La Familia Camarillo

Each year, the Hispanic Foundation of Silicon Valley selects one family to recognize for their exemplary service to the community and presents them with the La Familia Award. We are pleased to honor the Al and Susan Camarillo Family at this year's Hispanic Charity Ball.

Stanford University professor, Dr. Al Camarillo, along with his wife, Susan, and three adult children, have dedicated themselves to raising awareness and resources to combat homelessness and poverty and work extensively with youth.

When asked about receiving the La Familia Award, Al Camarillo says, "Receiving recognition for the volunteer work we find so intrinsically rewarding to perform is an unexpected and overwhelming joy. If this recognition encourages other families to participate in public service, we will be even further fulfilled."

The Camarillo family was nominated for the La Familia Award by Shelter Network, a non-profit organization committed to providing housing and support services to homeless families and individuals along the Peninsula. Al Camarillo serves on the Shelter Network's board of directors and both he and Susan have coordinated events and promoted programs that demystify homelessness and encourage non-homeless families to volunteer alongside families living at the shelter.

Dr. Camarillo also created a course at Stanford University called "Poverty and Homelessness in America" to help infuse an awareness of these issues in students and create and sustain community service as part of campus living.

Not unlike their parents, the Camarillo children make significant contributions to the communities in which they live and work. Jeffrey Camarillo, 28, works at a Compton middle school and is involved with the East Palo Alto Mural Art Project. Greg Camarillo, 25, a wide receiver with the Miami Dolphins, along with his brother Jeffrey, co-founded Charging Forward for Academic and Athletic Success, an organization they started to reward student success in the classroom and on the field. The youngest member of the Camarillo family, Lauren, created "Hip Hop Haven," a program that teaches the art of dance and Hip-Hop to children being assisted by Shelter Network. In her first year at UCLA, she has been involved with UCLA UniCamp, the official student charity of the University of California Los Angeles, that inspires children from low-income families to envision brighter futures.

We thank the Camarillos for representing the many families who give back all year long and serve as role models for us all.

You can meet La Familia Camarillo and HFSV board member, Jose Villarreal, on NBC11's public affairs show, Comunidad del Valle, airing this Sunday, September 30th at 3:00 p.m.

Thank you!

We also want to thank Vicki Lopez and Nordstrom Valley Fair for helping us to kick-off our annual event in style.

On behalf of the Hispanic Charity Ball sponsors, volunteers and supporters who enjoyed a wonderful breakfast in the Nordstrom Bistro and a dazzling fashion show, mil gracias!

Meet HFSV Board Member, Jose Villarreal

HFSV Board Vice President, Jose Villarreal, was born and raised in San Jose, the oldest of four siblings. He graduated from Overfelt High School and went on to San Jose State University. Jose received a B.A. in political science and is completing a Masters in Public Administration from San Jose State University.

Jose is now a Development Officer in the San Jose Redevelopment Agency's Strong Neighborhoods Initiative (SNI). He previously served as the Director of Community Affairs for the San Jose Convention and Visitors Bureau, as a project manager for Team San Jose, a public-private partnership contracted to operate and manage the City's Convention Center and cultural facilities, and as a program manager for Joint Venture: Silicon Valley Network, a regional non- partisan collaborative and civic catalyst for solutions to problems impacting all sectors of the community.

At Joint Venture, Jose worked on the "Silicon Valley Compact for Our Future", a comprehensive framework for addressing gaps in opportunity that make up Silicon Valley's digital divide. He also managed Joint Venture's efforts in the area of workforce development, civic engagement, children's readiness for kindergarten and livable communities.

Mr. Villarreal began his professional career on the staff of State Senator John Vasconcellos and has been active in community leadership since that time. His past volunteer activities include chairman of the board for Public Allies Silicon Valley, board member for Los Lupeños de San Jose and serving as a Puente Program mentor.

Jose recently married Cindy Avitia, congressional assistant to Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren, and a member of the family who received the HFSV's 2003 La Familia Award. Our congratulations to both of these emerging leaders who have accomplished so much and give back in equal measure.

The David and Lucile Packard Foundation recently announced that it will increase its level of local grantmaking in five central California counties. At its meeting in June, the Board raised the commitment to local nonprofit organizations from the current $8 million to an expected $14 million in 2008, an increase of 40 percent, and expanded the counties for local community grantmaking to include San Benito County, which joins San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, and Monterey Counties.

This local community grantmaking will continue to focus in areas traditionally supported by the Packard Foundation, including the arts, food banks and homeless services for families with children, after- school youth services, and family planning and adolescent reproductive health services. The 2008 grantmaking expansion will also support increased youth development activities and programs that focus on children from birth to age three.

The Packard Foundation will host an open house for the community on Thursday, September 27th from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. at their downtown Los Altos office, located at 300 Second Street. For more information, please call (650) 948-7658.