Joe Horning Helping Hands Award 2026: Recognizing Miss Rosemary

Our volunteers are at the core of our work; they light up every room, every event, and every heart they encounter. This year, during Volunteer Appreciation Month, we had the absolute joy of presenting our annual Joe Horning Helping Hands Award to Miss Rosemary Blackshear, a volunteer whose passion and warmth remind us all of the true meaning of community at Martha’s Table.

Celebrating Dedicated Volunteers like Miss Rose

“I personally like being behind the scenes, but thank you all so much for the award. I truly appreciate it”, Miss Rosemary shares. With over 500 volunteer hours under her belt, Miss Rosemary, affectionately known as Rose, is a familiar face at both our Maycroft and Commons Martha’s Table Markets. Although she tends to avoid the spotlight, Rose has a knack for making everyone feel welcome, always greeting folks with a beaming smile and a kind word. It feels like she knows everyone in the neighborhood, and if you’ve ever volunteered with her, you know she brings a special kind of magic to every shift. Whether she’s helping pass out fresh produce, sharing a laugh with a new friend, or rolling up her sleeves to serve our community, Rose embodies the spirit of Martha’s Table.

​This year’s Volunteer Appreciation celebration was a blast! A celebration jam-packed with games, heartfelt moments, and even some much-needed wellness activities designed just for our volunteers. We pulled out all the stops to celebrate the incredible people who give so generously of their time and energy. Laughter and good music echoed through the Commons as we honored our top volunteers.

“This is my happy place. I come here and my whole attitude and spirit change. I get emotional because you never know what people are going through, and coming here just makes me so happy!” – Miss Sheila, Volunteer

History of the Joe Horning Helping Hands Award ​

This award is named in memory of Joe Horning, a fourth-generation Washingtonian and beloved community leader and philanthropist who, throughout his life, worked to support affordable housing and community development in Washington, DC. His legacy is rooted in his unwavering commitment to serving others and making a positive impact on the lives of many. And whose generosity and vision helped make our presence in Ward 8 possible. Joe was a respected leader in Washington’s real estate community and a passionate advocate for equitable growth. As Co-CEO of Horning Brothers, a family-owned company operating in DC for more than 65 years, he helped shape a more inclusive city through both his professional work and personal dedication to building strong communities.

Under Joe’s leadership, the Horning Brothers made a transformative land donation that allowed Martha’s Table to build its flagship campus in Southeast DC. This gift enabled us to expand early childhood education, increase access to healthy food, and create a welcoming space where families can grow and thrive. We are deeply grateful for the ongoing support of the Horning Family to Martha’s Table’s vision and mission.

To honor his lasting impact, we established the Joe Horning Helping Hands Award to recognize volunteers who embody Joe’s spirit of compassion, service, and commitment to others.

The Joe Horning Helping Hands Award has become a tribute to the legacy of compassion and vision that Joe brought to our community. By honoring Rose with this award, we celebrate not only her outstanding contributions but also the ripple effect of kindness that volunteers like her create every day.

The Impact of Our Volunteers

Volunteers like Rose are what make the impact of Martha’s Table possible. In the last year alone, over 4,900 volunteers joined to support our mission so that we could serve over 45,000 neighbors! It takes 40 to 70 volunteers every day to fuel our programming, so we invite you to volunteer with us! Whether you’re sorting clothes at our clothing boutique, sharing hot meals with McKenna’s Wagon, or supporting our neighbors with our no-cost market, we offer a vast array of volunteer opportunities!

“The reality is that we are a team of 100 people, and there is no way that we could have the reach and impact that we have without you all. So today is the opportunity for us to say we see you, we value you, we honor you for the amazing work that you all do, helping us together to reach more than 45,000 residents of DC.” – Tiffany Williams, President and CEO

It was such a joy seeing our volunteers and team members come together and celebrate. Join the Martha’s Table family, make new friends, and help us keep the spirit of service growing strong. Visit the link below to learn more and get started, because together, we can work together so that everyone may thrive!

Learn More Here