The Miguel A. Prieto Recognition Award is named after the founder and incorporator of Hispanic UMADAOP. This award recognizes and honors an individual for their outstanding contribution toward furthering the mission of Hispanic UMADAOP through their professional achievement and volunteer leadership. Hispanic UMADAOP is proud to present the Miguel A. Prieto Recognition Award to Ms. Nereida Diaz, OCPSA for her lifetime contribution, achievement, and volunteerism. In October 1982, Ms. Diaz embarked on her lifelong prevention journey, as a PACT Youth Advisor for Cleveland YWCA providing teen pregnancy prevention education. For the next 13 years, she would also serve as an AIDS Prevention Facilitator for Catholic Counseling Center and Project SAFE concentrating on Hispanic middle and high school students and adult female residents at the Mary Gooden Treatment Center. This experience brought her to the attention of Hispanic UMADAOP. Then, in August 1995, Ms. Diaz would bring her passion, commitment, and talent to Hispanic UMADAOP as a HIV/ AIDS Prevention Educator. This would be the genesis of a remarkable 21 year relationship between her and the Hispanic and greater community. Over the next 21 years, Ms. Diaz would become the cornerstone of the Hispanic Alcohol and Drug Prevention Program. As a Prevention Education Specialist, Ms. Diaz provided HIV testing, HIV/AIDS education, Alcohol other Drugs prevention, Character Development, and Information Dissemination services. For over two decades, she planted the “seeds of prevention” in over 10,000 youth and adults in schools, prisons, parks, shopping plazas, hospitals, churches, and community centers. But, most importantly, she was a Nereida Diaz OCPSA Hispanic UMADAOP
mentor who inspired individuals to become police officers, fire fighters, teachers, health aids, nurses, business owners, and responsible men and women. Many of whom, even to this date, affectionately refer to her as the “sex lady” or “drug lady”. Along the way, she deservingly received many accolades for her service and volunteerism from City of Cleveland, Cleveland Metropolitan School District, Northeast Pre-Release Center, Grafton Correctional Institute, Cleveland Learning Center, American Red Cross, and the Mid- West AIDS Hispanic Coalition. She was the founding member of the Ohio Hispanic Social Workers Organization and held leadership roles with the National Conference of Puerto Rican Woman, Michael Zone Recreation Center, Hispanic Mental Health Services Network, and the Cleveland Multi- Cultural Health Fair Committee. Hispanic UMADAOP and the Ohio UMADAOP Federation join in congratulating Ms. Nereida Diaz as the recipient of the 2016 Miguel A. Prieto Recognition Award.
Miguel A. Prieto Recognition award
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