Abel Enrique Núñez, executive director of the Central American Resource Center (CARECEN) will be honored as Georgetown’s 2017 John Thompson Jr. Legacy of a Dream Award recipient on January 16th at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. The university presents the award to an inspirational and emerging local leader at the free Martin Luther King, Jr. Let Freedom Ring Celebration, this year featuring award-winning singer Gladys Knight.
At CARECEN, Núñez expanded services in the District and surrounding suburbs, successfully pushed for legislation that allows undocumented immigrants to more easily obtain a driver’s license and many other accomplishments. CARECEN promotes grassroots empowerment, civic engagement and civil rights advocacy.
«Through his leadership at CARECEN, Mr. Núñez has impacted thousands of children, women and men in our city’s Latino community, providing them with essential services and resources that contribute to their own well-being and help to empower and uplift our entire D.C. community,» said Georgetown President John J. DeGioia.
The Legacy of a Dream Award marks the start of a year’s commitment and sustained partnership with Georgetown that allows winners to leverage the honor for broader recognition of his or her community organization or cause.
«This is a great honor, and I am really humbled to receive it,» says Núñez, who immigrated with his family to America in 1979 from El Salvador and grew up in the District. «CARECEN is poised as an organization to convene the Latino community in the District and facilitate a process to determine a common agenda.»
