Mosqueda awards Martin Luther King Jr. Medal of Distinguished Service to Roxana Pardo Garcia

June 11, 2024

King County Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda on Tuesday awarded Roxana Pardo Garcia with the Martin Luther King Jr. Medal of Distinguished Service, an award that recognizes individuals whose work has answered the question asked by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., “What are you doing for others?”

“It would be easy to call Alimentando al Pueblo a food bank that provides culturally appropriate food in the Burien area that helps people meet their needs while feeling included. Which they do as the only Latinx food system in the nation,” Mosqueda said. “But what Roxana and her team does is so much more than just meet those pressing needs. They do the hard work of empowering those they serve, helping to build not just community but also capacity for folks to decide what it is that they need and how they are going to achieve it.”

Pardo Garcia, aka La Roxay, is a self-identifying Hood Intellectual Xingona who was born and raised on occupied Coast Salish Territory. Roxana is the Certified Xingona, Founder, and Cultural Worker of two small businesses, La Roxay Productions and Hood Intellectual Xingona. She is also the Co-Founder and Executive Director of Alimentando al Pueblo, a nonprofit that won a 2022 MOHAI Everyday Hero Award.

She is a graduate of Highline High School, the University of Washington, and forever a student of these streets and life. She was named 2016 Entre Hermanos Activist of the Year, 2020 Seattle Times Local Heroes, 2021 Burien Citizen of the Year and a Seattle Kraken Hero of the Deep in 2023.

This marks the ninth year that councilmembers have each selected someone from their district whose work embodies the spirit of King’s question.

What the community is saying:

Lina Thompson, Senior Pastor at Lake Burien Presbyterian Church: “It has been Lake Burien Presbyterian Church’s great privilege to be the host site for Alimentando al Pueblo the past 4 years. Roxana’ s leadership is visionary, it is healing, it is filled with joy and it is transformational.  

“Her leadership has had a significant impact on the way we see our own work as a faith community - giving us another place to partner in the work of justice across barriers that might otherwise prevent that. This is the Spirit of Dr. King’s work.” 

Aretha Basu, Political Director of Puget Sound Sage: “Roxana is someone who knows what it means to be in true service of community. She walks the walk and provides critical resources to folks in Burien and the larger Puget sound. Her over 10 years of organizing are a testament to how this work truly comes from her heart. Roxana sees a need and fills it with brilliance, power, and community. From the cultural events she puts on through La Roxay productions that provide BIPOC communities members with fun spaces to truly be their whole selves to the frontline work of Alimentando al Pueblo. Roxana is an iconic embodiment of an organizer, leader, and vibe curator.”

Hugo Garcia, Burien City Councilmember: “Roxana’s unwavering dedication and profound compassion have transformed lives within our Burien and South King County Latinx community. Through the establishment of Alimentando al Pueblo, she has not only provided nourishment but also hope, dignity, and power to countless families. Her leadership is a beacon of inspiration, showcasing the extraordinary impact one individual can have empowering folx.”