Weaving NWA names Weaver Award winners

Weaving NWA recently announced the 20 winners of the 2025 NWA Weaver Award, a new award that recognizes area residents who are “building social trust by bringing neighbors together to tackle a shared problem where they live.”

Weaving NWA is affiliated with Weave: The Social Fabric Project, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit of the Aspen Institute that’s supported by the Walton Family Foundation and Walmart Foundation.

Each awardee will receive $5,000 for a total of $100,000 to support their work to strengthen relationships and build stronger communities in the region, the release shows.

Following are some of the 2025 awardees: Courtney King of Elkins is developing the Elkins Creation Station in the city to bring together youth and their families to experience art and nature. Jason Maxwell of Centerton and his wife created Farm2Families to provide food to those in need. Amber Perrodin of Springdale created the Ozark Story Project to collect recipes, oral histories, poems and portraits from area residents.

“These NWA residents demonstrate the impact of showing up for others and leading by example, building bonds of trust where they live,” said Kristyn Feldman, director of Weave: The Social Fabric Project. “When neighbors work together, they build trust. When communities are strong, our nation is strong.”

Northwest Arkansas resident April Kennedy serves as the community associate for the Weaving NWA project and convened 15 area “community advocates and neighbors who selected the awardees,” the release shows. Feldman also participated.