Riverside Rediscovered community liaison Siris Barrios has been elected to the executive board of SEPA Mujer, a non-profit organization advocating for immigrants since 1993. SEPA Mujer especially highlights the importance of the role Latina women play in their families and community at large and supports them through a wide array of programs— from a leadership academy where Latina women learn the inner workings of local governance to legal counseling for victims of domestic violence and others.
“I am honored to serve on the board of SEPA Mujer and I am committed to its amazing membership,” Barrios said.
SEPA Mujer executive director Martha Maffei said Barrios’ vast experience with non-profit organizations and civic associations will be key assets for the group.
“Siris is a jewel for us. She is very smart, she’s passionate and understands the reality of immigrant women. It is very important that our board members can understand the nature of our programs and the people we are serving,” Maffei said.
Barrios said that her goal is “to help SEPA Mujer grow their fundraising efforts in order to continue to empower women and their families through leadership development and advocacy.”
This is especially important, she said, because it helps Latino families break the barriers that prevent them from engaging with civic organizations and government.
Ron Fisher, Riverhead school board member and past-president of the local civic group FRNCA said Barrios is “an incredible visionary.”
“Working along side her these past three years has been an absolute pleasure. For as long as I’ve known Siris, she’s been a force of good in our community and has worked tirelessly towards improving the hamlet of Riverside,” he said.
Barrios, who was born in El Salvador, immigrated to the United States with her family when she was four years old. She grew up in Los Angeles, California and graduated from California State Univeristy at Northridge with a geography degree. There she helped found the first Central American Studies Program and the first Central American research and policy institute in the United States.
She moved to Long Island in 2011 when she met her future husband.
Barrios has extensive experience working in nonprofit organizations. In South Los Angeles she served as director of youth programs at Community Coalition, received training in human subject research at the University of California and has dealt with a wide array of social issues like community organizing, health equity, under-representation in the African-American and Latino communities and multicultural marketing for the corporate sector.
Locally she has been the face of the Riverside Rediscovered project, a community-driven initiative sponsored by town-designated master developer Renaissance Downtowns. Its aim is to redevelop the distressed Riverside community.
She has worked closely with the Flanders, Riverside and Northampton Community Association, as well as the town of Southampton and the Town of Riverhead and many others.
“The SEPA Mujer board is lucky to have such a remarkable woman joining their board,” said Fisher.
The survival of local journalism depends on your support.
We are a small family-owned operation. You rely on us to stay informed, and we depend on you to make our work possible. Just a few dollars can help us continue to bring this important service to our community.
Support RiverheadLOCAL today.