My name is Alicia Hamilton and I am a Harford County native and the mother of an amazing 22 year senior at Salisbury University named Brendon. I am the current Executive Director and a Founding Member of Fresh Start Furnishings [formerly Found in Faith Ministries], a 501c3 nonprofit offering furniture and home goods at no cost to Harford residents in need. I am also the CEO and Founder of Social Progress Solutions, a start-up software company with the mission of unlocking human potential that’s suffocating under the weight of financial insecurity.
Once a social service recipient myself, I am now the Vice Chair of the Department of Social Services Advisory Board and I serve on the Continuum of Care Case Management Committee and the Ready by 21 Transitioning Foster Youth Committee. I have a BA from Towson University in Family and Human Services and an AA in Technical/Professional studies with a concentration in interior design from Harford Community College.
I am a 2018 graduate of the Harford Leadership Academy and a 2019 graduate of the Towson Professional Leadership Program for Women. I was honored as a winner of the 2021 United Way Changemaker Challenge, was a top-five finalist for the 2023 Athena Leadership Award, and was one of only two winners of the 2023 Champion of Life Award presented by the Building for God Community Foundation. When not out trying to save the world, I find joy in taking care of my health through yoga, Muay Thai and functional fitness. On my days off I enjoy spending quality time with my son, boyfriend and friends and going on long hikes with my fluffy pup, Gracie.
Q: Please tell us a little bit about your family.
My experience of family has been difficult one. I was born into a loving home but numerous significant tragedies took their toll. My father was killed in a hit and run accident when I was four years old and my mother lost her battle with cancer shortly after I turned 11. We were never close with my dad’s side but I was fortunate to have maternal grandparents that adopted me and loved me dearly. Unfortunately I didn’t appreciate them much at the time which eventually led me to seek acceptance from the wrong crowd in high school. Not long after graduation, I had my own little family to care for when I gave birth to my son at age 19. Less then a year later my grandfather died from complications of heart disease, leaving my grandmother and I to “hold down the fort.” With no siblings, aunts or uncles thanks to both my mother and I being only children, life raising my son was challenging but we made it work. In my early thirties, my grandmother began to show signs of cognitive decline. A very slow progressing dementia took hold and 9 years later, it was my turn to adopt her. Only 8 months after becoming her court-appointed guardian, she passed just as she wanted to, in her home that was built nearly six decades earlier by her and my grandfather. Today, it’s just my son and I, continuing to literally “hold down the fort” in my childhood home that I inherited upon my grandmother’s passing. I never married and have no other children. What I have now however, is family that I have chosen. I have deep and loving friendships with a diverse group of people and a community of volunteers at Fresh Start Furnishings that are like family. I consider myself blessed to know that family is what you make it and that the present moment is the only moment there is.
Q: Please tell us about your current, past, or future career. What do you love most about what you do?
The first 15 years I spent raising my son, I worked mostly in the restaurant industry, typically holding two jobs at a time which included places like Wetlands Gold Course, Magooby’s Joke House, and M&T Bank stadium. For seven of those years, I was also in school pursuing my education. I started my own cleaning business in 2016 in order to put my son through John Carroll and give him a better chance of success. During that time I also began working as a part-time case manager for problem solving courts and had begun working on Fresh Start Furnishings. Currently, I am employed as the part-time Executive Director of FSF and have recently started a software business called Social Progress Solutions. We have partnered with Technology 4 Causes supported by Dicorp, Inc. and have recently launched two county-specific products called HarfordHelps.com and Path to Success Online™. My future career goals include building my software company to a national level and offering millions of people a better way to envision their Path to Success and connecting them to resources in their communities to help them get there. In the same manner, my goal is that my personal Path to Success leads to my own financial freedom and the ability to do this kind of work without the worry of financial insecurity limiting my potential or impact.
Q: What are a couple of your favorite restaurants in our community?
There’s so many! Rainbow wins for sushi. Enotria has the best Italian, pizza included, and Plaza Mexico is my favorite for Mexican.
Q: How long have you lived or worked in our community?
I am a born-and-raised Harford countian. I’ve lived all over this county but never out of it. I eventually plan to live somewhere more warm year-round but this will always be home.
Q: Who is the most interesting person you’ve met here in our community?
I am fascinated by the life and story of Marie and Paul Edmeades. Married for nearly 50 years now, this former art teacher and architect has designed the most interesting home and have creatively filled it with the most unique treasures. Even their backyard is some sort of environmental sanctuary! I’m honored to know them and to receive their love as if I am an adopted child.
Q: What is one of your favorite movies? TV shows?
I’m not a big movie or TV buff but I typically enjoy a good historic or psychological drama such as “Reign” or “Mindhunter” on Netflix. My all-time favorite movies are Monster Squad and Dirty Dancing from my childhood.
Q: What advice would you give to people?
Just because you want to help or support a cause doesn’t mean you need to start a nonprofit. Starting a nonprofit has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life but it has also been one of the most challenging. If you want to start a nonprofit because you enjoy managing people and spreadsheets and reporting and moonlighting as an IT/marketing/grantwriting/recruitment person then sure, it may be the job for you. But if you want to start a nonprofit because you want to help and make a difference, I strongly encourage you to find another already established local organization or even national organization and join their team. It is the only way to continue doing the direct-service work that inspired you to begin.
Q: What current or former local business makes you the most nostalgic about our community?
I love Harvest Fare in Fallston because my family has been shopping for groceries there for as long as I can remember. Back then it used to be Acme but the staff is always friendly, their fresh-baked goods are super yummy, and they also have great deals occasionally.
Q: If you could choose anyone that is alive today and not a relative; with whom would you love to have lunch? Why? And where locally would y’all meet for this lunch?
On one hand there’s too many and on the other, I’m sure there’s a zillion people I’m not thinking of. I feel like I couldn’t go wrong having lunch with Joe Rogan. He can be off-putting at times but his interests are endless, he has interviewed countless other interesting people, and he also had a hard life growing up and has done very well for himself without compromising his values which I find admirable. I think we’d have to go to Tidewater for the best water views and outdoor dining.
Q: What is your favorite thing or something unique about our community?
There is a lot of county-pride here. I wouldn’t know the difference except for a former colleague once sharing with me that he couldn’t even tell me the name of his county was when he lived in Virginia, but here, it is “Harford” everything! I love that people are proud of where they come from and that so many people choose to live here their whole lives. I think that really says something positive about our community.
Q: Where do you see yourself in 5 to 10 years?
I see myself living in another state somewhere warmer for awhile and traveling a lot for work and play. My software company will be on a meaningful growth trajectory and I will be working to implement our products in as many counties across the country as possible. Fresh Start Furnishings will be under new leadership however I plan to remain on the board and make significant financial contributions annually. My son may potentially get married and start his own family over the next decade so that will play a role in my personal goals as well. I will continue to remain active in yoga and functional fitness and maybe even take on a new hobby such as jiu jitsu or swimming. My spiritual growth will continue to remain a priority and I hope to begin building my personal brand and sharing my story to inspire others. Who knows, I may even get married myself one day.
Q: (Even for friends or family), what is something interesting that most people don’t know about you?
A lot of people don’t now that I once pursued a career in commercial interiors and wanted to design experiential environments such as those you find in Disney World or Las Vegas. There is a dormant artist within me that I would love to awaken again once I have a little less demanding work schedule.
Q: What would you rate a 10 out of 10?
Yoga. The classes and/or instructors may not always be a 10 out of 10 but the practice has done wonders for my mind, body, and spirit over the last year and a half. I will never compete in the yogi Olympics or anything but I have noticed a HUGE difference in the reduction of joint pain and inflammation that I used to contend with on a daily basis thanks to my other fitness endeavors.
Q: Who inspires you to be better?
My boyfriend and my son actually. Both are incredibly driven hard workers that prioritize personal growth and health. They are both conscientious men of integrity who and have high standards for themselves and those they keep in their lives. They are each pursuing their dreams with determination but are also both very good at taking time off to have fun and enjoy the ride. I am incredibly lucky to be surrounded by these inspiring guys.
Q: Finally, what 3 words or phrases come to mind when you think of the word HOME?
Family, security, a sense of wholeness.
