Leni Gonzalez, Hogar Immigrant Services, Nauck Civic Association, and Our Lady Queen of Peace Catholic Church
2015 theme: Immigrant rights
Public invited to Dec.10 award ceremony
One individual and three non-profit organizations were selected as winners of the 2015 James B. Hunter Human Rights Award, the Arlington Human Rights Commission announced.
Leni Gonzalez, Hogar Immigrant Services, Nauck Civic Association and Our Lady Queen of Peace Catholic Church are this year’s honorees. The Hunter awards are named for the former County Board Member, who spent years in public service working on behalf of individuals with little access to government. The James B. Hunter Award recognizes sustained commitment and/or outstanding accomplishment in the area of human rights made in Arlington by an individual, community group, non-profit organization or business.
“The James B. Hunter Award recognizes our community heroes,” said Arlington County Board Chair Mary Hynes. “This year, the Human Rights Commission chose to focus on individuals and organizations who have gone the extra mile to welcome immigrants into our community, work for immigrant rights, and advocate for fair treatment of all. We look forward to honoring their service and the good work they do.”
Public invited to awards ceremony
The awards will be presented at a public ceremony and reception on Thursday, Dec. 10, 2015, from 7-9 p.m. in the Arlington County Board Room, 2100 Clarendon Blvd., Third Floor, Arlington VA. The public is invited to this free event.
The theme for this year’s event is “Immigrant Rights” and the keynote speaker is Ana Avendaño, Vice President for Labor Participation at United Way Worldwide.
About the winners
Leni Gonzalez is a long-time Arlington resident committed to the advancement of the Rights of Hispanics and other minorities, and to the fair treatment of all immigrants. In 2014, she received the Distinguished Latina Women Life Achievement Award from El Poder de Ser Mujer (the Power of Being a Woman) and the Multicultural Family and Education center, for her decades of work on behalf of immigrants.
Leni Gonzalez
Hogar Immigrant Services was founded in 1981. It provides services in the Catholic Diocese of Arlington, responding to the Catholic Church’s call for social justice by welcoming all immigrants. Hogar Immigrant Services offers English and citizenship classes, legal services and naturalization programs.
Our Lady Queen of Peace Catholic Church a Catholic parish that has distinguished itself by reaching out to Arlington’s neediest members and providing them with food, housing assistance, and immigration services
Nauck Civic Association, a neighborhood organization, was founded in the late 1920s to advance the rights of African-Americans in Arlington County, The association’s commitment to protecting the right to vote of all minorities, including African-Americans, is well documented. Notably, the association has worked to restore the right to vote for ex-offenders.