Henry Broadway Nominated for the Aging Forward Alliance National Excellence Volunteer Award
Henry receiving a community appreciation award from the board of Aging Forward Durham.
Aging Forward Durham exists because one person saw a need, believed it could be met, and inspired others to act. That person is Henry Broadway, Founder of Aging Forward Durham and a nominee for the Aging Forward Alliance National Excellence Volunteer Award.
This nomination recognizes Henry’s extraordinary volunteer leadership, vision, and unwavering commitment to seniors in North Durham — and it tells the story of how a simple but powerful idea became a growing nonprofit that is changing lives.
A Vision Rooted in Community and Compassion
In the fall of 2023, Henry Broadway joined a Thriving Congregations cohort through Temple Baptist Church Durham. The cohort was designed to explore how congregations could use creative thinking and design theory to respond to real community needs.
Early in that process, Henry identified a challenge he knew personally but had not yet fully understood in scope: many seniors in North Durham had no reliable way to get to medical appointments.
Henry knew neighbors who no longer drove. He knew families stretched thin trying to coordinate transportation. What he didn’t yet know was how widespread — and urgent — the need truly was.
Rather than letting the idea remain theoretical, Henry brought it to life.
From Idea to Action
With the encouragement of the Thriving Congregations team, Henry focused the group’s energy on transportation for seniors as a ministry experiment. Although Aging Forward Durham would not formally launch until the fall of 2024, the work began much earlier — driven by Henry’s determination and passion.
Temple Baptist Church Durham opened office space for Henry, giving him a place to work and plan. He brought in materials, created an action list, and began tackling each step one by one. By early 2024, Henry took the idea directly to the community.
He began posting articles and appeals on the neighborhood platform Nextdoor, explaining the concept of free transportation for senior adults in North Durham and asking a simple question: Who would benefit from this service?
The response was overwhelming.
Seniors in need replied. Adult children caring for aging parents replied. Many said, “I would use this service today if it were available.” What had started as an experiment was clearly becoming a calling.
Building Momentum and a Movement
With growing evidence of need, Henry — with support from Temple Baptist Church Durham — shared the vision with the broader community. In the summer of 2024, he presented the idea to a large gathering of North Durham congregations and community members.
From that meeting, a small group of leaders representing three area congregations committed to forming a working team. Together, they began building what would become Aging Forward Durham.
Henry’s leadership guided every step: shaping the mission, navigating the nonprofit formation process, and keeping the focus squarely on seniors who needed help now.
Launching Aging Forward Durham
On April 1, 2025, Aging Forward Durham officially launched. Just one month later, volunteer drivers began providing free, door-through-door transportation to seniors for medical and healthcare appointments.
The organization has grown steadily since — serving neighbors, supporting independence, and ensuring that transportation is no longer a barrier to health and dignity for older adults in North Durham.
Leadership Through Adversity
In May 2025, Henry began experiencing severe pain due to arthritis. That pain ultimately led to hospitalization and an extended stay in a rehabilitation center.
Even then, Henry’s impact did not slow the mission.
The Aging Forward Durham board stepped in to carry forward the work Henry had been doing — a testament to just how much energy, leadership, and heart he poured into the organization. It took six people to divide and manage the responsibilities Henry had carried largely on his own for nearly two years.
Henry has since transitioned to an honorary board member and will always be recognized as the Founder of Aging Forward Durham.
A Legacy That Continues to Grow
The fact that Aging Forward Durham exists — and continues to grow — is directly tied to Henry Broadway’s vision, persistence, and belief in the power of community.
His nomination for the National Excellence Volunteer Award honors not only his personal contributions, but also the countless seniors whose lives have been made easier, safer, and more connected because he chose to act.
We are deeply grateful for Henry’s leadership and proud to celebrate his nomination. Aging Forward Durham stands as living proof that one person’s vision, when paired with compassion and action, can create lasting change.
Thank you, Henry, for seeing the need, building the path, and leading with heart.