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National Domestic Workers Alliance Wins the 2013 Patiño Moore Legacy Award

The National Domestic Workers Alliance (NDWA) won the 2013 Patiño Moore Legacy Award competition earlier this month, honoring its work in building bridges between African-American and Latino communities. NDWAHIP Program Manager Lacy Serros; NDWA Atlanta Chapter Director Tamieka Atkins; NDWA Executive Director Ai-jen Poo; Domestic Worker Marlene Champion; Miami Workers Center Community Organizer Daniela Saczek; and ABFE Director of Operations Marcus Walton at the Orlando ceremony. The NDWA will push ahead as an advocate for inclusive policy through coalition building with the award, according to the NDWA Executive Director Ai-jen Poo, who was presented the award on Nov. 9 in Orlando, Fla. “NDWA is honored to receive the Patiño Moore Legacy Award for bringing together the African American and Latina women who care for America’s families, and winning meaningful change together as one. We’re building a movement for equity and an economy that supports all of us,” Poo said of the award’s impact on the national organization. “We look forward to partnering with Hispanics in Philanthropy in that work.” The Patiño Moore Legacy Award was created by Hispanics in Philanthropy (HIP), the Association of Black Foundation Executives (ABFE), and Marguerite Casey Foundation, which provides the $150,000 in funding for the yearly award, to recognize, respect and celebrate work that unites Black and Brown communities in a shared vision of economic and social well-being. The shared experiences of Black and Brown communities being historically excluded from basic rights and workers’ protections, and how this award is to honor work that is effectively breaking down structural barriers, were the themes discussed by both Marguerite Casey Foundation’s founding President and CEO Luz Vega-Marquis and former U.S. Rep. Pat Schroeder, a Marguerite Casey trustee, when they presented the award. Since 2007, the National Domestic Workers Alliance has led the movement for labor protections for domestic workers in the United States, many of whom are immigrant and women of color. NDWA is comprised of 42 local affiliate organizations located in 17 states and the District of Columbia. NDWA provides leadership development, strategic campaigns and alliance building to over 15,000 nannies, housekeepers, and caregivers for the elderly. These workers are educated, organized and mobilized to elevate their voices and demand public policy change, such as access to health care and paid sick time off.  Among its many victories from coast to coast, NDWA counts New York, which was the first state to pass a Domestic Workers Bill of Rights and California, where the California Bill of Rights was signed in September 2013, providing overtime pay for housekeepers, childcare providers and caregivers. NDWA is also expanding its reach, launching a local chapter in Atlanta to support the African-American and African Diaspora domestic workers in the South. “This award allows us to continue to build on the legacy of African-American domestic workers whose labor built this country. We stand proud organizing side-by-side with our Latina sisters to ensure our collective dignity and rights at work,” NDWA Atlanta Chapter Director Tamieka Atkins said. The Patiño Moore Legacy Award is named after two former HIP Board members, Dr. Douglas Patiño and Wenda Weekes Moore, for their ongoing work to improve relations between Black and Brown communities. Dr. Patiño is vice chancellor emeritus for the California State University system. He is also a Marguerite Casey Foundation trustee. Moore is a member of the Council on Foundations Board of Directors and a trustee of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.