H.R. No. 1753
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, The YWCA El Paso del Norte Region is commemorating
its centennial in 2009, and this notable milestone provides an
opportune time to recognize Pat Mora, who has greatly contributed
to its success in the community; and
WHEREAS, A native of El Paso, Pat Mora began working with the
YWCA during the late 1970s, when the organization's board was
seeking to recruit more Hispanic women into its volunteer corps;
Ms. Mora subsequently created a special committee of Hispanic women
and served as its chair; in this role, she focused on increasing the
diversity of the YWCA board and administration and ultimately
mentored many of the future leaders of the agency; and
WHEREAS, Ms. Mora also helped build a partnership between the
YWCA, The University of Texas at El Paso, and the Ysleta Independent
School District and implemented a mother-daughter program for
fifth- and sixth-graders, encouraging them to pursue higher
education; the initiative became successful in three school
districts, and it continues today with the support of UT-El Paso;
and
WHEREAS, The author of several award-winning books for adults
and children, Ms. Mora has conducted workshops on literacy and
nurturing creativity in the classroom and has been a featured
speaker at various conferences, schools, and libraries; in
addition, she is the founder of a family literacy initiative, "El
dia de los nios/El dia de los libros," which is now based at the
American Library Association; this yearlong project aims to expose
children to the joy of reading and to encourage them to explore
diverse cultures and languages through books; and
WHEREAS, Through the years, Ms. Mora has received numerous
accolades, including honorary doctorates in letters from North
Carolina State University and University at Buffalo, the State
University of New York, and she was awarded honorary membership in
the American Library Association; moreover, she is the recipient of
the Civitella Ranieri Fellowship, the Poetry Fellowship from the
National Endowment for the Arts, and the Kellogg National
Leadership Fellowship, and in 2006 she was given the National
Hispanic Cultural Center Literary Award; and
WHEREAS, With her commitment to education, diversity, and the
empowerment of women, Pat Mora has had a positive impact on both the
YWCA and the wider community it serves, and she may indeed reflect
with great pride on her notable achievements and contributions;
now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 81st Texas
Legislature hereby honor Pat Mora for her exemplary service to the
YWCA El Paso del Norte Region and extend to her sincere best wishes
for the future; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for Ms. Mora as an expression of high regard by the Texas
House of Representatives.
Chavez
______________________________
Speaker of the House
I certify that H.R. No. 1753 was adopted by the House on May
11, 2009, by a non-record vote.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House