Chesapeake, Va. – Thousands of hungry patrons have walked through the doors of the Sunrise Breakfast Shoppe morning after morning and may have caught a glimpse of Chesapeake business owner Joseph McGourn’s smiling face.
When he’s not busy satisfying customers with delicious traditional breakfast dishes and ones from the Philippines, he’s making a difference in the lives of at-risk children around the world.
McGourn is the CEO and founder of My Children’s House of Hope, and he received the Greater24 People’s List Humanitarian Mark Award on Saturday night at a special awards ceremony at the Doubletree Hotel in Norfolk. This honor is the highest Greater24 gives out.
For years, he’s helped hundreds of children who are abandoned in several areas including Payatas, Quezon City, Philippines. His mission is to help children escape poverty before they become adults. He has developed programs for Filipino children with hearing impairments and has also helped their families.
McGourn wasn’t the only one honored at the People’s List Awards.
Ken Lees, the founder and creator of the PingPongforCHARITY™ Celebrity SLAMFest Events & Recreation Tournament received the Social Development Award. Lees has generated over $223,000 in proceeds for charity.
The Jazz Legacy Foundation, Nikkia Smith, and Jemmalyn Hewlett were also given the Social Development Award.
Hope Sliker, a community volunteer battling stage 4 cancer, Kelly Thorsby, Joe Lee, She’Matters GIRLS, INC., and Compassion Advocacy Network all received inspiration awards during the ceremony.
We Serve The City received the Community Stewardship Award, Dana Rabon Smith, Michael Daniels and the Cultural Alliance of Greater Hampton Roads received leadership awards, and Tonya Spellman and Joselyn Best, who performed at the event, walked away with the media screen awards. All award recipients will also be inducted into Greater24’s People’s List.
It was a night filled with glitz, glamour and loads of positive stories to celebrate.
For more information about this event and others, go to Greater24.com.
