Thrive & SIAG Roundtable Series Presents: Grassroots Community Engagement in the Era of COVID-19
Join us for a virtual panel discussion on how to inspire community engagement in the era of COVID-19. We’ll hear from four community leaders on the tactics they’ve used to engage, encourage and influence others to fulfill their initiatives and how they’ve pivoted during the current health crisis. Featuring: Colsaria Henderson, Executive Director, Community Overcoming Relationship Abuse; Monica Valencia, Supervising Attorney, Catholic Charities - San Francisco/San Mateo; Dr. Belinda Hernandez Arriaga, Assistant Professor, University of San Francisco Founder/Chief Executive Director of Ayudando Latinos A Soñar (ALAS); Rita Mancera, Executive Director, Puente de la Costa Sur.
Presented by Thrive Alliance, Social Impact Advisory Group, Fairlight Advisors.
Speakers
Colsaria Henderson, Executive Director, Community Overcoming Relationship Abuse
Colsaria has a Master’s in Social Work with a specification in Administration and Planning. She is from the South and considers her social justice training buried in the roots of activist parents, who dedicated their early lives to the civil rights movement. Since moving to California, she has held leadership roles in multiple Bay Area anti-violence organizations. She is currently focused in areas of intersection between gender-based violence movements and reproductive justice, racial justice, LGBTQ and immigrant rights. She currently serves on the Board of Directors of the California Partnership to End Domestic Violence, co-chairs the San Mateo County Domestic Violence Council and is the Executive Director of Community Overcoming Relationship Abuse (CORA), the only agency in San Mateo County solely dedicated to helping those affected by intimate partner violence and abuse.
Monica Valencia, Supervising Attorney, Catholic Charities - San Francisco/San Mateo
Monica Valencia is an immigration attorney at Catholic Charities and is the co-executive director of the Dreamer Fund. Prior to college, Monica served her country for six years in the U.S. Air Force as a police officer. After returning home with an honorable discharge, she focused on her education. She received a bachelors in Sociology at the University of Southern California and graduated magna cum laude. She received her juris doctorate from the University of San Francisco with a public interest law specialty. During law school, Monica founded the Dreamer Fund, a non-profit focused on education equity for undocumented students at the graduate level.
Dr. Belinda Hernandez Arriaga, Assistant Professor, University of San Francisco Founder/Chief Executive Director of Ayudando Latinos A Soñar (ALAS)
Dr. Hernandez Arriaga is a graduate from USF with a doctorate in education and a masters in social work. Belinda has done extensive work with farmworker families and their children, her mental health practice is focused on immigration trauma, u-visas, asylum and her current research is focused on understanding the emotional, psychological and traumatic experiences that impact undocumented and mixed status Latino youth. A significant part of her work is dedicated to the cultural arts as part of cultural connections for healing. Belinda is committed to social justice advocacy, equity and human rights. She and her husband have three young daughters and live in Half Moon Bay.
Rita Mancera, Executive Director, Puente de la Costa Sur
Puente’s Executive Director Rita Mancera has over 20 years’ experience in nonprofit leadership with a focus on youth development and social programs in Mexico and the United States. Rita first joined Puente in 2006. She has served Puente in several capacities including being the Program Director. Rita’s commitment to community empowerment has fueled the growth of Puente’s programs serving more families and individuals on the South Coast of San Mateo County every year to build a healthy, sustainable and inclusive community.
Call in information will be provided after registration
