Tuesday, May 14, 2024
Doors open 7:15 a.m | Program starts 8:00 a.m.

Quaker Station Banquet Hall
135 South Broadway, Akron, OH 44308
Parking available under bridge at Mill St. and S. Summit St.

The State of the Shelter Breakfast is a morning celebration filled with an uplifting peek at what occurred over the past year, and the powerful story of the winner of the prestigious Lynn M. Budnick Empowered Woman Award, who is a former resident that has successfully completed her journey toward permanent housing.

The breakfast also includes a robust discussion on the shelter and the critical needs being faced by our communities, especially the direct needs of those experiencing homelessness in Summit County, and the presentation of a new award recognizing an individual for their dedication to ACCESS and improving our community.

Join us to celebrate why There’s No Place Like Home!

Keynote Speaker

Marybeth (Beth) Shinn is a Cornelius Vanderbilt professor at Vanderbilt University who studies how to prevent and end homelessness.
She was co-principal investigator for the first three years of the 12-site Family Options experiment examining approaches to ending family homelessness, the evaluator for the initial study of the Pathways Housing First program for individuals with serious mental illnesses, and the developer of a model used by New York City to target its homelessness prevention services.
Her 2020 book with Jill Khadduri, In the midst of plenty: Homelessness and what to do about it (Wiley], surveys research to show that we know how to end homelessness, if we devote the necessary resources to doing so.
A current project evaluates an unconditional cash transfer program paired with voluntary peer advocacy for families with infants residing in homeless shelters in New York City.
Beth served on Nashville’s Affordable Housing Task Force and Nashville’s Homelessness Planning Council and currently served on the Research Advisory Board for the U.S. National Alliance to End Homelessness.

Emcee

Henry Johnson, Jr., the Senior Program Manager at Leadership Akron. A dedicated Summit County resident for over 40 years, Henry honed his leadership skills during his 23-year tenure at Henry’s Acme & Acme Fresh Market. His diverse career allowed him to assume various leadership roles, fueling his passion for mentoring and developing the next generation of leaders.
In his current role, Henry is fervently committed to fostering community growth. A 2021 graduate of the Green Community Leadership Institute and a 2022 graduate of Leadership Akron’s Diversity on Board Class 6, Henry's journey into more direct leadership roles was sparked by these experiences. Throughout his leadership journey, he has actively participated in numerous community initiatives.
Henry is deeply involved in several Community Boards and Committees, holding key positions such as Co-Chair of the Green YMCA Advisory Board, Access Shelter Board of Directors, Akron NAACP Treasurer and Executive Committee Member, Summit Art Space Community Engagement Committee, Love Akron Board of Directors, and County of Summit ADM Board of Directors.
Balancing his remarkable family life, Henry enjoys traveling to explore unique architecture and historical cultures. His diverse hobbies include reading, podcasting, and writing. With a genuine commitment to service and growth, Henry Johnson brings distinctive ideas to Leadership Akron.

Event Tickets

An Individual ticket includes access for one (1) individual to the event. The ticket includes breakfast during the event.
A Table ticket includes access for eight (8) individuals to the event. The ticket also includes breakfast during the event for each ticketholder.