Announcements
Jennifer Emerling / There Is More Work To Be Done
Jennifer Emerling / There Is More Work To Be Done
Rudy Juarez
HAC Mourns the Loss of Former Board Member Rudy Juarez
Rudy Juarez, former HAC Chairman of the Board, passed away this weekend. Rudy was a visionary and community activist who organized and led farmworkers in the fight for better housing and living conditions. HAC met Rudy when he led a nationally publicized campaign to improve housing in Homestead, Florida, after farmworker families living in a dilapidated mobile home park endured a typhoid epidemic because of the contaminated drinking water. Rudy organized Organized Migrants in Community Action, OMICA, which later became Centro Campesino.
Through Rudy’s leadership, OMICA became a political force and strong advocate for the poor in south Florida, particularly farmworkers. One of his real loves was music and to give farmworker children in south Florida labor camps pride in their heritage and to help them stay in school, he organized a mariachi band made up entirely of kids. They went on to perform in several parts of the country. Many of the farmworker advocates in south Florida were mentored by Rudy. HAC was involved with OMICA as a provider of technical assistance and loans and helped OMICA build numerous units, rental and homeownership. The relationship continues to this day.
Rudy was on the HAC board in the 70s and 80s. He was a humble and passionate visionary. For more information on Rudy’s life, please visit https://www.bassokeechobeefuneralhome.com/index.cfm.
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Posted: January 19, 2010
If you have problems accessing any of the material on this page, contact Janice Clark at HAC, janice@ruralhome.org, 202-842-8600.