Chapman Partnership and The Underline Earn 2025 NOVO Award for Innovative CP Works Program
- Jennyfer Grundler
- Oct 16
- 2 min read
Supported by the Lennar Foundation, this transitional employment program creates pathways for individuals overcoming homelessness.
From left: Fernando Ruiz, Christina Scott, Cristine Hernandez, Heidi Alzate Kaufman, Scott Hansel, Marshall Ames, Alex Paz, Marisa Tinkler Mendez, Justin Dickason, Miguel Claro
Chapman Partnership, a nonprofit organization that serves and empowers vulnerable populations, was honored at the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce’s 2025 Nonprofit NOVO Awards with the Innovative Excellence Award for its CP Works program. This initiative, created in partnership with The Underline, a 10-mile linear park and urban trail, and the Lennar Foundation, the charitable arm of one of the nation’s leading homebuilders, provides employment opportunities and pathways to independence for individuals who have experienced homelessness.
Meg Daly, Founder of Friends of The Underline
The NOVO Nonprofit Business Awards were presented at the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce’s Trustee Luncheon, honoring organizations in Miami-Dade County that have demonstrated innovative excellence and featured entrepreneurial practices of non-profit organizations.
Launched in April 2025 by Chapman Partnership, CP Works and The Park Stewards program received its first corporate sponsor with the Lennar Foundation. The CP Works program is an innovative bridge employment program that provides opportunities for individuals who have experienced homelessness to re-enter the workforce, build independence, and prepare for permanent employment. The first employer to contract with CP Works, The Underline has created the Park Stewards program where participants gain hands-on skills in park operations and maintenance while also receiving support with housing stability and financial literacy.
“Through our partnership with The Underline, we’ve been able to create new opportunities for individuals who are rebuilding their lives, combining shelter and support with on-the-job training and stability,” said Scott Hansel, Chapman Partnership CEO. “CP Works is opening the doors to a better quality of life for our clients, and with the support and encouragement of the Lennar Foundation, this alliance is making a meaningful and lasting impact for South Florida.”
The NOVO Awards recognized CP Works for its unique ability to bring together nonprofits with different missions around a shared community goal. By creatively leveraging philanthropic funding from the Lennar Foundation, the program has scaled its impact while upskilling participants for careers in park maintenance and horticulture. At the same time, it has strengthened The Underline’s operations and provided Chapman residents with the economic support needed to thrive, demonstrating how collaboration can elevate multiple missions at once.
“This award validates the power of collaboration,” said Meg Daly, Founder and Executive Chair of Friends of The Underline. “By linking public spaces with workforce development and housing opportunities, we are creating sustainable pathways for individuals to thrive while strengthening Miami’s public spaces.”
“At the Lennar Foundation, we invest in programs that don’t just address immediate needs, but create lasting opportunities to strengthen the communities we serve,” said Marshall Ames, Chairman of the Lennar Foundation.
The CP Works program aims to expand with new partnerships across Miami-Dade County as a key component of the Chapman Partnership “village of support,” a national model tackling homelessness.