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by Amigos805.com • November 1, 2015 • Comments Off

SANTA BARBARA — Award-winning author Reyna Grande will be presented with UCSB’s 12th annual Luis Leal Literature Award during a ceremony at 4 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 4, in the McCune Conference Room, 6020 Humanities and Social Sciences Building at UCSB.

Courtesy photo
Author Reyna Grande to be presented with UCSB’s 12th annual Luis Leal Literature Award on Nov. 4. Photo courtesy of UCSB

The event is free and open to the public.

Grande was not quite 10 years old when she came to the United States as an undocumented immigrant. Thirty years later, she is an award-winning novelist and memoirist whose books have been published internationally.

Grande is the author of three critically acclaimed books, including “The Distance Between Us,” which tells of her life before and after illegally emigrating from Mexico. In 2012 it was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award.

Her first novel, “Across a Hundred Mountains,” received the 2007 American Book Award and the 2006 El Premio Aztlán Literary Award. Her second novel, “Dancing with Butterflies,” garnered a 2010 International Latino Book Award.

“Reyna Grande is one of the most powerful voices of the Latino Generation for immigrant rights and for the dignity of undocumented immigrants,” said Mario T. García, professor of Chicana and Chicano studies and of history at UCSB, and the organizer of the annual Leal Award.

Born in Iguala, Guerrero, Mexico, Grande was only 2 years old when her father left the family to find work in the U.S. Her mother followed two years later, leaving behind Grande and her siblings. In 1985, seeking to live with her father, Grande entered the U.S. as an undocumented immigrant.

She went on to become the first person in her family to graduate from college, earning a bachelor’s degree in creative writing and in film and video from UC Santa Cruz. She received her master’s of fine arts in creative writing from Antioch University and teaches creative writing for UCLA Extension.

The Leal Award is named in honor of Luis Leal, a professor emeritus of Chicana and Chicano Studies at UCSB, who was internationally recognized as a leading scholar of Chicano and Latino literature. Previous recipients of the award include Demetria Martínez, Jimmy Santiago Baca, Graciela Limón, Pat Mora, Alejandro Morales, Helena Maria Viramontes, Oscar Hijuelos, Rudolfo Anaya, Denise Chávez, Hector Tobar and John Rechy.

SANTA MARIA — Allan Hancock College has launched a mentor pilot program that pairs students with college and community volunteers.

Salvador Martinez Vargas, a chemistry major, has been accepted to a new mentoring program at Allan Hancock College. Photo courtesy of Allan Hancock College

Salvador Martinez Vargas, a chemistry major at Allan Hancock College, has plans to transfer to a four-year university. As a first-generation college student, he admits does not know what to expect when it comes to attending a university. Thanks to a mentor pilot program that launched in late October, Martinez Vargas and other students will receive valuable information and insight to help them succeed at Hancock and beyond, the college reported in a media release.

“A mentor means that there is one more person that will hold me up and help me in my goal of obtaining a degree,” said Martinez Vargas, a Santa Maria High School graduate. “I hope I will learn how to network, receive advice about how to succeed at a university and graduate school. I also hope to gain a friend or person I can trust to guide me in the ups and downs of my journey.”

Martinez Vargas and 10 other Hancock students, who range from student-athletes to student government leaders to student-parents, were accepted into the pilot program.

The college’s goal is to provide students with an invaluable opportunity for personal and professional development through the support of mentors. Students will connect with professionals who value a college education and want to share their knowledge and experience.

“The program is an opportunity to get the community involved and make a difference in students’ lives by providing role models and relationships within the community,” said Associate Superintendent/Vice President of Student Services Nohemy Ornelas. “Our mission at the college is to change the odds for our students to succeed. This program accomplishes that.”

For more information on the program or to apply, visit www.servesantamaria.com, or contact Warren Gabaree at gabareedds@gmail.com.

CAMARILLO — Aspiranet in Camarillo commemorates National Adoption Awareness Month statewide in November, the organization reported in a media release. Throughout the month, the lives of thousands of American children will be forever changed as courts across the country open their doors and finalize adoptions for children currently in foster care. Now in its 16th year, the National Adoption Day Coalition expects 4,500 foster care children to be adopted.

“National Adoption Month helps bring greater awareness to the growing need for more adoptive families,” said Nancy Born, Aspiranet Adoption Division director. “Every child deserves the right to a loving, secure and permanent home to call their own. At Aspiranet, our mission is also to place, in addition to children, youth that have an even greater need for a family—older children, teenagers, youths with special needs, and sibling sets.”

Aspiranet, a human services agency serving foster youth and families throughout California for 40 years, seeks to place California children in permanent, loving homes, and has impacted the lives of more than 10,000 children.

Aspiranet is the second largest adoption agency in California; this year, the agency has finalized 230 adoptions and is working with an additional 300 children who are currently going through the adoption process. According to AdoptUSKids, there are more than 55,000 children in foster care in California, and about 5,500 children are adopted each year.

CARPINTERIA — Girls Inc. of Greater Santa Barbara has announced that Barbara Ben-Horin has been selected to serve the organization as their new chief executive officer.

She succeeds Monica Spear, who resigned in May after 20 years of service. Since then, Girls Inc. board member and advocate Tracy Jenkins has served as interim CEO.

“Barbara is an experienced leader with deep roots in the community, and we are thrilled to welcome her as our new CEO,” Christi Sulzbach, president of the Girls Inc. of Greater Santa Barbara board of trustees, stated in a media release. “She is dedicated to women and children’s issues as well as education, and we’re certain that under Barbara’s leadership, we will deepen our impact and our reach so we may continue to empower the girls of our community.”

Ben-Horin brings to Girls Inc. more than 35 years of experience as a leader and fundraiser for major nonprofit organizations and educational institutions. For the last five years, she served as director of development at the Santa Barbara Museum of Art (SBMA). Prior to that, she held the position of CEO for the Foundation for Santa Barbara City College (SBCC), ranked California’s top community college, where she led the organization in implementing a full program of advancement and development activities.

VENTURA — Everyone interested in the plight of those in the community who are experiencing homelessness is invited to join in “Take A Hungry Person to Lunch Day” on Thursday, Nov. 19, Unitarian Universalist Church of Ventura and the Lift Up Your Voice ministry program to end homelessness reported in a media release.

This event provides a comfortable way for individuals from different walks of life to sit down together in fellowship and get to know one another’s stories. Participants will meet at 10:30 a.m. at the UU Church of Ventura at 5654 Ralston St. for an orientation before lunch.

“By signing up as a host, you’ll provide a welcome moment of connection for someone who is currently without shelter. Although homelessness is a complex issue, and each person has a unique story, spending time with someone who is homeless is a wonderful, moving way to learn more about the issue,” said Lift Up Your Voice Interim Director Sue Brinkmeyer.

This event is being held as part of National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week, which runs from Nov/ 14 to 22, and is sponsored by Lift Up Your Voice.

For more information or to sign up to participate, contact Kathy Powell (kathypurpleprincess @gmail.com or 805-910-8860 for details.

WESTLAKE VILLAGE — Award-winning CNBC business reporter Jane Wells will be the master of ceremonies for the Association for Corporate Growth (ACG) 101’s “Stars of the 101 Awards Banquet” benefiting Casa Pacifica Centers for Children and Families in Los Angeles, Ventura and Santa Barbara counties beginning at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 12 at the Westlake Village Inn, 31943 Agoura Road, Westlake Village.

This years honorees include: