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"Elvira De la Cruz: Breaking Down Language Barriers for Spanish-Speaking Victims of Violence in Virginia"
Elvira De la Cruz is the CEO of Latinos in Virginia Empowerment Center, an organization dedicated to providing culturally and linguistically specific services for Spanish-speaking victims of violence. As an immigrant from Peru, De la Cruz understands the unique challenges faced by this community in accessing help. In 2018, she founded the Latinos in Virginia Empowerment Center to address the barriers that Spanish-speaking victims of violence face in Virginia. Her team has worked tirelessly to provide essential services to those in need, resulting in the establishment of the first 24/7 hotline for Spanish-speaking victims of violence in Virginia. De la Cruz and her team have also created a Spanish/English interpreter bank to support English-speaking service providers who interact with victims of violence.

De la Cruz has a strong work history with extensive experience in the non-profit sector. She worked at The James House, a domestic and sexual violence program, for a over 9 years, holding various positions, including Chief Program Officer, Director of Program and Services, Program and Services Manager, and Underserved Population Specialist. In addition, she is the Senior Consultant and Owner of Latinos en Virginia LLC, providing consulting services to various organizations to make outreach to the Latino community.

De la Cruz and her team at Latinos in Virginia Empowerment Center are committed to providing trauma-informed, culturally appropriate, and comprehensive services to empower victims of domestic and sexual violence to become healthy, safe, and self-sufficient. They also develop prevention programming to reduce the incidence of violence in the communities they serve. The organization's efforts were highlighted by Esperanza United, a National Latina Organization, in April 2021, during Sexual Assault Awareness Month. De la Cruz also created a toolkit to provide organizations with linguistically and culturally appropriate tools to reach the Latin@ community. She believes that language should never be a barrier to accessing quality services and is dedicated to breaking down language barriers to ensure that all victims of violence have equal access to the help they need.

The accomplishments of the Latinos in Virginia Empowerment Center under the leadership of Elvira De la Cruz have indeed been featured in various media outlets, including The PhilVA. In their article titled "From Grassroots to 501(c)(3): The Evolution of the Latinos in Virginia Empowerment Center ," the organization's remarkable journey and growth were showcased. The article shed light on how the center initially emerged as a grassroots initiative and subsequently obtained recognition as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

Within the article, the center's unwavering dedication to providing culturally and linguistically specific services for Spanish-speaking victims of violence was highlighted. Particularly noteworthy was the establishment of the first-ever 24/7 hotline for Spanish-speaking victims in Virginia, ensuring they have access to assistance from bilingual, bicultural, and trained advocates whenever they need it.

Furthermore, the article emphasized the center's tireless efforts to dismantle language barriers and guarantee equitable access to high-quality services for all victims of violence. By adopting a trauma-informed approach and prioritizing cultural appropriateness, the center empowers survivors of domestic and sexual violence to lead healthy, safe, and self-sufficient lives.

Award
The Allen & Allen Hometown Heroes 2022 award has recognized Virginians who are responsible for generating positive change in the community or in the lives of others. These awards have been presented annually since 2010.

Persona de Poder 2021, Persona de Poder 2021 Issued by WBTK Radio Poder · Jul 2021Issued by WBTK Radio Poder

2018 Unsung Hero, Unsung Hero Issued by The Office of the Attorney General. Issued by The Office of the Attorney General. The Attorney General Herring established these awards in 2017 to acknowledge those individuals across the state working tirelessly to aid victims in their recovery and healing, promote trauma-informed responses, challenge permissive or dismissive attitudes towards victims' issues, and affect change.

TRI-CITIES 2017 Forty under Forty Nomination, TRI-CITIES 2017 Forty under Forty Nomination Issued by TRI-CITIES Chamber of Commerce Issued by TRI-CITIES Chamber of Commerce