Naomi Christine Leapheart has a plan for the future of Philadelphia.
“I think a better future means that all people have options for living a life filled with security, community, and realized potential,” she says.
A Detroit native, Naomi moved here 12 years ago to pursue a degree at the University of Pennsylvania. She’s taught math, social studies, science, language arts, and writing at an alternative school in Philadelphia for adjudicated youth. She is now attending a seminary.
“I like Philadelphia because it offers such a variety of ways to realize my current passions and discover new ones,” says Naomi.
Naomi has been a member of the Community Grantmaking Committee since 2008 and joined the Bread & Roses board in 2011. Naomi was also a leader of Bread & Roses’ Change Committee, which was tasked with helping to reinvent the organization to serve the next generation of area changemakers.
“I think Bread & Roses had reached that crucial moment that every organization faces: the moment in which we had to dream about our future,” she says.
Naomi lent her voice to a video about this year’s Tribute to Change honorees by singing the “Bread and Roses” folk song. Naomi has also been helping Bread & Roses develop a network of people of color committed to social justice and philanthropy.
“The people of color group is full of life—a cohort of brilliant, engaged young people seeking mutual relationships rooted in social justice,” she says.
With a wealth of diverse experiences and a deep passion for making change, Naomi is helping Bread & Roses create a better future for all Philadelphians. Thanks, Naomi!