Public Memorial this Friday, Oct. 3, for Dr. Dionicio Morales, Founder of Mexican American Opportunity Foundation

A memorial will be held in Los Angeles this Friday for Dr. Dionicio Morales, who ran a non-profit from his garage that would grow to become the nation's largest Latino-based nonprofit organization, the Mexican American Opportunity Foundation(MAOF). Dr. Morales died September 24 at the age of 89 in Montebello, CA from kidney failure.

The public memorial will be held Friday, October 3, at 9 a.m. at the Los Angeles Cathedral, 555 West Temple Street, Los Angeles.

As we mourn this tremendous loss, I joined with the Los Angeles City Council to adjourn today's meeting in loving memory of Dr. Morales.

Known throughout the Latino community as an "urban Cesar Chavez," Dr. Morales engaged in several causes to protect his fellow Latinos. After graduating from U.C. Santa Barbara, Dr. Morales began his career fighting on behalf of farm workers during the bracero era, when Mexicans were allowed to work in the United States about the time of World War II.

In 1963, he founded MAOF, which provides Los Angeles area residents with early-education programs, senior programs, food banks, and job training.
The Montebello-based non-profit serves more than 100,000 Californians annually in seven counties.

When asked how he could work with Democrats, Republicans, Mexican and American politicians, Dr. Morales would reply: "My dear friend, I have only one political party, 'The Brotherhood of Man,' and one agenda, 'Equality and Justice For All.'"

We are truly blessed with Dr. Morales' works, wisdom and words that will guide us for generations to come.

In lieu of flowers, the Morales family has requested donations be made to the Dionicio Morales Destiny Fund, 1317 Del Norte Road, Suite 150, Camarillo, CA 93010.