Organization Wins Collaborative Spirit Award; Colón-Rivera Recognized with Courage to Act Award for Transformative Leadership
SAN JOSE, CA / ACCESS Newswire / November 6, 2025 / The Sunday Friends Foundation and its Executive Director, Tatiana Colón-Rivera, were honored at the 2025 Women's Leadership & Policy Summit for pioneering a movement that empowers working families, especially single mothers, to achieve long-term financial stability and dignity. The organization received the Collaborative Spirit Award, while Colón-Rivera earned the Courage to Act Award for her bold leadership and innovative vision.
Founded in 1997, Sunday Friends is redefining what poverty alleviation looks like in Silicon Valley. Its family-centered model replaces cycles of dependency with education, entrepreneurship, and empowerment. In 2024 alone, the organization distributed 112,000 pounds of food, 21,000 essential items, and $110,000 in household supplies, while hosting more than 150 education and wellness workshops that reached 5,600+ participants across Santa Clara County.
At the heart of this transformation is the Dream.Build.Mentor. (DBM) Lab, Silicon Valley's first-ever family business accelerator, was developed with Santa Clara University's My Own Business Institute (MOBI). The program trains parents and teens to launch micro-enterprises that build assets and confidence. To date, 28 families have graduated, launching 30 family-run businesses, from catering services to creative studios, turning aspirations into sustainable livelihoods.
"Dream.Build.Mentor. was born from listening. We asked families what would truly help them build stability - and then we made it happen. DBM is a reflection of our community's wisdom and determination, more than a reflection of Sunday Friends. It's proof that when we listen deeply, people show us exactly what's possible." - Tatiana Colón-Rivera, Executive Director, Sunday Friends
Under Colón-Rivera's leadership, Sunday Friends also launched the Inside Poverty Panel and the Silicon Valley Kindness Awards, bringing together policymakers, businesses, and universities to address systemic inequities and inspire collective action.
"Tatiana's vision has elevated Sunday Friends from a service organization into a movement of empowerment," said Janis Baron, Founder of Sunday Friends Foundation. "Her ability to turn compassion into measurable change is inspiring a new generation of community leadership."
The 2025 Women's Leadership & Policy Summit, hosted by Supervisor Betty Duong (Santa Clara County District 2) and the Valley Health Foundation at San José State University, drew more than 1,200 attendees under the theme "Fierce Futures: Rising Together."
About Sunday Friends Foundation
Sunday Friends helps families break the cycle of poverty and achieve health equity through education, wellness, entrepreneurship, and community engagement. Nearly half of its staff are former program participants, creating a leadership pipeline rooted in lived experience, equity, and trust. To learn more about Sunday Friends and its mission to help families thrive through dignity and opportunity, visit www.sundayfriends.org.
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Media Contact:
Caroline Ocampo, Communications Consultant, caroline.s.ocampo@gmail.com
Sunday Friends Foundation | www.sundayfriends.org
Contact Information
Caroline Ocampo
Communications Consultant
caroline.s.ocampo@gmail.com
SOURCE: Sunday Friends Foundation
View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire:
https://www.accessnewswire.com/newsroom/en/education/tatiana-col%c3%b3n-rivera-and-sunday-friends-foundation-lead-silicon-valley-movement-to-break-1097871
