Camila Chávez, co-founder of Dolores Huerta Foundation, earns prestigious leadership award

After spending her childhood on picket lines alongside her mother, iconic farmworker organizer Dolores Huerta, Camila Chávez entered a public health career upon graduating from Mills College in 1998.

“I was working my way up the chain, starting out as a community outreach worker, then manager, and then director of the outreach and enrollment program through the Alameda County Health Care Services Agency,” said Chávez.

Then, she realized that “the public health system is really broken.”

“I was really proud that we helped enroll thousands of families into these (health) programs, but then they weren’t getting the care that they needed on the back end,” said Chávez. “I felt stuck.”

That’s when she decided the best way to fix the problem was to shape policy. In 2003, she joined her mother in establishing the Dolores Huerta Foundation. Chávez is the foundation’s executive director.

“I figured I should learn something from my mother about this,” she said. “We wanted something that would teach folks about community organizing and civic engagement.

“I had this great opportunity to learn directly from my mother.”

On Feb. 7, Chávez was among seven recipients of the James Irvine Foundation 2022 Leadership Awards.

“This year’s Leadership Award recipients are an incredible group of leaders that represent the best of our state,” said Gov. Gavin Newsom. “These Californians show exceptional community leadership and innovation – exemplifying to all how we can solve some of our most pressing challenges.”

Chávez received a $250,000 award for the James Irvine Foundation because of her recognition.

“It’s definitely an honor to join the ranks of prestigious leaders throughout California,” said Chávez, a niece of farmworker icon César E. Chávez. “This is a great opportunity to share the good work that we’ve been doing with the Dolores Huerta Foundation.”

The foundation – which has a $5 million annual budget with 47 full-time staff and more than 100 seasonal canvassers – advocates for policy change in Kern, Tulare and Fresno counties as well as a portion of northern Los Ángeles County.

In the last two years, the foundation has been heavily involved with census outreach, get-out-the vote efforts, and redistricting. It has also been heavily involved in COVID-19 vaccination and education efforts.

The foundation reached more than 84,000 residents to encourage them to complete the census and battled disinformation when President Donald J. Trump tried to get a citizenship question on the census form.

Chávez said the 2020 election posed a challenge because of the pandemic. The foundation provided information about where, how and when to vote.

The pandemic also left a major need for direct help in getting food, protective equipment and information.

“We had to pivot as an organization,” said Chávez. “We historically have not been a direct services organization. That changed.

“That changed. We had to step up to the plate when it came to providing outreach and education, to provide folks with PPE, especially those essential workers who still have to continue to work.”

The work included distributing tablets and laptops to keep grassroots leaders engaged, convincing schools to adjust free meals programs, and maintaining communication between parents and school administrators.

The redistricting campaign, said Chávez, engaged more than 3,000 community members who participated in redistricting efforts at the state and local levels.

“These maps are a big deal because they actually reflect the will of the people,” said Chávez. “We have three very effective congressional districts (in the Valley).”

Two state Senate and four Assembly districts adhere to the Voting Rights Act in that they have a majority of voters who are Latino citizens of voting age.

“These communities will now have a better chance of electing their candidates of choice,” said Chávez, who is married and has children ages 10 and 6.

Chávez said she and her mother don’t agree 100% on everything, but attributes that to “generational differences.”

“We have different styles, and she’ll be the first to tell you that we think differently,” said Chávez, who stressed they work well together.

The foundation is currently trying to wrap up a fundraising campaign to raise the final $7 million needed for the Dolores Huerta Peace & Justice Cultural Center. In addition to housing the foundation and other non-profit organizations, the two-story structure in downtown Bakersfield will include an auditorium, a youth center, a cultural center, and an outdoor events center.

Another recipient of the James Irvine Foundation Leadership Award was Naindeep Singh, executive director of the Jakara Movement in Fresno.

Other recipients were Dr. Noha Aboelata, founder/CEO of the Roots Community Health Center in Oakland; DeVone Boggan, founder/CEO of Advance Peace; Serita Cox, co-founder/CEO of iFoster; and, Brandon Smith and Royal Ramey, co-founders of The Forestry and Fire Recruitment Program.

“These trailblazing leaders are an inspiration for what they have accomplished for the people of California already and what they can accomplish in the future,” said Don Howard, president/CEO of The James Irvine Foundation. “We are delighted to highlight the promise of their efforts and help others take note of their approaches.”