2006 La Familia Award Recipient – The Sandoval Family

Compassionate, generous and inspirational are merely a few of the countless ways to describe the Sandoval Family, the recipients of this year’s prestigious La Familia Award.

Whether sponsoring trips for at-risk youth, selling fireworks to support college bound Hispanic students or serving food to thousands at the Gilroy Garlic Festival, the late Louis Sandoval and his wife, Stella, have dedicated their lives to community volunteerism and improving the lives of those around them. In fact, the spirit of giving has been more than just a lifestyle; it’s a family tradition.

“Volunteering is natural and something we enjoy doing as a family, “said Stella Sandoval. Her children, Louis Jr., Monica, Lorenzo and Lucas often volunteered right alongside she and Louie and her parents, Alice and Gilbert Garza. The Sandoval children fondly recall helping pack food baskets for the hungry or their dad mentoring students at his auto body shop.

The Sandoval’s unwavering commitment to the Gilroy community includes participation in a variety of organizations such as the Gilroy Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Gilroy Downtown Development Corporation, Gilroy Gang Task Force and the world famous Gilroy Garlic Festival. In fact, the festival’s hospitality area that feeds more than 8,500 volunteers over the course of the event is named “Louie’s Kitchen” in his honor.

While the Sandovals take great pride in each of their volunteer efforts, Louie’s passion was strengthening the lives of local youth. Stella admits, “Louie was constantly thinking about how to work with youth and divert them from gangs.” For three years, Louie served on the Restorative Justice Board, teaching first time youth offenders the consequences of crime and the benefits of making amends to victims of their crimes.
It was also not uncommon for Louie and Stella to organize and host annual camping trips and amusement park outings for dozens of at-risk or underprivileged youth. Martha Martinez, president of the Gilroy Hispanic Chamber of Commerce said, “Louis instilled the values of a good education and hard work in his family and the community.”

Although Louie’s passing in January 2005 at the age of 50 has left a tremendous void, his legacy and passion for helping others lives on. “Louie’s proudest accomplishment was making a difference in peoples’ lives. We, as a family, will continue that tradition in his honor,” added Stella Sandoval. The Sandoval family is a testament to the strength, compassion and determination of the Latino community