Citizen Action of Wisconsin Honored And Recognized Hispanic Members As Community Champions At Annual Meeting

Latino members from Citizen Action of Wisconsin among those honored and awarded Community Champion Awards for their contributions and efforts to help promote progressive social issues and health care in Wisconsin.

By H. Nelson Goodson

Hispanic News Network U.S.A.

December 15, 2018

Milwaukee, WI - On Saturday, Citizen Action of Wisconsin (CAW)/Acción Ciudadana de Wisconsin (ACW) members Carmen Cabrera, the City of Milwaukee Election Commissioner; Rebecca Arrichiello; Marisabel Cabrera (D), the newly elected Wisconsin State Representative and Jesús Barbosa, the Health Systems Supervisor from the American Cancer Society were honored and awarded the Community Champion Award 2018 for their contributions and efforts to promote progressive social issues, justice, health care and etc. Also, Virginio Miranda from ACW was awarded the Doctor Farley Progressive Leadership Award 2018. 

Dr. Robert Kraig, the Executive Director of CAW during the annual meeting confirmed that 49 members from the organization had been elected to local, county and state political positions including Governor elect Tony Evers (D) and Lt. Governor Mandela Barnes (D) and that 21 CAW members had ran for public office in the November elections.

According to the CAW mid-term election report 2018, bold Health Reform was the #1 issue with Wisconsin voters, which CAW members help set the 2018 election agenda calling for protecting pre-existing conditions, accepting Federal Medicaid money, and creating a BadgerCare Public Option including advocating for a $15 minimum wage in the state. At least 21 CAW organizing cooperative members were trained as candidates for federal and state office in 2018.
CAW members knocked at 31,150 doors, made 13,241 phone calls, 131,230 text messages were sent, also knocked at 13,582 doors in Milwaukee for a non-partisan voter engagement program, collected 1224 pledge cards and registered 223 voters.
CAW also helped elect CAW member Sarah Godlewski (D) as WI State Treasurer; also Evers as the new Governor and Josh Kaul (D) as the new WI State Attorney General. CAW organizer Jeff Smith (D) was elected to the Wisconsin State Senate, CAW member Marisabel Cabrera (D-Milw.) was elected to the WI State Assembly and Robyn Vining (D) was also elected to the WI State Assembly. JoCasta Zamarripa (D-Milw.), won re-election to the WI State Assembly.

In April 2018, Sylvia Ortiz-Velez, a member of ACW was elected to the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors including Milwaukee County Supervisor Steven Shea, a member of CAW.
The CAW successful co-op model is spreading to other states as well, according to Kraig.

Attorney Willie Green on Saturday was named to the CAW Board. Green actively campaigned for the election of Governor Evers and Lt. Governor Barnes including the election campaigns to elect Cabrera to the WI State Assembly, Ortiz-Velez for Milwaukee County Board and for Tony Baez for the Milwaukee Public School Board.