Regional Winners Also to be Recognized at 2008 NCLR Annual Conference

San Diego, CA – The National Council of La Raza (NCLR), the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the U.S., will present the 2008 NCLR/Ford Motor Company Affiliate of the Year Award to the Committee for Hispanic Children and Families (CHCF)—an organization dedicated to improving the quality of life for Latino children and their families in the New York City community. CHCF, a member of NCLR’s network of nearly 300 Affiliates and a leader in youth services and public advocacy, will be honored at the 2008 NCLR Annual Conference Awards Gala on Tuesday, July 15 in San Diego, CA. In addition to the award, CHCF will receive a $25,000 cash award.

“CHCF’s dedication to promoting the advancement of Latino families has defined its affiliation with NCLR and is in line with NCLR’s mission of building a stronger America,” said Janet Murguía, NCLR President and CEO.

CHCF offers a number of direct health education programs and services that encompass a range of public health community education and outreach initiatives. While grounded in direct services, CHCF is active in the local, state, and national policy arena. CHCF provides free civic education and history classes to the community in English and Spanish, as well as assistance in completing the Naturalization Application.

“CHCF is honored to be recognized by NCLR for serving New York’s Hispanic community.” said Elba Montalvo, Executive Director of CHCF. “NCLR’s support will allow us to continue creating opportunities and opening doors for Latino families.” This year, Montalvo will complete her second and final term on the NCLR Board of Directors.

The Affiliate of the Year Award is presented annually and is an opportunity for NCLR to honor an Affiliate for exemplary work in positively impacting the local community and for supporting NCLR’s policy and programmatic initiatives. Generous support from the Ford Motor Company makes this recognition possible.

Four Affiliates were chosen as regional honorees for their outstanding work in specific geographical areas and each receive a cash award of $5,000. The regional honorees for 2008 are The Unity Council from Oakland, CA (California); Tejano Center for Community Concerns from Houston, TX (Central region); La Clínica del Pueblo from Washington, DC (Eastern region); and Youth Development, Inc. from Albuquerque, NM (Western region).

For more information about NCLR or the Affiliate awards, please contact Jacqueline Pacheco at jpacheco@nclr.org or (202) 785-1670, or visit www.nclr.org.

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