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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, The YWCA El Paso del Norte Region is commemorating |
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its centennial in 2009, and this notable milestone provides an |
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opportune time to recognize Pat Mora, who has greatly contributed |
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to its success in the community; and |
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WHEREAS, A native of El Paso, Pat Mora began working with the |
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YWCA during the late 1970s, when the organization's board was |
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seeking to recruit more Hispanic women into its volunteer corps; |
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Ms. Mora subsequently created a special committee of Hispanic women |
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and served as its chair; in this role, she focused on increasing the |
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diversity of the YWCA board and administration and ultimately |
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mentored many of the future leaders of the agency; and |
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WHEREAS, Ms. Mora also helped build a partnership between the |
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YWCA, The University of Texas at El Paso, and the Ysleta Independent |
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School District and implemented a mother-daughter program for |
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fifth- and sixth-graders, encouraging them to pursue higher |
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education; the initiative became successful in three school |
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districts, and it continues today with the support of UT-El Paso; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, The author of several award-winning books for adults |
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and children, Ms. Mora has conducted workshops on literacy and |
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nurturing creativity in the classroom and has been a featured |
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speaker at various conferences, schools, and libraries; in |
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addition, she is the founder of a family literacy initiative, "El |
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dia de los niños/El dia de los libros," which is now based at the |
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American Library Association; this yearlong project aims to expose |
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children to the joy of reading and to encourage them to explore |
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diverse cultures and languages through books; and |
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WHEREAS, Through the years, Ms. Mora has received numerous |
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accolades, including honorary doctorates in letters from North |
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Carolina State University and University at Buffalo, the State |
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University of New York, and she was awarded honorary membership in |
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the American Library Association; moreover, she is the recipient of |
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the Civitella Ranieri Fellowship, the Poetry Fellowship from the |
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National Endowment for the Arts, and the Kellogg National |
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Leadership Fellowship, and in 2006 she was given the National |
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Hispanic Cultural Center Literary Award; and |
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WHEREAS, With her commitment to education, diversity, and the |
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empowerment of women, Pat Mora has had a positive impact on both the |
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YWCA and the wider community it serves, and she may indeed reflect |
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with great pride on her notable achievements and contributions; |
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now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 81st Texas |
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Legislature hereby honor Pat Mora for her exemplary service to the |
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YWCA El Paso del Norte Region and extend to her sincere best wishes |
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for the future; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for Ms. Mora as an expression of high regard by the Texas |
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House of Representatives. |