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Happy 2021! After a short hiatus away, Pa'delante is back! It's less than two months into the New Year, and already so much has happened. For today, we share with you a message for the year. Inspired by the young and powerful Black poet, Amanda Gorman, we start with an excerpt from a poem by another wonderful poet. 

In January 2021, IFR's new Executive Director Gloria Romero facilitated her first all-staff meeting with all of us. To welcome and support her, our wonderful coworker, Lorena De la Rosa dedicated the poem "Awaken" by Naima Penniman PO-E-TREE to Gloria. The message was so powerful, Pa'delante wanted to energize you with part of this beautiful poem:

"...we were born right now
for a reason
we can be whatever
we give ourselves the power to be

and right now we need
day dreamers
gate keepers
bridge builders
soul speakers
web weavers
light bearers
food growers
wound healers
trail blazers
truth sayers
life lovers
peace makers

give what you most deeply desire
to give
every moment you are choosing to live
or you are waiting

why would a flower hesitate to open?
now is the only moment
rain drop let go
become the ocean

possibility is as wide
as the space
we create
to hold it"

May we all - together - create a space as wide as the skies in 2021. 

¡Pa’delante!