This year Gloria Martínez received the Artista Activista (Activist Artist) award from the 2020 Latino Talent Awards from Latinos En Michigan TV.
Gloria is not only a woman dedicated to the Detroit community, but she is also a consecrated artist. She is the daughter of Mexican parents, and she was born in Fowler, California.
Since 1995, Gloria has lived in Detroit and began her service in the community, supporting parents in local schools, during the time her daughter Gloria Janik began attending school at Webster Elementary.
Subsequently, she had the opportunity to work as the director of All Saints Soup Kitchen and Food pantry, helping to give food to the homeless and also giving moral support, which led her to organize the 12-step program that later served for the recovery of many of the people who participated in that program.
At St. Gabriel Catholic Church, she helped a group of women called «Friends of Jesus,» organized Bible studies, and created a 12-step group for family members of addicts.
In 2009, Gloria together with Sister Consuelo Alcalá organized conferences for Latin women in the Archdiocese of Detroit and this year they had the opportunity to do the 13th women’s conference in Spanish.
In the heart of Southwest Detroit, Gloria is part of a group of women who currently have a Latino Women’s Empowerment Center known as “LaWec”, which supports in mind, body and spirit and also empowers women who are survivors of domestic violence or other crimes.
Gloria is also a talented painter, who helps many women through her painting classes to get to know themselves, understand their own needs, value their self-esteem and discover their purpose in life.
Apart from being an activist artist, Gloria is also an entrepreneur and together with Ana Ciprés organizes Christian Concerts and self-improvement events. And additionally she works with her nieces Claribel Harry and Cristina Andrade at Glam Queen Beautique, a spa that specializes in the outer and inner beauty of women.
That’s why this year, Latinos En Michigan TV presented the Activist Artist award from the Latino Talent Awards to Gloria Martínez.
