Co-Chairs: Hon. Myrna Socorro and Hon. Edwin Novillo
LJA Serving our Community
The Latino Judges Association thanks its members for participating in the LJA Fall Community Service Project on December 13, 2025 in the Bronx. This community service was led by LJA’s Community Service Co-Chair Hon. Myrna Socorro. The participants included LJA President Hon. Elena Goldberg Velazquez and her family, LJA Treasurer Hon. Fiordaliza Rodriguez, LJA Recording Secretary Hon. Edwin Novillo, LJA Director Hon. Sharifa M. Nasser-Cuellar and her family, LJA Director Hon. Veronica Romero-Guerrero, LJA Member Hon. Julio Rodriguez, LJA Member Hon. Marissa Soto and her family, LJA Member Hon. Norma Ruiz (ret.), LJA Member Hon. Brenda Rivera, and LJA Member Hon. Crystal Villasenor.
The members of LJA worked together to prepare and package hot meals for members of the community to either eat in house or to “take-away”. Additionally, our members prepared packaged food bags containing numerous items for members of the community. It was a Saturday filled with gratitude and quality time together while giving back to the community.
The Latino Judges Association thanks its members for participating in the LJA Fall Community Service project on October 5, 2024. This community service was led by LJA’s Community Service Chair Hon. Connie Mallafre Melendez and participants included LJA President Hon. Lourdes Ventura, LJA Past President Hon. Walter Rivera and his wife Isabel Figueroa, LJA Director Hon. Janette Cortes-Gomez and her husband Hon. Fidel Gomez and their son Ethan, LJA Directors Hon. Wilma Guzman, Hon. Edwin Novillo, Hon. Llinet Rosado; Hon. Enedina Pilar Sanchez and her husband Oleg Schatoff, and LJA members Hon. Javier Ortiz, Hon. Valentina Morales and her son, Hon. James Hyer, Hon. Yadhira Gonzalez-Taylor, Hon. Fiordaliza Rodriguez and her husband judge-elect Eliezer Rodriguez, Hon. Alberto Gonzalez, Hon. Rhonda Tomlinson, Hon. Yvette Rosario, Hon. Frances Ortiz.
In assembly line setup, LJA volunteers packed bags of food items for our seniors filling numerous crates. The bags, each containing 3 meals, were later delivered by non LJA volunteers to seniors to cover three days. For many seniors it is the only contact they have with a person. The morning was both extremely gratifying and enjoyable at the same time.
LJA Serving our Community
LJA Sirviendo a Nuestra Comunidad
The Latino Judges Association thanks its members for their participation in the LJA Spring Community Service project on May 4, 2024. This community service project was led by LJA’ s Community Service Chair Hon. Connie Mallafre and participants included LJA Director Hon. Edwin Novillo, his daughter Kayla, and LJA members Hon. Jessica Bourbon, Hon. Angela Badamo, Hon. Joanne Quinones, and Hon. Javier Ortiz.
The group spent a portion of the morning distributing food products to community members who line up as early as 6:00 am for the program which starts at 8:30 am. The volunteers and pallets of food items were set up on the sidewalk alongside buildings and the curb which facilitated the distribution of meats, bread, and breakfast foods, can goods, grains, pasta, and fresh produce. The line of people waiting for goods streamed midway up the city block and around the corner. For some time, there was no visible end to the line. The community members were as diverse as is the City of New York.
The enormity of the program’s impact to the community became obvious to the team as a steady stream of people waited patiently to move along the path. The smiles and whispered “thanks” were heartwarming and made the service project more than memorable. (Please see the attached pictures)
We look forward to your participation in our anticipated Fall community service project! Let’s continue giving back to the community.
The Latino Judges Association dropped off donations of new winter hats and gloves for men, women, teens and children to St. Mary’s Clothing Drive in Brooklyn as part of its Winter Community Service project. St. Mary’s has been serving the community since 1992. Presently, they serve approximately 140 people per day, 5 mornings a week and accept donations of new and used clothing, accessories, suitcases, toys, etc. The volunteers sort donations by categories and arrange them in separate rooms for easy selection. As the volunteers described the program it was obvious that their work is a labor of love.
The Latino Judges Association has a continuing commitment to serve seniors in our communities. We are grateful to our elders for much; the least of which are the roads they paved allowing us to reach heights and successes they struggled to achieve for themselves and future generations. Keeping Covid precautions, after a pause in our collective interaction with seniors, we resumed celebrating our treasured elders!
On December 17, 2021 the LJA’s Community Service Committee went to Raices in Brooklyn. As a small token of our esteem, we gave out 100 pairs of winter socks to the seniors at the center as they gathered to celebrate the holiday season. The joy we received in telling them how much we appreciate them and value their resolve was doubled by seeing the gleam in their eyes as they accepted our small gift.
The LJA Community Service Committee wishes our members and communities best wishes for a Happy and Healthy New Year!
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