Stay tuned for our 2021 honorees

In the early 1980s, the seeds of Mercy Care were sown by volunteer physicians, nurses and other staff from Saint Joseph’s Hospital who took to the streets of downtown Atlanta going into soup kitchens and shelters because they felt they had left their most vulnerable patients behind when the hospital moved to the suburbs.
Mercy Care's colleagues, now more than 230 of them, continue to carry that torch and focus on the most vulnerable in our communities—those who are poor and have chronic health conditions, those who struggle with addictions and mental illness, those who are new immigrants, those experiencing homelessness, or those who simply need affordable, excellent healthcare.
When interviewed about his work at Mercy Care, Matthew Reed who is a case manager on the Street Medicine team said, "It's a holistic approach to an individual; not just fixing your body and your mind. It's like God using us to fix people's souls and our souls are repaired in the process." That sentiment, the feeling we are not whole without helping the most vulnerable, was alive and well in the years prior to Mercy Care's incorporation in 1985 and continues to flourish.
Mercy Care provides truly integrated primary and mental health care. That means the primary care providers are trained to diagnose and address anxiety and depression but may also do a warm handoff to a mental health specialist without the stigma associated with scheduling a separate appointment. Other services and programs include: dental and vision care; psychiatry for adults and children, substance abuse counseling; HIV prevention, testing and treatment; two recuperative care locations; street medicine and outreach; health education; pastoral care; and an onsite pharmacy. The people at Mercy Care also facilitate their patients’ access to a network of social services and stand with their patients in advocating for their own needs.
Mercy Care's patients pay what they can based on a sliding fee scale when coming to one of our 10 clinic sites primarily from Fulton, DeKalb and Gwinnett counties and as far away as Paulding, Forsyth, Newton, Henry and Douglas counties.

Alicia Philipp is president of the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta, a philanthropic anchor institution dedicated to strengthening the Atlanta region. In 2017 she celebrated her 40^th year with the Foundation, which in its history has given away more than $1.7 billion to nonprofit organizations in the Atlanta region, throughout the U.S. and across the globe.

She leads a team of experts that strengthen the 23-county Atlanta region by inspiring philanthropy to increase the vitality of our region and the well-being of all residents. The Foundation grants out more than $100 million annually to thousands of nonprofit organizations.

Philipp has served on the board of the Council on Foundations, the Southeastern Council of Foundations, Independent Sector and the National Center on Family Philanthropy. In 2017 she was named to Georgia Trend magazine’s Business Hall of Fame. She has also been named one of the “100 Most Influential Atlantans” by the Atlanta Business Chronicle and to Atlanta magazine’s Atlanta 500. In 2019 she was recognized by the Atlanta Hawks basketball team as one of 50 Atlanta icons, in commemoration of the team’s 50^th anniversary in Atlanta.

Philipp received a bachelor’s degree from Emory University and an MBA from Georgia State University. She lives in Decatur and has two adult children and one grandson, all of whom live in Europe. Philipp has announced that she plans to retire in 2020 and the Board of the Community Foundation will choose a successor.

The Ambassador Award is given to an individual who advocates passionately on the LAA's behalf.

Cox Enterprises is dedicated to building a better future through our leading communications and automotive companies. Our major operating subsidiaries include Cox Communications and Cox Automotive, and we are strategically investing in new industries and emerging technologies, with sizeable interests in clean technology and health care. Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, Cox is a global company with $21 billion in annual revenues and brands that include Autotrader, Kelley Blue Book and Cox Homelife. Founded in 1898 by Ohio Governor James M. Cox, the company is a family-owned business committed to its people, communities and planet.

The Corporate Champion Award is given to a corporate partner who has significantly supported the Latino community.

Augusto Michael Trujillo, an Atlanta native with deep Cuban roots has been a member of the Latin Fever Ball Guild, the committee of volunteers who dedicate their time, creativity and resources to make the Latin Fever Ball the principal fundraising event of the LAA, since 2013. During this time, through the efforts of the guild members and LAA staff and board, the amount raised from this event has nearly doubled to the record-breaking fundraising total of $700,000.

In addition to his tenured voluntarism, LAA staff and board members chose Trujillo for the volunteer of the year award because of his loyal support of the organization and his deft resourcefulness on as a member of the Latin Fever Ball Guild.

The love for the LAA is a family affair. Trujillo’s grandmother Amparo York worked and volunteered at the LAA since its beginning. His parents, siblings, and cousins have been long time volunteers and supporters. Eleven years ago, Trujillo’s mother Annie-York Trujillo received the award for Outstanding Community Leadership, Service and Commitment.

Currently Trujillo serves as the National Advisor of Leadership Development and Training at Catholic Relief Services (CRS), the official international relief aid and development agency of the U.S. Catholic church. For the past nine years he has traveled and seen the lifesaving work of the CRS in the Philippines, Burkina Faso, Mali, and Uganda. In 2018 he received the CEO Special Recognition Award. Trujillo holds dual degrees in public relations and political science from the University of Georgia and a master’s degree of business administration from Emory University’s Goizueta Business School. Motivated and inspired by the example of a loving family dedicated to the Christian values of charity and justice, Trujillo has volunteered in various capacities offering his time and talents to educational and charitable institutions to develop a better and more just society. He is a member of the Cathedral of Christ the King in Atlanta and enjoys spending time with family and friends, attending sporting events and concerts, and playing kickball and softball.

The Volunteer of the Year Award is given to the volunteer who has contributed tremendously to the LAA.

Stratton Frank, co-founder of the LAA, became involved in the LAA because of a letter in 1971 from founder Angel Ortiz, a DeKalb County Deputy Sheriff. Ortiz recognized the need for helping a rapidly growing Latino population and was seeking assistance to establish an office for this purpose. This was the beginning of a friendship, professional and personal, which would last many years. Frank and Ortiz worked together establishing an office and operations, including fundraising, staffing, board development, and programs. Frank is a lifetime member of the LAA board of directors and has chaired the board thrice. He was actively involved in the capital campaign for the construction for the LAA’s current Buford Highway home.

Stratton Frank worked at the U.S. Cuban Refugee Emergency Center in Miami for ten years as the administrative officer before transferring to the Atlanta office of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (US DHHS) in 1971. At the same time, a new federal advocacy program for Hispanics was underway known as the 16 Point Program/Hispanic Employment Program. Because of his successes, Frank was appointed full time regional Hispanic employment program manager with the US DHHS.

Frank co-founded the Atlanta Federal Hispanic Employment Program Manager’s Council and the Atlanta Hispanic Heritage Week celebrations. He advocated on behalf of the Latino community as a member of the Georgia State Committee, U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, and the United Way of Greater Atlanta. He chaired the scholarship fundraising committee for the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) Council 950 for 26 years, which raised over $600,000 for college scholarships for 788 Latino students.

Frank has received a number of awards for his federal EEO work on behalf of the Latino community, including the national U. S. Food and Drug Administration Equal Opportunity Achievement Award.

Frank retired in 1988 but remains actively involved in the community. He is a Korean War veteran, holds a BA in management from the George Washington University with postgraduate work at Purdue and Butler Universities, and is a graduate of Leadership Atlanta 1989. A native of Coral Gables, Florida, he is married to Isabel and has two daughters, a son, four grandsons, one granddaughter, and one great-grandson.

Thirty years ago, Maritza Morelli, emigrated from her native Venezuela to Atlanta, Georgia. She came to the United States motivated and determined to contribute in her new community. Thankfully for the city of Atlanta, Maritza has not missed a beat since her arrival. Her steadfast determination and intentional actions have helped to measurably improve the lives of countless Latino children, youth and adults. She has managed this vital work by building a cohesive, inclusive community. This community is centered around the nonprofit organization, Los Niños Primero.

Los Niños Primero serves underprivileged, low-income Latino children, youth and families. The organization provides year-round, educational and leadership support as well as a flourishing arts program. As Executive Director, Maritza has led the organization for the past twenty years. She has cultivated its growth from a single location serving 17 children to six locations serving more than 800 children, youth and adults. In January 2019, Maritza and Los Niños Primero were recognized with the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Award by the city of Sandy Springs. Under her leadership, the organization was also awarded in 2017 as the top nonprofit organization in Atlanta by Mundo Hispanico. In 2013, Georgia TESOL presented Maritza with the Public Service Award.

Prior to leading Los Niños Primero, Maritza Morelli earned her bachelor’s degree in special education and her master’s degree in child psychology. She has previously worked as an interpreter and in the public-school system as a bilingual liaison.

Maritza’s leadership has established Los Niños Primero as a trusted resource to Atlanta’s underserved Latino population. Her visionary and compassionate leadership has fostered a trust in the Latino immigrant community that benefits and serves all Atlanta residents by inspiring a more civically engaged, healthy, stable and educated populace. In her 20 years of leadership, she has touched the lives of more than 3,000
children and youth.