The Richard Elías Legacy Award is given to honor an individual who works with the Southern Arizona community to build resilience, work for justice, and honor the beauty and heritage for our community and for its members. This individual is a champion of our unique Sonoran desert and its people, and exemplifies many of the admirable qualities of Richard Elías: a person who is dedicated and willing to take risks, who is approachable and open to everyone in the community, and who promotes equity and opportunity. Nominations of DACA recipients are encouraged.

 

For the past 8 years, Alonzo Morado has worked as the Community Engagement Coordinator at Primavera Foundation.  The mission of Primavera Foundation, providing pathways out of poverty, has given Alonzo the opportunity to work for families and children living at the lowest spectrum of poverty.  Alonzo directs the afterschool program for the children at the Las Abuelitas Family Housing and Community Center—Primavera’s green housing designed multi-family affordable housing project.  The after school program includes residents from Primavera’s Las Abuelitas housing project as well as the surrounding South Tucson neighborhood including the South Tucson Housing Authority.  The program provides a safe, fun place to gather for the children that also has homework help available and allows time for reading time.

Alonzo also works in partnership with the Pima County Public Defender’s Office, the University of Arizona School of Law, and many volunteer attorneys, to provide Rights Restoration services as well as helping people with housing, education, and employment opportunities after obtaining their civil rights. Alonzo works to help residents of South Tucson make their voices heard by helping neighborhood organizations, teaching basic civic participation, and teaching and showing how government can work for everyone. Promoting community self-determination, and working in partnership with these residents has allowed Primavera Foundation to be good neighbors with the community. Alonzo’s career has spanned many years as well as many different organizations in the non-profit, private and public sector including:  SER, Jobs for progress, The Sullivan Jackson Employment Center, the City of Tucson, Pima County, and the Federal Government, 1st Interstate Bank, Wells Fargo Bank, La Raza Development Fund (a CDFI of National Council of La Raza) and the Primavera Foundation. Alonzo’s focus has always been on working in low-income communities, working to build wealth and equity as it has always been uphill battle fighting inequity and racism.