City Council President Roy Avellaneda was selected as this year’s recipient of the Social Responsibility Award by the Massachusetts Association of Hispanic Attorneys.
Avellaneda was scheduled to address the MAHA at its awards ceremony on Thursday night.
“It’s an honor and privilege to be recognized by MAHA for the work I have done as a city councilor and community leader in my hometown,” said Avellaneda. “Of course, like many other public servants, the work we do is done out of a deep sense of civic responsibility and care for the community but to be recognized for it makes it more special and I am grateful for the award.”
Avellaneda was praised by the MAHA as an elected official with more than 20 years of public service to the Chelsea and Latino communities, having created and executed various programs aimed at closing the racial barrier to accessible and affordable housing issues.
“Moreover, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, as a business owner, you were instrumental in helping set up the first and most utilized resource using while your business space to assist the most vulnerable access food and other basic necessities,” stated Breanishea Amaya, the 2021 MAHA president in a letter to Avellaneda. “In addition to, but certainly not limited to the above, Roy, you are by far one of the most committed unsung heroes in the area of social and political advancements on behalf of the Latino community. For that and more, we want to honor you.”
In existence for 36 years, MAHA is an organization committed to advancing the dedicated Hispanic attorneys in the legal profession while promoting civil rights and access to justice for all. Since its founding, MAHA’s commitment among others, has been to advance the stature of Latino attorneys in the legal profession and to recognize their efforts across the Commonwealth to promote diversity, inclusion, and collaboration.
This year’s annual awards theme is “Esperanza, Perseverancia y ComUNIDAD” translated as “Hope, Perseverance, and CommUNITY”–based on the unprecedented impacts brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic as well as the social and racial reckoning events of the past 19 months.