Milwaukee
2012 Director’s Community Leadership Awards
| Milwaukee | Mariana Rodriguez |
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The Milwaukee Division is pleased to honor Mariana Rodriguez, an advocate for women and girls, as a recipient of the 2012 Director’s Community Leadership Award. Ms. Rodriguez is the program manager of the United Migrant Opportunity Services’ Latina Resource Center, which is the only center in Wisconsin that provides comprehensive, holistic, linguistic, and culturally specific resources for Hispanic victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. In addition, Ms. Rodriguez collaborates with Milwaukee law enforcement to ensure that Spanish-speaking victims are able to access resources and services that are critical to their safety and well-being. As a member of a national committee with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Ms. Rodriguez worked to create a program that studies the prevalence of sexual assault in underserved communities. She has also developed an educational video on domestic violence and immigrant women. Since 2004, Ms. Rodriguez has organized the Brides Walk Against Domestic Violence—an annual community event that raises awareness of domestic violence in the Latino community. During the Brides Walk, women wear wedding dresses as a reminder that love can turn into violence. In 2012, more than 300 community members participated in the seventh annual Brides Walk. |