In 1969, a 4.4 acre park located in Seattle’s Central District was named after Maisha's  grandfather Powell Samuel Barnett. Inspired to revitalize the park after many years of neglect, she formed a community volunteer group named Powell Barnett Legacy Project and the culmination of this effort resulted in partnering with Starbucks Coffee Company who donated $550,000 to implement its first Ultimate Park Makeover. The redevelopment effort occurred over just seven days with the assistance of 800 volunteers. Total construction costs was $1.3M.