The past month’s achievements are a testimony to the women’s perseverance, courage, vision and determination, as well as a demonstration of the community’s outpouring of support for, and embrace of, Mercado Mayapan, as truly the “community’s Mercado”.
On October 1 the women received an “Invest in the American Dream”Award from Texas Senator Eliot Shapleigh in El Paso, Texas for Wealth Creation.
http://investintheamericandream.org/
The following week with funding from the Ford Foundation, LINC’s Artography project announced the inclusion of the organization and Mercado Mayapan in an elite national group of innovative organizations doing groundbreaking work on arts in a changing society.
http://artsinachangingamerica.net/section/view/2009_grantees
Also that week, a delegation of 8 women from the Mercado were in Washington DC met with 18 different groups of Administration officials, Congressional leaders and national public policy/advocacy organizations, to build support and awareness for the critical model of women’s empowerment that is emerging in El Paso. Highlights of the trip including a personal meeting with Gloria Steinem, as well as meetings with U.S. Treasurer Rosie Rios and a meeting in the West Wing of the White House with Stephanie Valencia (a Las Cruces native) with the Office of Public Engagement.
A week later, the local leadership of Bank of America presented a check for a $25,000 grant in support of Mercado Mayapan. This is one of the largest corporate donations ever provided to our efforts.
The same day the organization signed a contract for federal stimulus funding from HUD in support of 36 staff positions in Mercado Mayapan.
Also in October, we were asked by the Smithsonian Latino Center to provide photographs for inclusion in their virtual celebration of the Day of the Dead. http://latino.si.edu/education/LVMDayoftheDeadFestival.htm
And we ended the month, and started into November, with a tremendous celebration of the Day of the Dead, Morelos style!!! We estimate that more than 10,000 people attended during the two days!! The largest event in La Mujer Obrera’s history!! Pictures, videos and other reports will be forthcoming. Here’s the first of the coverage
http://www.elpasotimes.com/ci_13680137?IADID=Search-www.elpasotimes.com-www.elpasotimes.com
We want to thank everyone in the community and across the country and in Mexico who have helped us reach this critical juncture for the organization. Mercado Mayapan is the community’s Mercado, created by low-income women workers, as a school, a festival marketplace, and a community building space. Please come join us any day of the week for shopping and wonderful food. And every weekend, in November we will be celebrating Morelos, the home of Emiliano Zapata. And coming in December we will be celebrating the food and culture of the posadas!!
We were featured in the day of the dead webpage as the largest celebration.
http://www.diasdemuertos.com/
For more information, contact us at info@mujerobrera.org. Thank you, La Mujer Obrera
