2021 Hero in Family Homelessness – Ednil Dela Cruz

Congratulations to our nominees of the 2021 Hero in Family Homelessness Award!

All of the nominees were outstanding in the work they do – going above and beyond to help end family homeless in Orange County.

We are excited to announce that Ednil Dela Cruz is the 2021 recipient of the Award. Ednil works at Illumination Foundation, one of our Member agencies.

Andrew Castillo, Adnil’s supervisor, nominated her for this award. In response to the application, Andrew shared the following:

Ednil possesses so many special qualities that make her an inspirational person. She has a deep sense of empathy for others, is incredibly positive, has an unmatched level of integrity and grit, and truly gives all of herself with the goal of making a difference in the world. She has a natural ability to bring out the best in others.

Ednil exhibits going above and beyond for clients on a daily basis. She tirelessly advocates for our families, and her calm and focused demeanor during crisis situations makes her work seem effortless.

Ednil expresses humility in the sense that although she is an integral part of the team and clients’ success, she sees everything as shared success. She is a true humble team player. She is always willing to admit when she doesn’t know something and will ask questions. It is not often that you will meet someone who treats serving our community as an honor.

Ednil knows that her role in our agency allows her to set an example of what it means to strive towards building stronger communities, and that the foundation for stronger communities is through empowering our clients. This encourages clients to view themselves as active participants in their communities and to let go of the stereotypes and misconceptions that people often have about families experiencing homelessness.

Thank you, Ednil for your dedication and work to supporting families! You sound like a true hero to us!