The Kiwanis Angel Award was instituted in 2012 as a community service award to an individual in the Palo Alto area who has had a significant, positive impact on children and youth in our community and beyond. Past winners have been:
Past awardees have been:
Judge Luckey, Managing Artistic Director of the Palo Alto Children’s Theatre (2022)
Judge Luckey was honored for his work as Managing Artistic Director of the Palo Alto Children’s Theatre. For the children who participate at the Palo Alto Children’s Theater program, Mr. Luckey becomes a life-changing mentor, fierce advocate, and trusted advisor to the entire family, a man who is deeply committed to the wellbeing and success of each child under his direction.
Lesia Preston, Executive Director of the Ecumenical Hunger Program and Kate Young, VP Resident Services for Alta Housing (2021)
The 2021 Angel Award was given to two people:
Lesia Preston was honored for her work addressing the needs of EHP families and their children, not only with food and clothing but with a wide variety of programs that nurture and create a support system for EHP children.
Kate Young, created the Resident Services Program and built up a team that provides thousands of hours of programming each year to serve the needs of Alta Housing’s low-income residents.
Dr. Philippe Rey, Executive Director of Adolescent Counseling Services (2020)
Dr. Rey was honored for his work as Executive Director of Adolescent Counseling Services. ACS is a non-profit that serves at-risk youth in Silicon Valley with innovative mental health programs.
Alyssa Houk, General Manager of Jasper Ridge Farm (2019)
Alyssa Houk’s work enriches the lives of children and adults through the comfort and unconditional acceptance that interacting with animals can provide for people. Programs include HorseBuddies, Animals Helping Children, Summer Camp, and StudentBuddies.
Charles Schmuck, Founder of Peninsula College Fund (PCF) (2018)
PCF works in Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties to empower low-income first-generation college students to graduate and obtain a job that aligns with career goals. Programs include four-year college scholarships, one-to-one mentoring, college and career success training.
Marie Wolbach, Founder of Tech Trek (2017)
A summer STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) camp for rising 8th grade girls. In 1998, with a grant from AAUW (American Association of University Women), Marie Wolbach created and ran the first Tech Trek summer camp at Stanford University
Agent DuJuan Green (2016)
Agent Green, of the Palo Alto Police Department, is being honoring for his exemplary work as a School Resource Officer, Facilitator of the Parent Project, and his critical support of all Project Safety Net partners.
Barbara Sih Klausner, Executive Director of DreamCatchers (2015)
DreamCatchers provides tutoring, mentoring and guidance to at-risk middle school students in Palo Alto. The program goals and participants work diligently to address the achievement gap.
Allan Berkowitz, Executive Director of Environmental Volunteers (2014)
Founded in 1972, Environmental Volunteers (The EV) provides hands-on science and nature education through classroom-based programs, summer camps, and the EcoCenter at the Palo Alto Baylands.
Christa Gannon, Executive Director, FLY (Fresh Lifelines for Youths) (2013)
FLY works to break the cycle of violence, crime, and incarceration of teens in Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties
Robert Freeman, Founder and Director of One Dollar for Life (2012)
ODL engages high school students in building schools in developing countries and undertaking related community projects.