Seeds of Hope Award

Congratulations, Noah Burwell!

This year marks our inaugural “Seeds of Hope Award,” founded to honor a Villa service recipient who has truly made the most of their time with Villa of Hope; who has adopted the Villa’s Sanctuary Model and had the courage to change the direction of their lives. The “seeds” are what they bring to their new world. They, in turn, plant hope and pay it forward for our entire community.

This year’s honoree is Noah Burwell. He entered the care of the Villa as a Raise the Age (RTA) youth, after a difficult childhood and trouble with the law. “When the judge said he was planning to send me here to the Villa instead of jail, I was so grateful,” says Noah. “And he told me he wanted me to do one thing. He wanted me to write him a letter in five years from now, telling him where I was at.” When asked if he plans to do so, he seems surprised. “Of course I will,” he says, “I would never forget something like that.”

Noah put his heart and soul into the RTA program, becoming a mentor to other youth, and then sharing his story with the world in the Villa’s 2019 Annual Report during his on-campus Marketing internship in our Workforce Development program. He was successfully discharged from the Raise the Age program; and then braved the pandemic to receive his high school diploma from Villa of Hope School in 2020. He was awarded a college scholarship from MCC, and then secured a summer job working with the Villa Facilities Department. He transitioned to our community apartment program (CAP) where he currently excels. He has secured his own employment, and is now an enthusiastic college student, majoring in graphic design.

 Villa Workforce Development Director, LeVar Sanders adds, “Everyone has a purpose, and Noah’s purpose is to . . . be the light we all want to see.” 

And Noah puts it this way: “We all have potential. I think we are all born kings. We just need to each, in our own way, find our seats at the royal table.”

Congratulations Noah, for your accomplishments, your leadership, and your light!