Diamond Development, Inc.

2008-06-17T12:39:00.002-04:00

The Eric R. Villines Advocacy Institute

The Eric R. Villines Advocacy Institute - named in loving memory of Kimberly Armstrong’s 16-year old son who lost his life to the violent streets of Baltimore - is a nonprofit arm of Diamond Development, Inc. (www.diamondadvocateinstitute.org) and fills an important void for parents and communities across the State of Maryland.

Mission:

To empower and educate parents, youth, and organizations on juvenile justice issues and policies while providing hands-on advocacy support and trainings to stakeholders in the juvenile justice system.

For more information regarding the Eric R. Villines Advocacy Institute, please contact Bettye Blaize at 1-800-485-8214, ext. 45.

The Eric R. Villines Advocacy Institute is dedicated to the memory of Eric R. Villines and to all other children and youth whose lives have been tragically lost to violence.

To make a donation, please click on the following link:

http://www.diamondadvocateinstitute.org/EricRVillinesAdvocacyInstitute.html

*The picture above of Eric Villines is from http://wjz.com/local/murder.eric.villins.2.682360.html*

Local Mother and Advocate to Receive Baltimore's Top Neighborhood Mom's Award

2008-05-07T17:54:00.002-04:00

PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release: Contact:
May 8, 2008 Kimberly Armstrong
1-800-485-8214

Baltimore, Maryland -- Kimberly Armstrong has had many roles in her life: author, activist, advocate, and entrepreneur. To Diamond, Eric, and Mike - she has had the most important role of all - Mom. And on Thursday, May 8th Council President Stephanie Rawlings-Blake will honor Kimberly Armstrong as one of Baltimore's Top Neighborhood Moms at a luncheon in Fells Point.

Kimberly Armstrong is the President of Diamond Development Inc., a consulting and training organization in Baltimore which provides services to families, professionals and community-involved individuals on stress and anger management, self-esteem, leadership, diversity and other life enhancement skills.Ms. Armstrong has completed trainings and received certificates from The Professional Woman Network and the Women's Entrepreneurs of Baltimore (W.E.B). Her advocacy regarding youth violence has led her to become a sought-after speaker and commentator. She has appeared in many venues including The Marc Steiner Radio Show, The Baltimore Sun, The Washington Post, and The University of Maryland's Capitol News. Ms. Armstrong has participated in the Maryland Juvenile Justice Coalition's Monthly Speakers Forum, the Women's Entrepreneurs of Baltimore's Work Force Development Workshop, and the Maryland State Assembly (provided testimony for legislated bills to help reform the Maryland Juvenile System). She has also appeared in many exhibits and documentaries. Additionally, Ms. Armstrong has served as the guest and keynote speaker for a number of organizations.In September 2004, Ms. Armstrong suffered a tragic loss when her youngest son, Eric, was murdered. This unfortunate event led her to embark on a journey as an author and inspirational speaker. Ms. Armstrong is one of 25 women who co-authored two books - The Christians Woman's Guide For Personal Success and Women as Leaders: Strategies for Empowerment & Communication. Ms. Armstrong thrives on and believes that the best way to help others is to help them find the brilliance in helping themselves. In December 2004, Ms. Armstrong received the 2004-05 Pollin Award from the Washington Wizards for Outstanding Dedication to the Community. In 2007, she was honored by the National Juvenile Justice Network and the Campaign for Youth Justice with The National Mother of Distinction Award. These accomplishments have made Ms. Armstrong an ardent proponent for positive, constructive and immediate reform of the entire juvenile justice system in Maryland.
Ms. Armstrong continues to fight injustice by helping youth and families help themselves through education and empowerment. The former Interim Co-Chair for the Maryland Juvenile Justice Coalition, Founder/Executive Director of the Just 4 Me Mentoring Program for Girls, and a former professional bus operator with the Maryland Transit Administration, Ms. Armstrong is currently a board member of the Governor's Office of Crime Control and Prevention (GOCCP) and The Juvenile Detention Alternative Initiative (JDAI) with the Annie E. Casey Foundation and the Department of Juvenile Services in Baltimore, Maryland.

To contact Ms. Armstrong, visit http://www.diamonddevelopmentinc.net/ or call 1-800-485-8214.

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The TAKE ACTION! Network Online

.... Developing Strategies, Mobilizing Resources, and Creating Solutions! http://www.thetakeactionnetwork.com/

UPCOMING BOOK SIGNINGS

2008-04-05T10:11:00.005-04:00

Saturday, April 5th

A Good Book's Two-Year Celebration
2 p.m. - 4 p.m.
2101 Gwynn Oak Avenue
Baltimore, MD 21207
Call 410-944-5565 for more details!

Saturday, May 17th
3 p.m. - 7 p.m.
The Unity Center of Christianity's Book Signing and Reception
2901 N. Charles Street
Baltimore, MD 21218
Call 410-243-4282 for more details!

Ms. Armstrong is the co-author of The Christian Women's Guide for Personal Success and Women as Leaders: Strategies for Empowerment & Communication.

BOOKING INFORMATION:
Kimberly Armstrong, Author and Inspirational Speaker
www.diamonddevelopmentinc.net
1-800-485-8214

PRESS RELEASE

2008-03-19T12:14:00.002-04:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, March 19, 2008

Contact: Lynn Pinder
(443) 257-6752

Local Mother Turns Tragedy into Triumph:
Kimberly Armstrong Shares Her Amazing Story

BALTIMORE – It’s a Friday afternoon on March 14, 2008, but this is no typical Friday or March 14th for Kimberly Armstrong. As she sits in the Barnes & Noble Café in Charles Village sipping her coffee, fighting back tears, and putting the last touches on her application to the Open Society Institute/Baltimore Fellowship program, she can’t help but think about her youngest son – Eric Villines - who was born on this day. His young life was snatched from her and those who loved him in 2004 at the tender age of 16 when he was shot and killed outside her Northeast Baltimore home.

Prior to her son’s death, Ms. Armstrong quit her job as a bus driver for the Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) to find help for her son. “I became fed-up and frustrated with the lack of information, the difficulty in dealing with multiple people from multiple agencies who were not effectively communicating with each other or with me, the parent,” said Kimberly Armstrong. Her experience compelled her to take action and help others navigate through the Maryland Juvenile Justice System.

As a mother who fought a bitter-sweet battle against the Maryland Juvenile Justice system to save her teenage son from a 25-year life sentence, she understands - first-hand - the frustration, despair, and hopelessness parents face in trying to obtain adequate resources and supports to help troubled youth. She is the first to admit that her son was a troubled teen who unfortunately got caught-up; and, although she won the battle for his life against the juvenile justice system, she – ultimately - lost her son to the violent streets of Baltimore.

Kimberly Armstrong shares her story with anyone who will listen. She has testified before the state legislature, spoken at national conferences, and just recently co-authored a book, The Christian Women’s Guide for Personal Success, to help people deal with grief and loss. She is hosting her first book signing on Saturday, March 22nd at 3:30 p.m. at the New Life United Methodist Church located 4400 Parkside Drive in Baltimore, MD (21206).

For more information or to schedule an interview, please call 443-257-6752 or 443-845-3116.

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2008-02-15T10:30:00.013-05:00

SAVE THE DATE: Saturday, March 22, 2008

Celebrate Women's History Month

with

Kimberly Armstrong,

Co-Author of The Christian Women's Guide for Personal Success

DATE: Saturday, March 22, 2008

TIME: 3:30 p.m.

LOCATION: New Life United Methodist Church
4400 Parkside Drive
Baltimore, MD 21206

Call 443-257-6752 or email lpinder@thetakeactionnetwork.com to R.S.V.P.