1-1                                       1

 1-2                          SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 795

 1-3           WHEREAS, The Senate of the State of Texas takes great

 1-4     pleasure in recognizing Salvador Balcorta for his many worthwhile

 1-5     contributions to the City of El Paso and the State of Texas; and

 1-6           WHEREAS, Born in Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico, on

 1-7     November 15, 1953, he was brought to El Paso, Texas, where he

 1-8     grew up in El Segundo Barrio; and

 1-9           WHEREAS, After living in tough conditions for most

1-10     of his young life and because of the gangs, drugs, violence, and

1-11     unemployment he saw all around, Salvador became a social activist

1-12     at 14; and

1-13           WHEREAS, A leader in the Mexican American Youth Association

1-14     (MAYA), a Chicano organization with 500 members, he learned the

1-15     effectiveness of bringing together gangs and other youth as a group

1-16     to combat some of the social issues of the day; and

1-17           WHEREAS, At 19, Salvador began his life's work in health as

1-18     an outreach worker for the Father Rahm Clinic, and he played an

1-19     active role in the planning and organizing of the clinic; and

1-20           WHEREAS, Co-founder of Partido De Los Pobres, an organization

1-21     to assist community development and to formulate health, housing,

1-22     and nutrition programs, he was only 21 when he began this group; and

1-23           WHEREAS, Beginning as a clerk in the public health field at

 2-1     age 23, he rose through the ranks to become Chief of Community

 2-2     Health Services; during his tenure there, he was involved with

 2-3     setting up a community grass roots initiative which won praise

 2-4     and state and national recognition for the local health department;

 2-5     and

 2-6           WHEREAS, In 1992, Mr. Balcorta became Executive Director of

 2-7     Centro De Salud Familiar La Fe; he has served in numerous ways

 2-8     to help combat society's problems; he was chairperson of the local

 2-9     United States Mexico Border Health Association Binational Council

2-10     for four years and served as a member of a national substance abuse

2-11     and AIDS planning committee for two years; and

2-12           WHEREAS, The President of the Texas Association of

2-13     Community Health Centers Board of Directors, he is the founder

2-14     and past chairperson of the Community Alliance Promoting Educational

2-15     Alternatives and is currently involved in a national alliance to

2-16     end gang warfare; and

2-17           WHEREAS, Appointed by the Governor of Texas to serve on the

2-18     Governor's Advisory Committee on Immigration and Refugee Affairs,

2-19     he is president of the board of directors of the Centro Cultural

2-20     Mexicano; and

2-21           WHEREAS, The residents of El Paso, El Paso County, the

2-22     State of Texas, and the entire country have benefitted greatly

2-23     from the work of Salvador Balcorta, and he is most deserving of

2-24     legislative recognition; now, therefore, be it

2-25           RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas,

 3-1     75th Legislature, hereby commend and applaud the exceptional

 3-2     accomplishments of Salvador Balcorta; and, be it further

 3-3           RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be prepared for him

 3-4     as an expression of the high regard of the Texas Senate.

 3-5                                                               Shapleigh

 3-6                                  ______________________________________

 3-7                                          President of the Senate

 3-8                                       I hereby certify that the above

 3-9                                  Resolution was adopted by the Senate

3-10                                  on May 21, 1997.

3-11                                  ______________________________________

3-12                                          Secretary of the Senate

3-13                                  ______________________________________

3-14                                           Member, Texas Senate