Washington, D.C., March 7, 2003 - On February 6, 2003, MANA, A National Latina Organization received the National Latino Children's Institute's La Promesa de Un Futuro Brillante (The Promise of a Bright Future) Award in San Antonio, Texas. This award honors organizations and programs that address the most urgent issues facing Latino children through community-based efforts.

MANA's HERMANITAS® Program provides education, training, leadership development, mentoring and peer support to Hispanic female adolescents between the ages of eleven and seventeen. The program is designed to encourage young Latinas to stay in school and to pursue high academic goals. MANA expands efforts to consider the physical, emotional, social, and intellectual needs of Latina youth by providing accurate information, nonjudgmental counseling, and skill building opportunities. The program also aims to develop strong young Latinas who are active in their communities.

The HERMANITAS® Program is currently in its second year of a three-year grant from the Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP) of the Department of Health and Human Services to study the impact of mentoring on the health attitudes and behaviors of Latina youth. This grant focuses on six MANA sites: San Diego, CA; Detroit, MI; Orange County, CA; San Antonio, TX; Sonoma County-Salinas, CA; and Santa Fe, NM.

MANA's HERMANITAS® Program was nominated and selected for this national award on the basis of a competitive application process. All La Promesa programs share certain selections criteria. These include that the program directly serves young Latinos though innovative strategies, uses culture and language as assets to improve life for young Latinos and their families in the United States, and is replicable and serves as a model for other communities with Latino populations. La Promesa award-winners prove that negative statistics can be turned around when culturally appropriate strategies are used for outreach and services.

Ms. Alma Morales Riojas, President and CEO of MANA, A National Latina Organization, Ms. Evangeline Elizondo, MANA Board Member, past National President, and MANA de San Antonio Chapter President, and Ms. Rita Jaramillo, past National President attended the La Promesa Conference and Awards Ceremony. MANA Board Member Raquel "Rocky" Egusquiza also participated in the conference on a panel for the youth participants, while representing the Ford Motor Company.

Ms. Elizondo and the San Antonio Hermanitas participated in the two-day series of workshops and events. Amy Jessica Gonzales, one of the Hermanitas, shared her opinion of the conference. "It was a great experience. They had real life issues which we, being Latinos, could relate to and (page 2/2) provide input through discussion," she stated. "The speakers there were very inspirational and they proved that Latinos can and have come a long way." Ms. Riojas was very pleased to receive the award on behalf of MANA. "MANA's Hermanitas® Program is successful because of the countless volunteer hours contributed by MANA members and other women interested in improving the future for Latina youth," stated Ms. Riojas.

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MANA, A National Latina Organization, is a nonprofit, advocacy organization headquartered in the nation's capital, Washington, D. C. With chapters across the country, it is the oldest National Latina membership organization in the United States. MANA, whose mission is to empower Latinas through leadership development, community service, and advocacy, envisions a national community of informed Latina activists working to improve the quality of life for all Hispanics. MANA also has the only national young Latina's mentoring program for girls 11 to 17, "HERMANITAS®" which brings over 100 girls to Washington DC to a summer institute that includes a briefing at the White House and a visit to the girls' Congressional representatives Information on MANA can be obtained at the web site: www.hermana.org or send an e-mail to hermana2@aol.com