Our AFJ Village Is Growing As We Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month

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 This month, Avenues for Justice (AFJ) is celebrating National Hispanic Heritage Month as we recognize the significant contributions of more than 60 million Hispanic Americans, Latinos, and Latinas to the prosperity of our country’s history and heritage. For 45 years, our roots have been grounded in Hispanic heritage as a nonprofit organization Co-Founded by AFJ President, Angel Rodriguez.

AFJ was founded to combat an issue that is rooted in structural racism and oppression; as a result, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) is the very fabric of who we are as an organization. Our commitment to DEI is present in all that we do – from staffing to programming to strategy and growth. In hiring, we ensure that candidates we interview and employ, as well as service providers and facilitators, have lived experiences that are similar to our Participants. Being rooted in the neighborhoods we serve, our community centers in Harlem and the Lower East Side are safe spaces for our Participants.

Today, 47% of our staff members identify as Hispanic and 34% of our Participants in 2023 identified as Hispanic. Two of AFJ’s Hispanic Court Advocates, who hail from and still live in the Lower East Side (Loisaida), offer over 30+ years of combined professional experience providing court advocacy to young people.

A long-time Lower East Side resident, Angel co-founded Avenues for Justice’s court advocacy program to keep young people out of jail. Incorporated in 1979, Angel expanded the program, opening headquarters inside New York City’s Manhattan Criminal Court building and a flagship community center on the Lower East Side in the 1980s. In 1999, Angel established a second community center in Harlem and in 2018, began to serve hundreds of young people citywide providing free court advocacy with HIRE UP services for job readiness, educational assistance and mental health care. In 1992, Angel collaborated with (ret.) Hon. Judge Michael Corriero to launch the Youth Part model in Manhattan---a court part which prosecutes youth separately from adults and promotes alternative to incarceration services. Today, this model is used nationwide.

Over the years, Angel has been recognized for his service and dedication to diverting thousands of young New Yorkers from prison, along with his outstanding work in fostering alternative to incarceration efforts that exemplify problem solving on a community level. Angel received an honorary law degree from the CUNY Law School at Queens College and was selected as one of three outstanding community activists in New York City to receive the Robin Hood Foundation's Hero Award in 1996.

Manhattan DA Bragg selected Angel to serve on the Juvenile Justice Sub-committee of his transition advisory team until his inauguration in January 2022. The transition team was charged with producing a document that outlines recommendations for short, mid and long-term implementation. In 2024, the Juvenile Law Center selected Angel for their annual Leadership Prize which recognizes outstanding individuals working in any field—law, government, the arts, media, entertainment, sports, business, or any other sector—who are fighting for the rights and well-being of youth in the child welfare and justice systems. The Greenwich Village Chelsea Chamber of Commerce (GVCCC) has nominated Angel as this year's GVCCC Community Leadership Award recipient. The GVCC’s annual Community Leadership Award, generously sponsored by New York University, recognizes outstanding community leaders who have demonstrated exceptional dedication to the vibrant communities the GVCCC serves. Past honorees have worked tirelessly to strengthen local businesses, enhance the community's well-being, foster a sense of unity and forge relationships with community leaders and elected officials to help create a safe and prosperous community for all. Angel will be honored in December.

"As a Puerto Rican Executive Director for the past 45 years, it has been a privilege to serve the vast Hispanic communities in New York City. It has been my priority to provide services and second chances for our Hispanic youth." – Angel Rodriguez.

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Nelson has been working at AFJ for over 30 years. Having grown up in the Lower East Side, Nelson understands the daily pressures our young people face and he serves as a role model for making a positive life out of early hardships. As Senior Court Advocate, Nelson provides mentoring and counseling to our Participants and their families, always emphasizing that a young person must take moral responsibility for their life. Living in the same neighborhood as a majority of his Participants makes him incredibly accessible to our young people in LES and vital to AFJ. El Diario La Prensa profiled Nelson in the March 2015 issue of their “Buena Gente” (Good People) weekly section because of his drive to improve the quality of life for his fellow Lower East Side residents.

“As Latinos and Latinas, we are well liked, very vibrant, caring people who treat everyone like family. We will offer you great food, music and we celebrate life to the fullest! We have a passion to educate and make the world a better place to live.” – Nelson Valentine

While a Participant at AFJ, Elsie received legal support, supportive services, mentorship, and guidance. Through her own hard work and with the support of her Court Advocate, Elsie was able to navigate the court system without having to serve time. Additionally, Elsie was able to intern at AFJ after successfully graduating from the program and earn a Bachelor’s Degree from John Jay College of Criminal Justice in 2020. Elsie joined the AFJ staff as a Lower East Side Court Advocate in June 2010. Before joining AFJ, Elsie worked in the medical field for several years as a Pharmacist Technician and at a school-based health clinic on the Lower East Side. We are especially proud of her as a 1999 graduate of our program, a recipient of the Andrew Glover Program's Outstanding Youth & Second Chance Award in 2008, and a Robin Hood Heroes award recipient in 2022. In 2023, Elsie was accepted in the graduate school program at New York University’s Silver School of Social Work. Elsie exemplifies the importance of second chances.

“Justice is about making sure that being polite is not the same thing as being quiet. In fact, often times, the most righteous thing you can do is shake the table.” - Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez  

Prior to joining AFJ as a Court Advocate, Stephanie worked in the homecare field as a Lead Case Coordinator at Heart to Heart Homecare for seven years. As a case manager, Stephanie managed 100 patients, providing homecare for the elderly as well as providing care for kids in need. She developed personal health care plans, tracked patient referral services, and consulted with family members about long- and short-term plans for her patients. Stephanie is passionate about ensuring that young people get individualized plans and the resources needed to ensure their success. Her work experience translates perfectly into the case management skills needed to be an effective Court Advocate at Avenues for Justice.

“My grandmother used to tell me in Spanish love the life you live and live the life you love.” - Stephanie Santana

Edison Taborda brings five years of experience with security, facilities management, and customer service to the AFJ team. Having joined the AFJ team in 2020, Edison was instrumental in ensuring that our centers adhered to COVID protocol and keeping our staff and Participants safe during the pandemic. Edison continues to make both our community centers warm, welcoming safe havens where our Participants look forward to coming in daily for HIRE Up programming.

"Growing up in Washington Heights, raised by a single parent from Colombia, my mother worked two jobs to take care of us. My neighborhood was a Hispanic community where I learned the value of family, hard work and hustling in life to make ends meet." - Edison Taborda

The Newest Members To Our AFJ Team

Lissette joins the AFJ team with over 14 years of experience in the mental health field as a senior intake coordinator. Lissette worked at Mosaic Mental Health where she was responsible for administering a full suite of admission services and managing the intake and referral process. She started her professional career as an office manager at a Montefiore school-based clinic providing information about school-based health programs to students and their families. Lissette brings compassion for working with young people as she strives to increase administrative and programmatic support for our AFJ team. Lissette has a Bachelor of Arts in Social Science from Mercy College.

“Hispanics have to be visible. We are not ashamed of who we are!” – Lissette Aybar

As a dedicated professional with a passion for supporting young people impacted by the criminal justice system, Jessica spent over 10 years of her career working in the non-profit sector. While at Harlem Community Justice Center, CASES and the Center for Employment Opportunities, she made a positive impact on the lives of high-risk young adults by providing them with the resources and support they needed to succeed. In the last five years, Jessica took a step back from her work in the non-profit sector to care for her grandmother while also pursuing a career in human resources. In her role as a business partner, she worked with a global company to help them with their staffing needs. This experience allowed her to further develop her skills in recruitment, employee relations, and strategic workforce planning. Jessica is excited to bring her unique blend of experience and expertise to Avenues for Justice. Her passion for supporting vulnerable populations, combined with her strong business acumen, makes Jessica an asset to the organization. Jessica has a Bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from John Jay College of Criminal Justice.

“People think of Latina women as being fiery and fierce, which is usually true. But I think the quality that so many Latinas possess is strength. I’m very proud to have Latin blood.” - Zoe Saldaña