Eliseo Rivas has the CanDo spirit – and everybody knows it. In the words of LGBTQ Director Ian Stanley, “Eliseo is on fire to make our community better.”
Since its inception in 2013, the CanDo Spirit Award, generously sponsored by the Napa Valley Vintners, celebrates outstanding work performed by an exceptional young professional in the Napa County nonprofit sector. The CanDo Spirit Award is part of Napa Valley CanDo’s annual Give!Guide project, which raises funds and awareness for over 40 local nonprofits. Each Napa County nonprofit, whether involved in the Give!Guide or not, may nominate an employee age 30 or younger who has been employed for at least one year. The award comes with a $1,000 prize.
Mx. Rivas is recognized for exemplary work with LGBTQ Connection, a program offered by the nonprofit group On the Move. LGBTQ Connection strives to create a healthy, diverse and inclusive LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning) community, driven by youth and other emerging leaders in the North Bay Area.
Eliseo’s professional responsibilities for LGBTQ are many, including leading programming for youth, schools and families. “What motivates me to work for LGBTQ Connection is the opportunity to empower my people. This means the LGBTQ community, communities of color, and communities from lower socioeconomic status. These are some of the people that held me during my growth to discover a sense of real freedom.”
Ian Stanley, LGBTQ Program Director, says, “Eliseo doesn’t just treat work as a check-list, but uses heart, relationship and passion to create real change for justice in our local community.”