2019 Angels Of Love To Host Black And White Awards Gala

Angels of Love has announced the recipients of its Inaugural Annual Awards Gala recognizing community members who embody the nonprofit’s mission. 

The organization—which aims to provide free services to victims of domestic and dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking across the Rio Grande Valley—will present the awards at the Black & White Awards Gala on Thursday, November 21, 2019.

Ricardo Rodriguez, Hidalgo County District Attorney, will receive the Vision Award, which recognizes a community leader committed to ending domestic violence in the state and community.  In March 2014, Rodriguez was elected Criminal District Attorney and began his tenure as the County’s top prosecutor in January 2015 and in March 2018, was re-elected to the office for an additional four-year term.

During his tenure as District Attorney, Rodriguez has prided himself on the many new initiatives he and his staff have implemented. Most notably, Rodriguez created the Special Crimes Division, the Crime Victims Unit the Domestic Violence Unit and the Human Trafficking Unit, to help victims of crime navigate through the judicial process.

Since 2015, the District Attorney’s Office has been awarded over three million funding in the following grants: Victim Coordinator and Liaison Grant (VCLG), Victims of Crime Act (VOCA), The Violence against Women Act (VOWA), JAG Domestic Violence Unit and the Buffet-McCain Initiative to Combat Modern Day Slavery. The Crime Victims Unit, Human Trafficking Unit and Domestic Violence Unit consist of 16 advocates, five prosecutors, two coordinators, two investigators, three legal administrative assistants and a director.  

Rosie Martinez, Victims Unit Director for the Hidalgo County Criminal District Attorney’s Office will receive the Starfish Award. This award is given to an individual who practices the art of caring in the Domestic Violence arena. Mrs. Rosie Martinez has 19 years of experience in victim services.

She has obtained national accreditation as an Advanced Level “Comprehensive Victim Intervention Specialist” by the National Organization of Victim Assistance and certification as a Crime Victim Advocate by the Office of Victims of Crime, the Office of the Attorney General of Texas, the Texas Department of Criminal Justice and has a trainer certification for Commercial Sexual Exploitation Identification Tool from the Office of the Governor of Texas Child Sex Trafficking Team. 

Angels of Love will present the Courage Award, which recognizes a survivor who has demonstrated courage to escape her abuser and create a new life, to Marissa Cano.

Marissa Cano was born and raised in Ft. Worth TX and moved to the Rio Grande Valley in 2002. Marissa worked in the medical field for 17 years and served as an educator for post-secondary education for nine years. 

At the age of 33, she began her college education and graduated from The University of Texas-Pan America with a Master’s Degree in Rehabilitation Counseling at the age of 40. For the past six years she has been dedicated to helping the youth and families in Hidalgo/Cameron County.  Currently Cano is the Regional Director of South Texas for BCFS Health and Human Services where she and her team assist foster youth, juvenile justice youth, at-risk youth, victims of domestic violence and families in the community. 

Evonne Garcia, BSN, RN, SANE-A, SANE-P, CA/CP SANE will receive the Generosity of Spirit Award for having a significant impact on domestic violence through her true passion to help victims.  Evonne is currently the Program Manager with Texas A&M University College of Nursing Center of Excellence in Forensic Nursing Health Care Program.

Evonne obtained her Bachelor’s degree with Texas A&M and is currently obtaining her Master’s degree in Forensic Nursing through Texas A&M. She began her nursing career as an emergency room nurse and moved on to become a Forensic nurse.

She initiated the SAFE Place at Mission Regional Medical Center in 2009 to offer specialized nursing care for victims of abuse. In 2017, Evonne initiated the Safe HAVEN Forensic Exam Unit at DHR. She has seen well over five thousand forensic patients to date. Evonne serves as an expert witness when needed on her cases. Evonne is the forensic nurse director of Estrella’s House.