Drug-Free Kids Calendar Contest
NAHMA National Poster Contest Winners Bring Our World’s Delights to Life
Lily Morway, a 10th grader from Worcester, Mass., has been named the grand prizewinner in NAHMA’s annual AHMA Drug-Free Kids poster and art contest. The talented artist’s creation will appear on the cover of NAHMA’s 2025 calendar. Lily, 16, also receives an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, D.C., for a NAHMA Biannual Top Issues in Affordable Housing conference and a scholarship of $2,500 from the NAHMA Educational Foundation.
The poster contest is open to children and senior residents 55 years or older who live in a community of a NAHMA or a local AHMA member company, as well as residents with special needs who live in a permanent supportive housing community or Section 811 community of a NAHMA or a local AHMA member company.
The underlying message for the annual contest is always a drug-free theme. Still, the association wanted to open the door for more avenues of expression, so a subtheme was incorporated into the poster contest. The subtheme for this year is Dig Into a New Day: Our World Is a Garden of Delights.
Typically, the contest draws hundreds of participants nationwide. The artwork is divided into categories. For each grade category for children and the elderly and special needs levels, local AHMAs select up to three winning posters, which can consist of photographs, websites, computer art, or other media. The AHMA winners are then sent to NAHMA for consideration in the national contest.
The grade categories for children are based on the grade the contestants have completed by June 2024: kindergarten-first grade, second-third grade, fourth-sixth grade, seventh-ninth grade, and 10th-12th grade. Only students are eligible for the grand prize.
Regardless of the entry category, each national winner of the NAHMA contest receives a $1,000 educational scholarship from the NAHMA Educational Foundation. All winners are also featured in the 2025 NAHMA Drug-Free Kids Calendar.
Furthermore, participants in the annual art contests held by the local AHMAs are eligible to be selected as Regional AHMA Art Contest Honorable Mentions. Those chosen for this distinction are featured in a special calendar section and receive a $100 scholarship check.
The original grand prizewinning artwork will be sold in connection with the Educational Foundation’s fundraising gala on Oct. 24, with the proceeds supporting the foundation’s scholarship program.
Order the NAHMA Drug-Free Kids Calendar today by downloading and returning the 2025 Calendar Order Form to NAHMA, with deliveries beginning in September. The calendar cost is $5.50, which is an allowable project expense for the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The following lists this year’s national program winners, with their ages at the time of submission, grade completed in June 2024, contest category, the community where they live, the management company, and name of the AHMA that submitted their artwork:
Grand Prizewinner
- Lily Morway, 16; 10th Grade; Stratton Hill Park, Worcester, Mass.; Beacon Communities LLC; NEAHMA
Months
- Haneen Amer, 17; 12th Grade; Winteringham Village, Toms River, N.J.; The Michaels Organization; JAHMA
- Jeremiah Bonner, 8; Second Grade; Plaza Manor Apartments, Jacksonville, N.C.; Westminster Company; SAHMA
- Janette Flowers, 71; Seniors & Residents with Special Needs; Wesley at Murray, Murray, Ky.; Wesley Living; SAHMA
- Ravnoor K. Heyer, 10; Fourth Grade; Los Robles Apartments, Union City, Calif.; EAH Housing; AHMA-NCH
- Denise N. Julian, 62; Seniors & Residents with Special Needs; Greenwoods, Brockton, Mass.; First Realty Management; NEAHMA
- Gabriella Koranteng, 8; Third Grade; Stratton Hill Park, Worcester, Mass.; Beacon Communities LLC; NEAHMA
- Kaya Lopez, 14; Eighth Grade; Council Groves Apartments, Missoula, Mont.; Tamarack Property Management Co.; Rocky Mountain Heartland AHMA
- Joeliz Mateo Torres, 16; Ninth Grade; Res. Rafael Hernandez, Mayaguez, Puerto Rico; J.A. Machuca & Associates, Inc.; SAHMA
- Lizandra Montero, 16; 11th Grade; Lakeside Towers, Miami, Fla.; Royal American Management; SAHMA
- Dylan Newton, 11; Sixth Grade; Ten Fifty B Apartments, San Diego, Calif.; Solari Enterprises, Inc.; AHMA-PSW
- Noah Said Rodriguez-Garcia, 6; Kindergarten; Res. Las Americas, Lajas, Puerto Rico; J.A. Machuca & Associates, Inc.; SAHMA
- Sabaythip Siriphone, 57; Seniors & Residents with Special Needs; Ten Fifty B Apartments, San Diego, Calif.; Solari Enterprises, Inc.; AHMA-PSW
- Valentina Villarreal, 7; First Grade; Casa Imperial, Calexico, Calif.; Solari Enterprises, Inc.; AHMA-PSW
Honorable Mentions
- Marie Crouch, 63; Seniors & Residents with Special Needs; Charles Major Manor, Shelbyville, Ind.; Retirement Housing Foundation; MAHMA
- Treyvon Dones, 13; Eighth Grade; Moorhead Manor, Moorhead, Miss.; The Michaels Organization; SAHMA
- Ruby Lopez, 12; Sixth Grade; Council Groves Apartments, Missoula, Mont.; Tamarack Property Management Co.; Rocky Mountain Heartland AHMA
- Hailey Richardson, 15; Ninth Grade; Bavarian Manor, New Braunfels, Texas; Prospera Housing and Community Services; SWAHMA
- Patricia Ruskin, 70ish; Seniors & Residents with Special Needs; Beechview Manor, Pittsburgh, Penn.; Christian Housing, Inc.; PAHMA
- Maria Zendejas, 59; Seniors & Residents with Special Needs; Casa Imperial, Calexico, Calif.; Solari Enterprises, Inc.; AHMA-PSW
Poster Gallery
THE NATIONAL WINNERS
Grand Prizewinner |
Haneen Amer, 17 |
Jeremiah Bonner, 8 |
Janette Flowers, 71 |
Ravnoor K. Heyer, 10 |
Denise N. Julian, 62 |
Gabriella Koranteng, 8 |
Kaya Lopez, 14 |
Joeliz Mateo Torres, 16 |
Lizandra Montero, 16 |
Dylan Newton, 11 |
Noah Said Rodriguez-Garcia, 6 |
Sabaythip Siriphone, 57 |
Valentina Villarreal, 7 |
HONORABLE MENTIONS
Marie Crouch, 63 |
Treyvon Dones, 13 |
Ruby Lopez, 12 |
Hailey Richardson, 15 |
Patricia Ruskin, 70ish |
Maria Zendejas, 59 |
