The Frances McClelland Vision Awards were created to celebrate the legacy of Frances McClelland, who was a generous and tireless advocate for children, youth, and families, especially those experiencing adversity and injustice. Frances exemplified, supported, and celebrated resilience during her lifetime. The annual awards are given to those who share Francesʼ and FMIʼs vision of strong communities that support family resilience so that all children and youth, especially those who are most disadvantaged, have the opportunity to thrive. We also honor the legacy of another visionary leader in our community, Richard Elías, a longtime community advocate and leader, who served on the Pima County Board of Supervisors and the FMI Advisory Council.

 

Descriptions of the award categories are availiable here.

 

 

Thank You to Our Event Sponsors!

 

Event Sponsor Pima Federal Credit Union                                      Jim & Vicki Click and Family

 

 

 

If you would like to become an event sponsor, click here.

 

 

 

Meet this Year's Award Winners!

 

 

2023 Frances McClelland Vision Award Winner - Bill Voigt

 

Bill Voigt grew up in Southern California with a large extended family and parents and grandparents that instilled in him the importance of serving and treating others with respect. He earned a BA from California State University – Los Angeles and a M. Div from Yale University’s Divinity School.  His long career in the ministry has included building a youth ministry, serving in a church in Hollywood where he worked closely with half-way houses, law enforcement, and a large social service agency to confront pimps and decrease child homelessness, helping youth transition out of gangs, and creating a camp for children from single-parent homes. He recently retired after more than 25 years with the Trinity Presbyterian Church in Tucson. His notable accomplishments in that role included starting a food bank and a Resource Center that became licensed to operate on behalf of the Department of Economic Security for folks who needed help with basic benefits.  Throughout his career, he has worked to help those who are vulnerable, marginalized and under-served.

 

 

2023 Richard Elías Legacy Award Winner - Josefina Ahumada

 

Commissioned pastor, social worker, educator, human rights advocate- describes Josefina. She was born and raised in California. She moved to Tucson Arizona upon graduating from UCLA where she received her MSW degree. In 2019 she retired from ASU School of Social Work where she served twenty years as the Field Education Coordinator at the Tucson Campus.  She is currently affiliated with Arizona State University as a field instructor, mentoring social work interns at Casa Alitas and Southside Worker Center.  She also serves as a faculty member of the UA/ASU Interprofessional Milagro program. Prior to ASU Josefina practiced in the Pima County public behavioral health system as a clinician and as a clinical administrator.

 
Josefina is a member at Southside Presbyterian Church. She is commissioned as a lay pastor and serves part time at Papago United Presbyterian Church on the Tohono O’odham Nation. She was one of the founding members of the Southside Worker Center that supports and advocates on behalf of immigrant workers.
 
She has served on various commissions and community boards throughout the years. At present she serves on the Southside Worker Center Steering Committee, Pima Council on Aging, Senior Pride, and the University of Arizona Frances McClelland Institute for Children, Youth and Families Advisory Board.

 

 

2023 Frances McClelland Youth Vision Award Winner - Lilian German Noriega

 

 

I have watched my parents take the first steps in pursuing the American Dream. I continue to follow their footsteps as they have taught me to not give up on getting anything I want by making an example of themselves and their own resilience. I have to thank my dad specifically for teaching me how to be resilient. I guess you could say I grew up spoiled, but I come from a humble family that taught me how to be grateful and earn everything I have. They always made sure to explain to me the difficulties they had to live through at an age where I was still playing with Barbie dolls. At a later age, my resilience translated into my resilience in education.

 
I have always loved school! I still remember all the educators, bus drivers and scholarship donors that made my education possible from kindergarten until now. My mom even says that she remembers when we would drive by the University of Arizona and I would get excited about attending college one day. At the time, I am sure I did not fully understand what it meant for a first generation latina, daughter of immigrants, to pursue an education above middle school level. I am privileged to have such big dreams, and the opportunity to pursue them. For that, I thank my parents. I thank the generous Willcox and Tucson community members that have helped me get this far; I can only hope to give back to students like me someday too.

 

 

2023 Spirit Organizational Award - The Community Coalition for Heart Health Education

 

Over the past fourteen years, the mission of the Sarver Heart Center Minority Outreach Committee—also known as The Community Coalition for Heart Health Education (CCHHE)—has been to promote heart health among women, minorities, underserved, and under-resourced communities. We reach, teach, train, coach, advocate, empower, and sing to these populations to increase health awareness. Our impact is in the numbers! CCHHE has invested 600,200 volunteer hours, reached 7,500 people, given over 89 community health presentations, funded 4 investigative research awards, and started an endowment for women of color in this population of Tucson. We recognize the importance of working with and being invested in our local community, and we are committed to giving our time, talents, skills, miles, and funds to its success. As a community-driven collaborative partnership, our purpose is to provide health education to enhance quality of health and life among our minority and underserved population.

 

Event Photos!