Felicitaciones a los galardonados con el Premio Tejedor del Noroeste de Arkansas 2026

Hay personas que nos unen. Son esas personas que la mayoría conocemos y en las que confiamos, aquellas con las que reunimos a los vecinos cuando necesitamos abordar un problema común o lograr algo. Dan la bienvenida a todos y nos conectan.

Este año, celebramos a 20 de ellas en el noroeste de Arkansas.

Nota: Las biografías de los galardonados actualmente solo están disponibles en inglés.

• 

  Armando Garcia

  Washington County

  Art was a big part of Armando’s healing journey. He recognized the value of the kind of space that had helped him and wanted to create that for others. So he started the Queer Craft Corner to offer people a creative outlet while building community, love, and acceptance. Armando will use the funds to host more gatherings and deepen community partnerships.

• 

  Early Brunner

  Fayetteville and beyond

  As a person in addiction recovery, Early has seen firsthand the lack of secular sober spaces for people in recovery to connect. That's why they started Recovery Demystified, a peer-support network that meets weekly to foster empowerment, build relationships, and have fun. They will use the award to expand outreach to new populations, including unhoused and justice involved neighbors.

• 

  David Hamernick

  Fayetteville and beyond

  David created the NWA Film Club to build community around film. He partners with local businesses, venues and artists to host free pop-up movie events where people gather to watch a film and connect. David aims to make film accessible to all through these third spaces and will use the funds to provide the community with unique ways to experience cinema.

• 

  Monique Jones

  Fayetteville and beyond

  As the Outreach Minister at St. James Baptist Church, Monique works alongside a group of volunteers who support neighbors experiencing hunger, homelessness and poverty. Together they serve food to up to 1,200 families a week and provide a variety of resources to neighbors. Monique will use the award to host volunteer gatherings that offer fellowship and training about mutual aid.

• 

  Meg Carpenter

  Fayetteville and beyond

  A lover of libraries and thrifting, Meg started The Library Vintage as a welcoming space for the community to gather and shop. The retail store also serves as a community closet, upcycling center, supply swap and meeting space. Meg will use the award to purchase supplies like sewing machines and button makers for neighbors to use for free at any time.

• 

  Tiffany Benitez

  Bentonville and beyond

  When research revealed a lack of accessible technology programs in the school system, Tiffany started Girls+ in Technology to help girls connect and get excited about technology. From mentorship programs, tech education, and summer camps, girls are finding new friendships and inspiration for their futures. The award will help send more girls to camps and expand programming.

• 

  Gilbert Gonzalez

  Springdale

  As a former gang member, Gilbert knows the importance of having good role models for youth. Now as a community leader, he works with schools to host meaningful mentorship and skill building programs for students most vulnerable to being on the streets. Gilbert will use the award to expand the curriculum to offer kids caring relationships, confidence and hope for a bright future.

• 

  Kat Gause

  Springdale and beyond

  Drawing from her own lived experience, Kat understands the power of community to help people achieve housing stability and hope. Through Humble Beginnings, she hosts gatherings for neighbors to create tangible, collective solutions to the housing crisis. Kat will use the funds to host regular community gatherings, small-group check-ins and skill-building workshops.

• 

  Sarah McNeal

  Fayetteville and beyond

  Sarah and a group of families started TrailMix NWA as a secular third space for families to build meaningful relationships with each other and nature. Families gather on Sunday mornings to connect, explore the outdoors, and learn from other community organizations in NWA. Beyond weekly gatherings, they also offer nature camps and workshops. The funds will support the expansion of TrailMix Teens programming.

• 

  Kerry Carpenter

  Washington and Benton Counties

  As a local farmer and a foodshed advocate, Rodrigo and Kerry have seen the isolation and burnout many farmers in Northwest Arkansas face. Together, they started Ayni Farm Support to strengthen the farming community through gatherings, mutual aid, and meaningful connections. The award will support their mobile events, which will travel from farm to farm, creating opportunities for storytelling and connection.

• 

  Arisbeth Garcia

  Washington County

  As a mental health coach, Arisbeth noticed NWA didn’t have safe places for the immigrant community to talk about the difficult challenges they faced. So she started #BienPadres which hosts safe spaces for families to navigate hard issues together. Arisbeth will use the award to host monthly support groups for vulnerable populations so all can feel seen and heard.

• 

  Leisha Bejarano

  All of NWA

  After seeing the isolation brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, Leisha started the NWA Ladies Social Collective to help rebuild belonging and connect women across generations, neighborhoods, and social circles. The Collective offers a range of welcoming, in-person events designed to help women build relationships around shared life experiences and interests. Leisha will use the award to host more gatherings and reach more women.

• 

  Courtney Harms

  Rogers

  After suffering from burnout at work, Courtney realized many others in helping professions like healthcare and education were feeling the same way. She founded Be Restored to offer helping professionals 1:1 coaching, resources, and gatherings to connect and recharge. The award will help expand services to new individuals and create community events to deepen peer-to-peer support.

• 

  Monica Diodati & Rachel Slaton

  Springdale

  After eight years running Two Friends Bookstore, owners Monica and Rachel are bringing back the pay-what-you-can bookstore to bring neighbors together around language, ideas and reading. The award will expand Spanish-language and youth offerings to help connect people across languages and cultures.

• 

  Orzalah Bowers

  Springdale and beyond

  Orzalah noticed that many Afghan refugees struggle to drive, shop, or connect with locals due to language barriers. So she started hosting English tutoring sessions to help Afghan and American women build friendships, share stories about their cultures, and grow in confidence. Orzalah will use the funds to host monthly gatherings for this community of women to grow a collective sense of safety and belonging in NWA.

• 

  Lena Regina Smith

  Prairie Grove

  As an artist, Lena saw a need for more affordable, family-friendly art activities in the Prairie Grove area. So she started partnering with local businesses to use their space to offer free art workshops for people of all ages to create and connect. The Award will help fund a permanent space where neighbors can access free art materials, workshops, and community support.

• 

  Britney Cook

  Bentonville and beyond

  Britney observed how overwhelming events can be for neurodivergent individuals due to noise, crowds, behavioral expectations, or fear of judgment. Through Autism Involves Me, she is expanding AIM2Gather, a program that creates sensory-friendly opportunities for neurodivergent individuals, caregivers, and neighbors to connect. She will use the award to expand sensory-friendly events in Northwest Arkansas.

• 

  Mina Nguyen

  Fayetteville and beyond

  As a Vietnamese refugee, Mina understands the challenges of building community as part of an underserved population. She connects other underserved families through music, art and movement to help them feel seen, safe and connected. The award will help her host more monthly creative workshops for more families.

• 

  Amanda Arafat

  Fayetteville

  Amanda started the Big Gay Market to support queer artists and makers in NWA. What began as a pop-up market has become a strong network of connection, events and support for the LGBTQ+ community and allies. Amanda will use the funds to produce new seasonal events in 2026 to continue to build community.

• 

  Nur Ahmed

  Washington and Benton Counties

  Nur has lived all over the world, but when he landed in Arkansas, he struggled to make friends. Then he noticed other people were struggling, too. So he began hosting speed friending events to make it easy and fun for people to make new friends. The gatherings led to the Vibe Tribe and have created many long lasting friendships and partnerships. The award will fund more events to bring neighbors together.