Printable Version

The Horizon Foundation’s President, Dr. Richard Krieg, is a recipient of FIRN’s 2011 Pat Hatch Award

(Columbia Patch) -- On June 7, FIRN will bestow the Pat Hatch award on Dr. Richard M. Krieg, President & CEO of The Horizon Foundation at FIRN’s Ninth Annual American Success Awards (ASA) Dinner. The dinner will take place at Turf Valley Conference Center.

Named after FIRN's founder, the Pat Hatch award recognizes and honors an individual in our community who not only demonstrates a keen awareness and interest in "Bridging Cultures and Building Community," but also has made a significant difference in the lives of the foreign born in our community through their volunteer and leadership efforts.

Dr. Krieg is responsible for launching many cornerstone initiatives at The Horizon Foundation. All of them incorporated strong multi-cultural awareness.  

The Foundation's strategic planning process reached out to different cultural groups. He was instrumental in developing the Community Emergency Response Network (CERN) and bringing the Chase Brexton clinic to Howard County.  

In its emergency planning, CERN has been very attentive to foreign born populations. Over 25 percent of the Chase Brexton caseload is low-income Hispanic patients. The Foundation's multi-year Connections Initiative, a youth asset development project, focused, in part, on the county’s foreign born communities.

Proceeds from FIRN's American Success Awards Dinner will benefit FIRN, which has served the Howard County immigrant population since 1981.  

Today, FIRN, celebrating 30 years, serves immigrants from over 75 countries.  It has helped more than 15,000 new Americans assimilate into life in the Howard County by providing direct client services such as crisis intervention, immigration counseling, information and referral- health care, housing, transportation, child care and other vital resettlement issues. 

FIRN provides interpreter services and cultural awareness training to community agencies, works in partnership with local government agencies and non-profit service providers, and is well known as the key resource in Central Maryland for the foreign born.  

In partnership with health and human service agencies, FIRN provides valuable assistance and guidance to immigrant clients.

To purchase tickets for the American Success Awards Dinner or to support FIRN’s 30th Anniversary Campaign please visit www.firnonline.org or call 410-992-1923 ext 10.