Hispanic Heritage Month 2020
On Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2020 the Council held the annual Hispanic Heritage Month commemoration hosted by Councilmember Nancy Navarro, then Council President Sidney Katz and Councilmember Gabe Albornoz. Councilmember Navarro established this important tradition at the Council and spearheads this commemoration each year. The theme of this year’s commemoration is “Latinx Heroes: Leading, Healing and Providing Hope during the Pandemic.”
The Council honored members of Montgomery County’s Hispanic and Latino community who have gone above and beyond to promote public health and provide crucial services to County residents during the global pandemic. This year’s honorees include community activists Grace Rivera-Oven; Mario Alvarado Villa; Oneyda Hernández; Sonia Mora of the Latino Health Initiative; the Montgomery County Latino Health steering committee; nurse Yelize Medina; and Hispanic staff in the areas of medicine, cleaning and maintenance, interpretation, COVID-19 testing and helplines.
“For this year’s Hispanic Heritage Month commemoration, we honor those who have come together during this global pandemic in the spirit of generosity,” said Councilmember Navarro. “I say it often, but it is even more important to repeat it loudly at this critical point in our history—Montgomery County’s diversity is its strength. People from every corner of the globe come to our community seeking peace, stability and a better quality of life for their families. In turn, they contribute greatly to our County’s values of inclusion and compassion for one another. As we celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, let’s recommit ourselves to those values, because together we are stronger.”
“It is an honor to host the seventh annual Hispanic Heritage Month commemoration at the Council,” said Council President Sidney Katz. “Every year we highlight the different ways in which Hispanic and Latino residents across Montgomery County are uplifting and enriching our community and elevate the voices of inspirational residents who go above and beyond. This year takes on an added importance, as we celebrate the work of true heroes among us who are working to help guide us through these difficult times, even as our Latino community has been disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Councilmember Albornoz said: “Hispanic Heritage Month is a time to recognize and celebrate the valuable contributions that the Latino community has made to our diverse community. This has been especially true during the pandemic as service workers, health professionals and many more have sacrificed to keep us all safe and moving forward. To our frontline heroes, we honor you, and we thank you.”