For over 25 years, Deni Naffziger has been working to help artists with developmental differences at Passion Works Studio tell their own stories through poetry.​ Deni has been instrumental in the formation and progress of Passion Works Studios, and through ALAS we have been able to honor her impact with the creation of our annual awards: The DENI Awards.

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Each DENI Award we hand out is representative of someone who is either helping others to tell powerful stories or someone who is telling genuine, important Appalachian stories themselves, through whichever medium they prefer.​