Hispanic Affairs Project Receives The Colorado Trust’s Grantee Leadership Award

Contacts:
Julian Kesner, The Colorado Trust, 303-539-3147, [email protected]
Ricardo Perez, Hispanic Affairs Project, 970-249-4115, [email protected]

GRAND JUNCTION, COLO.—The Colorado Trust, a foundation dedicated to creating fair and equal opportunities for Coloradans to lead healthy lives, gave its John R. Moran, Jr. Grantee Leadership Award to the Hispanic Affairs Project (HAP), a nonprofit organization based in Montrose, Colo.

The Trust annually recognizes a grantee for exemplary leadership with a one-time award of $25,000, which HAP will use to support its ongoing work. HAP Executive Director Ricardo Perez accepted the award on behalf of the organization.

HAP was a grantee for the 2015 Health Equity Learning Series, an educational program of The Trust featuring speeches by experts on health equity topics, as well as subsequent localized learning discussions organized by HAP and other grantees. HAP serves Hispanic immigrants in six western Colorado communities. The organization envisions communities where “cultural diversity is valued and immigrants have opportunities to contribute as integral members through active civic participation.”

“Ricardo and his team led important and enriching community conversations around our speaker series last year,” said Ned Calonge, MD, MPH, president and CEO, The Colorado Trust. “The discussions were so dynamic that HAP has continued to hold community meetings beyond the series, and their efforts are helping lead to lasting change in western Colorado. We hope this award will help them continue their dedication to improving the lives of immigrants in our state.”

“HAP participated in The Trust’s [2003-12] immigrant integration initiative not long after HAP’s founding,” said Perez. “This relationship helped form our identity, and set goals and programs. Since then, we have been able to advance critical issues impacting our communities, and The Trust has remained a resource and partner in our mission.”

The leadership award was created in honor of John R. Moran, Jr., former long-time president and CEO of The Trust, for his devotion to improving the health and well-being of Coloradans. Moran Award recipients are chosen for a variety of attributes, including organizational integrity, community leadership, a collaborative approach, and respect for and honoring the diversity of the people the organization serves.

This is is the tenth year The Colorado Trust has made this award. Past recipients are Rural Resort Region Northeast Early Childhood Council (2015), Together Colorado (2014), Colorado Coalition for the Medically Underserved (2013), West Central Public Health Partnership (2012), Northside Child Health Center (2011), The Rocky Mountain Youth Clinics (2010), Colorado Children’s Healthcare Access Program (2009), Denver Indian Family Resource Center (2008) and Safe2Tell (2007).

About The Colorado Trust
The Colorado Trust is a foundation dedicated to achieving health equity. The Colorado Trust believes all Coloradans should have fair and equal opportunities to lead healthy, productive lives regardless of race, ethnicity, income or where we live. The Colorado Trust focuses on policies and information related to advancing health equity, as well as projects that address health equity in partnership with communities throughout Colorado. For more information, visit www.coloradotrust.org.

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