Hispanic/Latino Heritage Month Spotlight | Marcelina Sanchez

About

Oct 7

Written By Courtney Lamar

During Hispanic/Latino Heritage Month, Eat. Learn. Play. celebrates influential Hispanic and Latino/a leaders in the Oakland community who are doing fantastic work supporting our mission of providing access to the three essential pillars of a healthy childhood — nutrition, education, and physical activity.

Meet Marcelina Sanchez. Recreation Supervisor of the Central West Unit at Oakland Parks, Recreation & Youth Development (OPRYD). An Oakland native, Marcelina has worked for the City of Oakland for 26 years and credits her passion and dedication for community giveback to growing up in the Fruitvale neighborhood surrounded by a community rich in Latino/a culture and who were ready to help each other at a moment's notice.

Together, in partnership with Marcelina and OPRYD, Eat. Learn. Play. has provided Oakland kids with access to nutritious meals, quality educational support, and access to safe spaces to play and be active, particularly through Oakland’s Town Camp, which provided scholarship funding so all children could attend camp and could read, learn, and play during the summer.

Continue reading about Marcelina’s work below, and stay tuned for one final profile of our friend in the Oakland community.

What do you love most about Oakland?

Marcelina: I love the fact that Oakland is so diverse and rich in culture and ethnicity. My love for Oakland has grown tremendously through my 26 years as a City of Oakland employee. I have also had the great privilege of being born in Oakland and raised here as well. I have worked in all areas of Oakland and have really enjoyed and appreciated connecting with so many families. In my current role as a Recreation Supervisor, I can share my passion and love with this beautiful Oakland community on another level. Besides the professional environment, Oakland offers so many beautiful places to explore and enjoy. There’s a variety of culturally rich places to dine, along with many places to socialize with friends. Lastly, I love Oakland because it is one of the most culturally diverse cities with unlimited opportunities for all.

What does Hispanic/Latino Heritage Month mean to you?

Marcelina: Hispanic Heritage Month is a chance for many individuals like myself to celebrate, commemorate, and appreciate the Hispanic culture. It is a time for everyone to also highlight the achievements of many Hispanic Females who are positive activists. These women range from local community heroes such as Dominga Velasco, Carmen Flores, and Josie de la Cruz, pillars in the Fruitvale community, to a global level of leaders such as Sonia Sotomayor, Delores Huerta, Celia Cruz, Shakira, and many more. Aside from the popular aspects of Hispanic Heritage Month, there are many fun and entertaining activities that occur throughout the month, which I enjoy. These events include Latin music festivals that include authentic food vendors and famous artists who perform entertaining music for all.

What does it mean to you personally to be able to support the local community through your work?

Marcelina: At such an early age in my life, I was fortunate to be surrounded by a community rich in Latino/a culture in the Fruitvale area of Oakland. I was assisted many times by ordinary people who were ready to help at my local Recreation Center. From this experience in my life, I wanted to pay this forward to others. Therefore, I chose to serve the families of Oakland through my passion of positively impacting the lives of our children and youth in our city. I am honored to support our local communities through the work I do in providing service to others, as this means the world to me.

How is your organization helping kids and families in the community amid the pandemic?

Marcelina: Our organization continues helping kids and families of Oakland throughout the mist of the pandemic in many ways. For instance, OPRYD provides healthy meals for families, essential resources, and virtual and in-person programming. Our department is always on high alert when it comes to providing the best services in a safe and enjoyable environment especially during this pandemic. As a good example of our latest contributions to our children of Oakland, we have provided over 1,000 scholarships, laptops, new literature books, school supplies, and much more this summer. These gifts to families were made possible through local partnerships and sponsorships that include our presenting sponsors, Eat. Learn. Play. I believe it’s all about working together to help and support others in times of need.