HOLYOKE — The Carlos Vega Fund for Social Justice will honor a new recipient at its annual fall event on Saturday, Oct. 19, from 2 to 5 p.m. at Fame Lounge/Eatery.
This year the Carlos Vega Fund will honor Gladys Lebron-Martinez as the 2024 Social Justice Award recipient which will include complimentary tapas, music and a short program to honor Lebron-Martinez.
Lebron-Martinez was born in Springfield and today is a proud mother, grandmother and resident of Holyoke. She’s a dedicated advocate for community development and social justice whose career spans more than four decades of impactful service.
“Both my dad, and Gladys of course, are huge cheerleaders of Holyoke. One of the things that’s really great about the social justice award is that sometimes we focus on people that actually worked with my dad, and sometimes we don’t. Sometimes it’s just about the connection of the impact that my dad had,” Vega explained, citing past awardees as groups honored for their work in the same spirit that Vega brought through his social justice work.
Vega was an advocate for those experience hardship due to poverty, homelessness, lack of education and job opportunities, as well as unfair treatment based on racism and intolerance. His organizing work on behalf of people in Holyoke spanned over four decades before his death in 2011.
To keep his legacy of compassion and social activism alive, family and close friends of Vega established the Carlos Vega Fund for Social Justice. The mission of the group is to provide modest grants to grassroots organizations to support small but meaningful social change projects that address poverty, oppression, environmental concerns, race and the needs of vulnerable communities.
The fund then would establish the Carlos Vega Social Justice Award to honor outstanding activists who demonstrate a deep commitment to improving the lives of people in Greater Holyoke.
“Gladys is a well-known person in the city of Holyoke. She worked with my dad for decades and so we are really honoring this person that worked with my dad and supported the work that he did. But on her own, she’s made a name for herself as a huge supporter of the youth in this community. Her passion for youth is just unprecedented.”
Lebron-Martinez has devoted much of her life to advocating for those in her community, with career work ranging from Nueva Esperanza and Career Point — now MassHire — to fulfilling her commitment to public service through her tenure on the Holyoke School Committee from 2004 to 2010, and her significant contributions as Holyoke City Councilor from 2011 to 2022.
Recognized for her advocacy in anti-racism and LGBTQ+ rights, Lebron-Martinez will be celebrated for being a role model through her unwavering dedication to creating positive change in her community.
“She represents really kind of the same thing that my dad did. Someone who moved to this city with an immigrant background but has adopted Holyoke as their home and has really impacted other people and that’s one of the things we look for,” Vega said. “So many people do good things, and that’s great, but who does good things and brings other people along or influences other people or gets people to get involved, and Gladys is that type of person. And that’s the kind of person that we want to honor, not just their own achievements but how they influenced and really inspire other people to get involved.”
The event is free and the public is invited and cash bar will also be available. There will be a request for donations of any amount to support the work of the Carlos Vega Fund. The event takes place on the same day as the city’s “Day in the Yoke” event that will feature other events also ongoing including Doors Open 2024, the Paper City Food Truck Festival and the Great Brick Race.
For more information about the fund or to donate online visit carlosvegafund.org.
Vega said the yearly event for the Carlos Vega fund also brings home many people who used to live in Holyoke and with the mix of community events happening as well during the day, it is setting up to be a great day in the ‘Yoke for the community.
“I think it really creates that sense of like, the work that my dad and the work that Gladys have been doing is not for naught. You see the community coming together, you see some of the changes happening, and so its people like Gladys and people like my dad that were starters on that,” Vega said.
