Maria Elena Manzo, Communities Organized for Relational Power in Action (COPA) Leader, and Founder and Executive Director of Mujeres en Acción, was announced as this year’s recipient of the Siembra Latinos Fund’s Alfred Diaz-Infante Award.

[Excerpts]

“To receive the Alfred Diaz-Infante Award is a tremendous honor,” Manzo said. “Alfred’s life was defined by service and opportunity for those often overlooked. I am humbled to be recognized in his memory and to continue building a stronger, more equitable community.”

Manzo has dedicated her life to advancing economic self-sufficiency and leadership development for Latina and indigenous women in Monterey and Santa Cruz counties…

Arriving in Monterey County as a farmworker in 1974, Manzo has spent more than 30 years committed to social justice, civic engagement and economic empowerment. She has been instrumental in creating pathways to healthcare access, workforce advocacy and leadership development, impacting thousands of families across the Central Coast.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, Manzo co-led COPA’s regional response and directed Mujeres en Acción’s local outreach, conducting thousands of calls, identifying urgent needs and advocating for public health solutions. Her leadership contributed to the creation of the VIDA Project, a community health worker initiative in partnership with COPA and the Community Foundation for Monterey County (CFMC).

She also co-led the organizing strategy behind Esperanza Care, which has provided healthcare access to over 4,500 undocumented immigrants since 2017....

A strategist and respected community leader, Manzo continues to open doors and create lasting change for women and families across the Central Coast.

[Photo Credit: Monterey County NOW]

Local Leader Honored for Decades of Advocacy for Latina and Indigenous Women in Monterey County, Salinas Valley Tribune [pdf]

After Working in the Fields, Maria Elena Manzo Began a Career Changing Lives, Monterey County NOW [pdf]