2025 – Page 4 – Cesar Chavez Foundation

Boston Financial Announced as Presenting Sponsor of the 2025 Cesar Chavez Legacy Awards

March 12, 2025, by CCF

We are proud to celebrate Boston Financial, a presenting sponsor of the 2025 Cesar Chavez Legacy Awards.

At the Cesar Chavez Foundation, we carry on Cesar’s life’s work of uplifting and transforming Latino and working families by inspiring and transforming communities through social enterprises that address essential human, cultural, and community needs. We are committed to creating opportunities that empower people to thrive on all fronts.

For almost 60 years, Boston Financial has been at the forefront of affordable housing capital solutions and investment management, creating hundreds of thousands of affordable housing opportunities nationwide. Boston Financial is America’s largest syndicator of affordable housing and envisions a future where everyone has a home. With each investment, they are steadily working toward this transformative goal.

“Boston Financial could not be more proud to serve as a presenting sponsor of the 2025 Cesar Chavez Legacy Awards,” said Roy Faerber, Senior Managing Director at Boston Financial. “There is an undeniable correlation between stable housing for families and the health, educational achievement, and economic opportunity for an entire community. We have immense respect for the decades of work that the Cesar Chavez Foundation has put into raising up communities and bringing the dignity of affordable housing to thousands of families.”

Boston Financial has been an instrumental partner in the creation of the Chavez Foundation’s newest affordable housing community, Plaza Ysabel “Mac” Ortiz II—a high-quality, service-enhanced community for working families in El Monte, California.

Plaza Ortiz II, named in honor of the 19-year-old El Monte native who was killed during the Korean War and whose remains were returned nearly 70 years after he was reported missing in action, offers 53 units of 100 percent affordable housing, along with community services such as the Si Se Puede Learning Center, the Chavez Foundation’s flagship after-school program for K-5 students.

The combined efforts of the Chavez Foundation and Boston Financial have had a positive and lasting impact on the El Monte community, including residents like Marlee Martinez. “Living in Plaza Ortiz has positively changed my family’s life. Our new home has brought us closer together and provided great educational and healthcare opportunities” said Marlee.

“Affordable housing is not just about developing housing; it’s about building thriving communities. Partners like Boston Financial, with their expertise and dedication to affordable housing investments, play a crucial role in ensuring long-term, sustainable solutions. Their commitment to fostering economic growth and stability within communities helps create environments where residents can truly thrive. Together with the residents, they lay the foundation for transformative change, setting the standard for what can be achieved both individually and as a community” shared Alfredo Izmajtovich, Vice President of the Cesar Chavez Foundation’s Housing and Economic Development Fund.

We are thrilled to have Boston Financial as a presenting sponsor for the 2025 Cesar Chavez Legacy Awards and celebrate their commitment to positive change.

We look forward to our continued partnership as we work to achieve our shared mission.

Announcing the 2025 Speakers Bureau

The National Chavez Center Speakers Bureau is a year-round program dedicated to sharing Cesar Chavez’s life and legacy. Official Speakers and representatives from the National Chavez Center present at nationwide conferences, community-based events, marches, universities, and more, lending contemporary meaning to Cesar’s core beliefs and values.

To learn more, please submit a Speakers Request Form.

2025 Speakers Bureau

: Manuel Bernal

: Andres Chavez

: Paul F. Chavez

: Connie Perez-Andreesen

: Lorraine Agtang

: Arturo S. Rodriguez

: Teresa Chavez Delgado

: Anthony Chavez

: Marc Grossman

: Cesar L. Chavez

: Roberto Bustos

: Eric Romero

Honoring Cesar Chavez: The Legacy & Impact of the Cesar Chavez Foundation

February 25, 2025, by CCF

As we celebrate Cesar Chavez Month, we reflect on his lasting legacy and how his work continues through the Cesar Chavez Foundation (CCF). Founded to uphold his vision of justice and empowerment, the foundation focuses on education, affordable housing, media, and preserving Cesar’s legacy—ensuring his mission thrives for generations.

Education Fund: Educating Hearts & Minds

In the 1960s, Chávez and his colleagues created the Huelga School in Delano, providing farmworkers’ children with access to education during the grape strike. Later, he established a Montessori school at La Paz for movement staff families.

The Education Fund continues this commitment today by providing diverse, culturally responsive programs in under-resourced communities. Its goal is to impact one million students by 2028.

Housing & Economic Development: Building Stronger Communities

Chavez often called migrant farmworkers “the original homeless.” Having experienced this struggle firsthand, he prioritized affordable housing through what is now the Housing & Economic Development Fund.

The foundation’s first housing project, the Paulo Agbayani Retirement Village, provided Filipino farmworkers with dignity and stability. Today, CCF manages over $900 million in affordable housing, transforming the lives of thousands of families, seniors, and youth.

Chavez Media: Amplifying Voices

Recognizing the power of media to mobilize change, Chavez established Radio Campesina, its flagship program, in 1983 to entertain and instill a sense of community among Latinos and working families.

Today, Chavez Media reaches millions of multicultural audiences across multiple touchpoints, engaging a multi-generational, multicultural audience. Its abiding mission is to promote Cesar’s legacy by motivating people to use the resources available and be active participants in shaping their lives and communities.

National Chavez Center: Preserving a Legacy

The National Chavez Center ensures that Cesar’s legacy remains a beacon for future generations. From national days of service to heritage summits and the Cesar E. Chavez National Monument, it serves as a place of education, reflection, and community-building.

La Paz, where Chavez spent his final years, continues to embody his principles of nonviolence, self-sacrifice, and service—a lasting tribute to his life’s work.

Be Part of This Legacy

Cesar Chavez believed in the power of community. Join us in celebrating his life and ensuring his mission continues.

📩 Join our community! Subscribe to our newsletter for inspiring updates from the Chavez Foundation today. Subscribe now!

Together, we keep the movement alive. ¡Sí, Se Puede!

Connecting Communities in Texas

January 24, 2025, by CCF

Last week, the Cesar Chavez Foundation (CCF) hosted its Winter 2025 Board of Directors meeting in Houston, Texas, marking a significant milestone as the second consecutive board meeting held in the state. The choice of location reflects CCF’s deepening commitment to expanding its impact in Texas and its vision for continued growth in the region.

Held at the historic Magnolia Hotel, the three-day event kicked off with a warm welcome from Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo and brought together CCF’s leadership, board members, and key stakeholders to reflect on the organization’s achievements, discuss upcoming priorities, and set a strong foundation for 2025.

A Year of Growth and Momentum

The meeting began with remarks from President and CEO Manuel Bernal, who praised the organization’s achievements over the past year, proving 2024 to be a pivotal year for CCF, enabling the expansion of programs serving diverse communities.

Alongside programmatic growth, the team underscored the importance of enhancing CCF’s communication strategies to spotlight the impactful stories of community transformation and the significant work being done on the ground.

Engaging Sessions and Thoughtful Conversations

On Thursday, a community reception titled “Connecting Communities in Texas” was held at the Felix Fraga Academic Center of Houston Community College. City of Houston Council Member Joaquin Martinez, Texas House Representative Christina Morales, and members of the Fraga and Reyes families were in attendance. Guests had the opportunity to engage with one another and celebrate the significance of partnerships in expanding the reach of the CCF.

Looking Ahead: Centennial Celebration and Leadership Transition

As the Winter 2025 Board of Directors meeting came to a close, everyone’s energy and dedication were evident. CCF is poised for another transformative year, driven by a strategic vision and the unwavering commitment of its team and supporters. We look forward to a successful year ahead as CCF continues its essential work of inspiring and transforming communities!

Remembering Ralph Magaña: A Life Dedicated to Justice and Community in the Farm Worker Movement

January 6, 2025, by CCF

It is with genuine sadness that we lost another unsung hero of the farm worker movement when Ralph Magaña, 78, passed away on Christmas Eve after a long battle with dementia. The husband of original union member and grape striker Maria Saludado Magaña, Ralph dedicated much of his life to the United Farm Workers and Cesar Chavez Foundation and lived for years at movement headquarters at La Paz in Keene, Calif.

Ralph—known among family as Rafa or Rafael—was born in 1946 in San Diego with a hole in his heart, then viewed as a death sentence. His parents were told not to let him run, play or even dance. His only physical activity was swimming, which proved a lifelong respite. Keeping indoors encouraged Ralph to read, listen to music, watch movies and study history. This undoubtedly contributed to his humble, reserved and soft-spoken nature. But it masked someone who was dynamic, loving, a smart aleck and a serious man. He underwent risky heart surgery and was administered last rites. Yet he survived.

His dedicated activism with the Chicano movement began at San Diego State University, although Ralph’s clean-cut style and bookish personality led some to think he was with the FBI. In fact, he hailed from a pro-union working-class family and committed his life to serving others.

Ralph Magaña (left) during the 2002 March for the Governor’s Signature from Delano to Sacramento. It helped pass a UFW-sponsored law strengthening farm worker rights to negotiate union contract.

Even before officially joining the UFW, Ralph carried the union’s black-eagle banner down the streets of San Diego during an anti-Vietnam War protest in 1970. He attended the historic National Chicano Moratorium march against the war on August 29, 1970 in East Los Angeles, when pioneering journalist Ruben Salazar was assassinated by the police.

Ralph traveled to La Paz in his Mustang to volunteer in 1972 before being hired by Maria Saludado to help administer the Robert F. Kennedy Medical Plan, the union’s health plan for farm workers protected by union contracts. He and Maria dated, got married and had three sons, Emilio, Alejandro and Julio. The Magañas left the union in 1980 but returned in the late 1990s when Maria was recruited to help the UFW organize Central Coast strawberry workers. Ralph and Maria later returned to live and labor with the Cesar Chavez Foundation at La Paz before retiring in 2013 and moving to Bakersfield.

Even in retirement Ralph and Maria consistently served their community, feeding their unhoused neighbors. Ralph leaves behind his wife Maria Saludado Magaña; his sons Alejandro and Julio (Emilio tragically passed away in 2022); his daughters-in-law Yvette, Rachyel and Jazmin; and his grandsons Dominic, Benicio, Kan’Ek and Tlaloc.

Ralph Magaña will long be a reminder that we are not defined by what we say, but by what we do.

A Rosary is set at 9 a.m. on Friday, January 10, 2025 with a Memorial Mass to follow at 9:30 a.m. at St. Phillip the Apostle Catholic Church, 7100 Stockdale Hwy., Bakersfield, Calif. 93309.

Year: 2025