Senator Cortese honors Maritza Maldonado as Woman of the Year
This International Woman’s Day, Senator Cortese (D-Silicon Valley) has announced that Maritza Maldonado, Founder and Executive Director of Amigos de Guadalupe Center for Justice and Empowerment, has been selected as Senate District 15’s Woman of the Year.
The California Senate’s annual “Woman of the Year” event is a tradition that began in 1982 by Assemblywoman Bev Hansen and Assemblywoman Sally Tanner when they noticed that the Legislature had no events planned during Women's History Month.
“I am proud to recognize Maritza Maldonado as Senate District 15’s woman of the year, someone who is making a difference in our community’s most underserved areas, including through health counseling, housing support, and youth leadership programs,” says Senator Cortese. “Martiza continuously fights to uplift those in need,” says Senator Cortese.
He added: “Maritza is a transformative leader whose work building and transforming communities in East San Jose will have a lasting impact for generations to come.”
Maldonado is the proud daughter of Mexican immigrants. Maritza learned advocacy as a child, where she lived in the same neighborhood as labor and human rights leader Cesar Chavez. Her family would conduct house meetings on social justice issues, teaching Maritza advocacy at an early age.
After graduating from San Jose State, Maritza worked as a leader in PACT (People Acting in Community Together), eventually becoming Co-Chair of the community-organizing agency, where she led the campaign for the Children’s Health Initiative and helped create a local school reform movement.
She served 20 years in education in the Alum Rock School District, where she continued her advocacy for children. She continues to advocate for her community as Executive Director of Amigos supporting underserved community members, predominantly families, to become empowered and self-sufficient in the areas of homelessness alleviation, housing, financial assistance, immigration, and education. Most of her staff members are community members who have come back to their East San Jose community to continue the work of uplifting the community and breaking the cycle of poverty.
She also initiated the Si Se Puede Collective and became one of five founding members that provide wrap around services for individuals and families in East San Jose’s Mayfair community.
Amigos is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year.
Maritza would say that her work is driven by her faith, and she is just the vessel to carry the message. She is fond of quoting St. Francis of Assisi who said, “Preach the Gospel at all times. When necessary, use words.” Maritza continues to spend her life empowering and creating systems change for low-income communities of color.