Title
Honoring Juanita Ramos for her tireless work registering voters and empowering her community on the occasion of her being named one of the AARP's "Leaders of Hope."
Body
WHEREAS, The American Association of Retired Persons (AARP), along with the Spanish-language network Telemundo, has chosen to honor individuals in cities including Chicago, Atlanta, and Philadelphia who represent an ethic of caring and service to the elderly as "Leaders of Hope" or "Líderes de Esperanza"; and
WHEREAS, Juanita Ramos was resoundingly chosen as Philadelphia's Leader of Hope following a competitive nomination process and public voting; and
WHEREAS, Juanita has worked for the advancement of the Puerto Rican and Latino community for more than thirty years, using her inimitable personality and drive as a tool to increase community involvement and political participation; and
WHEREAS, Juanita was born on January 29, 1942, in Puerto Rico's city of Humacao, and was raised and educated in its city of Juncos. She attended Tomas Hernandez Elementary and Middle School in Fulgencio Piñero, and Jose M. Gollardo High School, before moving to Chicago; and
WHEREAS, In Chicago, Juanita worked for that city's department of education for fifteen years, and was an instrumental volunteer in the mayor's summer program for youth, increasing access to employment and mentoring for teens; and
WHEREAS, Juanita moved to Philadelphia, and turned her attention to increasing voter registration and participation, to ensure that her community's vote truly counts. She has personally registered over 15,000 residents in Philadelphia and New Jersey, knocking on countless doors and engaging voters on the issues that matter to them; and
WHEREAS, She has also participated in several campaigns for candidates she felt would most help the Latino community, such as Jimmy Carter, John Kerry, and Hillary Clinton for President and, in Chicago, Richard Daley for District Attorney, Harold Washington f...
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