A longtime Rockford community activist who is committed to enhancing the lives of Latinos was recognized for all his efforts on Thursday, Dec. 14.
Armando Cardenas, 79, won this year’s Excalibur Award.
Cardenas wears many hats. This musician serves on the board of the Rockford Area Arts Council, but his works of service started many decades ago. He said in 1968 he realized many Latino families needed help. He was the first director of La Voz Latina.
“And that was specifically designed to help the people in the community,” he said, “to help them with jobs, to help them in referring them to the necessary agencies that would [see that] they could get support and help.”
From there, he and another community member went to the school board to address the issue of no bilingual education in the city. Cardenas says the local leaders are always willing to help.
“Rockford has been good that way,” he explained. “As far as the leadership that we work with, whether it be public safety, whether it'd be a political look at the elected officials, the city, the county, or individuals that are in a position to be able to do something to help our community.”
He said he couldn’t have made an impact without a team.
“Those individuals that walk with me,” he said. “I would say arm and arm, people that worked with me through the years. Even to now and the people that have helped me and us within the movement, to get things done to help the Latino community.”
Armando said there are three circles of life: family, extended family and then the community. He said some choose to stay within the curves of the first two circles, but he said for the rest of his life, he will work to impact the third.
The Rockford Register Star has hosted this award ceremony for decades but now the Community Foundation of Northern Illinois in partnership with the Northern Illinois Center for Nonprofit Excellence have taken those duties.
Other winners for the evening include the Excelsior award winner, Golden Apple Foundation, and Community Champion award winners: Boone County's Build-A-Bike Program, Stephenson County's Freeport Art Museum, Ogle County's Serenity Hospice & Home and Rockford Ald. Frank Beach of Winnebago County.
