2/12/2009

Carlos Orellana Background.


Background:

Carlos came to Yonkers in 1985 from his native El Salvador during the peak of the civil war that lasted twelve years. He attended Yonkers High School (1985-1986) and graduated from Roosevelt High School in 1987. He attended the Instituto Pastoral Hispano, an Episcopalian seminary in New York City, and received his Certificate in Pastoral and Theological Studies in 1993. He continued his education and attended Concordia College in Bronxville, and received his BA in Judeo Christian Studies in 1999.

In 2003 Carlos attended the Masters Degree Program in Political Science at the Catholic University in San Salvador, El Salvador, where he took courses in Public Administration, Comparative Government, Economics, and Political Philosophy.

Carlos works as a labor organizer with United Food and Commercial Workers International (UFCW). He has been organizing workers in the meat packing and poultry industries in Nebraska, Iowa, North Carolina, and New York. He was part of the organizing team that worked very hard to win the election at the Smithfield plant in North Carolina last December.

Carlos has been a long term board member of Residents for Affordable and Equitable Permanent Shelter (REAPS) in southwest Yonkers, an organization that provides and advocates for affordable housing for low income families.

Carlos has been the president of Somos la Llave del Futuro or We Are the Key to the Future, www.somoslallave.org/, a not-for profit organization in the Hudson Valley and Catskill Region. The mission of the organization is to train leaders in the immigrant communities throughout the region. Carlos is also a committee member of the SUNY Yonkers Committee in Yonkers, a group of residents advocating for a technical college in our city.

Carlos helped implement two after school programs in southwest Yonkers during his years working for Westhab, one in Elliott Avenue and the other in Bruce Avenue. He also ran a youth program for CLUSTER. Working with children and youth gave him the opportunity to understand better the needs and the problems that low income families face raising their children.

Carlos and his wife Janet attend San Andres Episcopal Church in Yonkers.

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