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I went from using drugs to selling drugs. I tried to hide my activities from my children, but I didn't do a good job of it. Everything came to a halt once the police raided my home looking for drugs and I was arrested in front of my children.

 

I did the best I could to raise my children but I failed my son. He was introduced to the streets at an early age, and by the time he turned fourteen, I lost control of him. He was getting in trouble in school and with the police. He was sixteen when his criminal activities caught up with him and he was placed in a juvenile facility.  

 

Then in December 2007, my son, George L. Cannon II, was tragically murdered during a drug-related incident on the streets of Philadelphia. 

 

I'm using my story to motivate others to change, along with giving them the information necessary to make better choices in life. Now it's all about giving back and showing some LOVE.

 

My RESILIENCY is what got me through. 

Karen Jackson

Founder and CEO

 

The death of my son and my life journey inspired me to start this non-profit. My goal is to help stop teenagers from making the same mistakes I made.

 

I started experimenting with drugs in high school. I went from smoking marijuana to snorting cocaine, and by the time I turned nineteen yrs old, I was smoking crack.

 

I struggled with my addiction for many years, and I also walked the streets many years. My children were taken from me.

 

I was homeless because of my addiction. 

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Commissioner Graham

President of the Board

 

Eddie T. Graham was born in North Philadelphia and raised in West Philadelphia and in the Mt. Airy section of Philadelphia. His parents, the Bishop David W. Graham and Evangelist Catherine N. Graham instilled a Christian and servant leader ethic in him at an early age. His parents were also very active in the Civil Rights Movement in Philadelphia. They served our community in many capacities, from marching for equality, planning in the Girard College protest, voter rights initiatives (having had 2 family members lynched in 1959 in South Carolina ), and
feeding the homeless from their own Church based ministries.


Eddie T. Graham, Esq. is a graduate of Germantown High School, Penn State University with a dual BA in Elementary Education & Educational Psychology, and a Juris Doctor from the Delaware Law School of Widener University. He played for Penn State Football from 1975-1978(as a walk-on). He also attended the Insurance Institute of America receiving three professional designations over the years as Associate in Claims (AIC), Associate in Risk Management (ARM), and Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU). He retired from USIC (United States Infrastructure Corp.) the largest Infrastructure Corporation in the US, as Counsel General and Director of Risk Management in 2013, but still continues to consult in Risk

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Management. He is married to Donna Marie Graham, his wife of 40 years, and has two children, Alyssa Marie Graham, and Eddie David Graham. In 2016, Eddie Graham was elected as the 1 st African American Commissioner to serve in Springfield Township, Montgomery County, PA. Below is a list of Eddie’s other appointments and past community involvements;

 

  •  Present Springfield Township Committeeperson – 7th Ward

 

  • Board Member of The Springfield Township Educational Foundation

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  • Appointed to Affirmative Action Coalition in Philadelphia

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  • Appointed by Former Governor Ed Rendell to 1 st Police Advisory

Commission in Philadelphia

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  • Mentored Youth in Baseball, Basketball, and Football for over 35 years as a

Coach and Fundraiser for the CYO, Pop Warner, and Keystone Athletic
Associations

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  • Serves as Chair of the Parks and Recs in Springfield Township

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  • Chief Operation Officer for HOPE, Inc. - a non-profit that focuses on

Housing, Opportunity, Purpose, and Education for low income vulnerable
populations.
 

  • Vice President of Board for the George L. Cannon II House of H.O.P. E. for

Girls – a non-profit that focuses on at-risk girls in the inner city of
Philadelphia and surrounding counties with emphasis placed on
psychotherapy, education and Social skills.

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  • Works with the Carson Valley Children’s Aid CEO, Board of Directors, and

Administrators to provide better programming, mentorship, and relationship
with the Springfield Townships resident and CV Youth

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  • Former Founder and President of the Woodbrook Lane Community

Association

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  • Founder/Coordinator of Area Town Watch for Ivy-Brook Town Watch (Mt.Airy)
     

  • Former Mentor and Instructor for Men of Barnabas Men’s Program @ Mt.
    Zion Church of Germantown
     

  • Member of Prince Hall F.+ A. Masons., Philadelphia Lodge #74
     

  • Member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc.
     

  • Ordained Deacon
     

  • Member of Cheltenham NAACP

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Daiquiri Yvette Robinson, M.Ed

1st Vice President of the Board

 

Daiquiri Y. Robinson, grew up in Philadelphia, PA and attended Northeast High School.  After high school she attended Temple University where she received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in French and Psychology, a Masters of Education Degree in Psychoeducational Processes, and a Certificate in Aging from the Boston University Institute of Geriatric Social Work.

 

Daiquiri has worked in the field of HIV/AIDS for the last 30 years managing medical case management and housing programs, grant writing, program development, policy development, and HIV and STD testing.  Daiquiri currently serves as the Director of Long-Term Housing for the Office of Homeless Services for the City of Philadelphia where she manages 90 permanent supportive housing programs throughout the City of Philadelphia to make homelessness brief and non-recurring.  

 

She serves as the Chair of the University of Pennsylvania Center for AIDS Research Community Advisory Board (CFAR CAB). She is the Treasurer for the National CFAR CAB Collaborative and is responsible for training community advisory boards on the fundamentals of fundraising and financial strategies.  She serves on the BEAT-HIV Martin Delaney Collaboratory Community Advisory Board out of the Wistar Institute.     

Daiquiri has been married for 20 years to her husband Troy Cyro Robinson and has two children Troy, Jr. who attends Southern New Hampshire University and Taylor who will be a freshman at Norfolk Stat University.  The family are members of Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church.

 

Daiquiri has been a member of several fraternal organizations for over 30 years.

 

Daiquiri has always had a heart to help people with the firm belief that “The blessings that we receive in life are based on how you treat people.  At any day or time you can walk out of your door and something can happen that could put you in the same shoes of the people that you are helping or turning a blind eye to.”

Judith I. Dalton

2nd Vice President of the Board

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Judith I. Dalton has more than 30 years of administrative experience in higher education and presently serves as the Associate Dean in the Office of Institutional Diversity at Arcadia University where she is responsible for providing institutional leadership focused on enhancing the campus climate in relation to diversity and inclusion. She collaborates with members of the University and community-at-large in providing diverse cultural and educational programs and workshops; mentors and advocates for historically underrepresented and marginalized students, faculty and staff, and those with varied cultural and religious perspectives.

 

She manages the Office of Institutional Diversity, its budget and staff; assists with the coordination of the institution’s efforts of improving student retention, and provides outreach for the recruitment of students of color. Additionally, she serves as a Title IX Deputy for issues regarding student sexual assault and harassment (she previously served as the University’s founding Title IX Coordinator from April 2011-May 2014), and as advisor to varying student clubs and organizations. Dalton joined the Arcadia community in January 2005 as the founding Director of The Student Service Center/One-Stop Shop and served as Assistant Dean of Multicultural Affairs from 2008-2011.

 

 In June 2016, Dalton was presented the Educational Achievement Award by the Cheltenham Branch NAACP for her “Educational Excellence and Diversity in Educational Programming.” In2014, in recognition of being selected by students as a Cultural Ally, it was said of her “that without your personal agency, campus events and student club/organizations would lack depth in terms of diversity . . . You are a vital asset to Arcadia University and redefine the term ally to be an all encompassing, trust worthy, believing, loving, caring, understanding, motivating, uplifting, and empowering individual.” In 2010 students voted her as Advisor of the Year for her guidance and dedication as advisor to the Black Awareness Society.

 

Previous professional experiences include:

 

  • Served asdirector of the Health Careers Opportunity Program at Gwynedd-Mercy College where she managedthe operational budget, hired and supervisedcollege and supplemental teaching staff, plannedand organizedacademic enrichment and career explorative initiatives designed to introduce Philadelphia-area students in grades 7 through 12 to careers in the field of Allied Health; providedinformation regarding PSAT/SAT, facilitated college prep and financial aidinformation sessions,established the Parents Clubto engage those with students participating in the program,coordinatedand implementeda six-week residential Summer Bridge Program for pre-college freshmen and rising high school seniors, and providededucational and retention support services to college-level HCOP/PEP participants enrolled at Gwynedd-Mercy College.

 

  • Served for more than 14years with the Community College of Philadelphia in positions of Associate and Assistant Director in both the Offices of Financial Aid and Admissions and Recruitment

 

  • Served as College and Career Guidance Counselor at both St. Maria Goretti and St. John Neumann High Schools in Philadelphia.

 

  • Retail sales, auditing, and fiscal analysis.

 

Professional memberships and affiliations include the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education (NADOHE), American Council on Education (ACE), the PA Diversity Council, the PA Association of Liaisons and Officers of Multicultural Affairs (PALOMA), the PA ACE Women’s Network, the American Association of Affirmative Action (AAAA), Cheltenham Branch NAACP, and the Black Male Development Symposium.

 

A native of Pittsburgh, PA, Dalton came to Philadelphia to attend LaSalle University where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration, majoring in Management, Personnel and Labor Relations. She also earned a Master of Education degree in Psycho-Educational Processes from Temple University. She enjoys traveling, watching documentaries, reading and chilling out with family and friends

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Mary Lawton

Treasurer

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Mary Lawton is the Founder and President of Lawton Associates, Inc.  She received her Bachelor of Business Administration degree from, LaSalle University in Philadelphia.

 

Lawton Associates, Inc. provides financial, accounting, and management services to public, private, and non-profit organizations.  Founded in 1990, the company has been successful in supplying critical knowledge and expertise in the key areas of financial management, strategic and operational planning, risk management, staffing and administrative services to its clients.  The company is both MBE and WBE certified with the City of Philadelphia and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

 

Ms. Lawton is a member of various professional organizations including the West Oak Lane Business Association, the National Association of Tax Professionals, Board Treasurer of The Johnson House Historical Site Inc., and a former member of the Philadelphia Licensed Tavern & Merchants Association.  In 2003, she was appointed, by Governor Edward Rendell, a Member of the Pennsylvania Minority Business Development Authority.

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Mary Lawton, President

Lawton Associates, Inc.

7167 Ogontz Avenue

Philadelphia, PA 19138

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Kezia Burnett

Secretary

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