CMCC's Peace Builder Award is presented annually and recognizes the visionary work of an individual or group who brings diverse community members together to plan, organize and implement ideas and programs to benefit or impact the larger community in Calvert County. 

This year we are pleased to honor Rev. Jenn Wilder and the members of Our Common Calvert. 

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Our Common Calvert is an organization that was founded with the following mission: "Our Common Calvert strives to develop leadership across generations, build relationships within our diverse community, and unify organized action.”  To that end, the organization has been extremely active in our Southern Maryland community as participants have worked collaboratively to bridge gaps with conversation and challenge stereotypes, while building lasting relationships, developing youth leaders, and “getting real about tough issues” such as race, gender, immigration, and others.  

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Youth leaders connect from across faith communities, community youth groups, and organizations concerned with youth.  Adults and youth share leadership, and Our Common Calvert tries intentionally to work with at least one community partner in each project. CMCC representatives are proud to have supported and participated in a number of Our Common Calvert’s initiatives, including group discussions, diversity workshops, and the public discussion on the plight of refugees in America.  Youth from CMCC's Students Against Violence Everywhere or SAVE after-school program studied and presented about various sites on the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad trip.  

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While proactively supporting young people in leadership roles, Our Common Calvert participants have examined numerous issues that divide us as community, developed strategic plans and priorities to address these issues, and taken action through community meetings and group engagement.  Examples include personal interaction with Islamic faith groups in Anne Arundel County, participating in a Remington community meeting with residents and leaders on hand to organize and strategize affordable housing, and visiting the Harriet Tubman museum on the Eastern Shore of Maryland.  Youth from SAVE studied and presented about various sites on the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad trip. They have held public conversations on the challenges of racism and LGBTQ+ violence, the associated impact on the youth of our community, and opportunities to build greater awareness and acceptance in our families and our community.  Our Common Calvert, in partnership with others, hosted public meetings to address the plight of refugees and discover how local citizens and faith communities may provide assistance.  Their work continues as they bring the talent and energy of our young people to the various divides and challenges that limit our full potential as community.  

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We congratulate all of the members of Our Common Calvert for their work in helping to create a more peaceful Calvert.