeners, and North Fulton Community Charities.

Keystone Village

Builds a residential community for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. They support StoneBridge Church initiatives by sponsoring events, promoting fundraising efforts, and recruiting participants for shared community impact.

Kids Care

Teaches children empathy and kindness through hands-on service projects. They partner with the Cobb County Police Department, 911 Dispatch, businesses, and local nonprofits through events like “Backing the Need,” “Dispatching Kindness,” and youth-led community drives.

LiveSafe Resources

Provides safety, shelter, and healing for survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and elder abuse. They work with the Cobb Domestic Violence Task Force, Cobb District Attorney’s Office, Cobb Family Advocacy Center, Kennesaw State University, Junior League of Cobb-Marietta, KIDS CARE, Dave Krache Foundation, Atlanta Women’s Foundation, Georgia Power Foundation, Cobb EMC Foundation, Rotary Club of Marietta, and Marietta Kiwanis.

MUST Ministries

Serves families experiencing poverty with comprehensive programs including food, shelter, and financial assistance. They work with Inspiredu (MUST Inspire), Eastchester Family Services (MUST Care Clinic), and Concrete Jungle, as well as corporate, nonprofit, and government partners.

Skye Precious Kids

Provides emotional, financial, and community support to Georgia families caring for children with life-threatening illnesses or disabilities. They collaborate through long-term support with Stone Bridge Church and have helped families by connecting them to caregivers and covering childcare costs over multiple years.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐄𝐚𝐫𝐥 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐑𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐥 𝐒𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐫𝐞

Provides arts education and community cultural programming that strengthens civic connection. Partners with Marietta City Schools, leads the Marietta Arts District, and works with the Cobb Chamber on events including Teacher of the Year and Leadership Cobb, while hosting nonprofit showcases and benefit events for community partners.

Waymark

Supports foster, adoptive, and group-home youth through mentoring, camps, and life-skills training. Engages more than 50 partners, including DFCS, group homes across Georgia, licensed therapists, churches, and nonprofits who provide meals, mentoring, trauma-informed care, and job-skills experiences.

Howard Koepka was a tireless advocate for connecting people and organizations. From serving vulnerable populations, including the homeless, single mothers, and foster children in Greater Atlanta to leading disaster relief in Puerto Rico to building schools and orphanages in Haiti, his work exemplified selfless service. During the pandemic, Koepka coordinated the Cobb Community Food Fleet, uniting 90 organizations to distribute 168,000 boxes of fresh food to Cobb County residents. He passed away in 2021, due to COVID-19, and this award was established by Cobb Community Foundation to recognize a nonprofit serving Cobb County that embodies Koepka’s collaborative spirit.

We are deeply inspired by the work of all our nominees and the lasting impact they make in our community. Together, these organizations are living Howard’s vision by working together to serve our community, and they remind us of the incredible things we can achieve when we join forces.

Here’s to building a stronger, more connected Cobb County—together!