Hispanic Heritage Month: Local (S)Heroes

Each September, we join YWCA USA in uplifting the cultures, histories, and contributions of Hispanic and Latine communities during Hispanic Heritage Month. In addition to the national and international figures celebrated by YW USA, we want to highlight the work Latine women are doing closer to home, in our state and in our community.

We want to recognize Norma Brown, Marisol Jiménez, Sonia Kay, Sarah Nuñez, and Angélica Wind. The work these folks do every day embodies our mission of eliminating racism, empowering women, and promoting peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all.

Norma Duran Brown

UNETE is a grassroots organization providing services and support to the WNC community through events, direct services, and workshops. Norma Duran Brown, JD, the founder and Executive Director of UNETE, has worked in rural Haywood County and in Buncombe County for nearly 25 years. Under Norma’s leadership, UNETE champions community-led change and has pioneered youth programs to nurture and mentor students. UNETE has trained over 35 Community Health Workers (CHW), collaborated with more than 70 organizations, and expanded CHW outreach throughout the region. 

Marisol Jiménez

Marisol Jiménez, MSW, founder of the Tepeyac Mountain Sanctuary and Co-Founder and Principal of Spiral Path Consulting, works to provide organizations with the resources, tools, and frameworks necessary to help them develop their capacity to advance equity. Marisol was recently awarded the NC Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers’ 2025 Myrna Miller Wellons Advocate of the Year Award. She was selected to receive this award because of her commitment to immigrant justice, racial equity, and her organization’s outreach to people in Western North Carolina impacted by Hurricane Helene. 

Sonia Kay

Sonia Kay, MSW, has dedicated over a decade to serving her community as a social worker, with a focus on supporting youth and families. Much of her work has centered on uplifting the Latine community, where she has built trusted relationships and created programs that strengthen resilience and opportunity. Sonia is a past coordinator of the YW’s MotherLove program, where she mentored young parents and their families. She currently serves on two boards close to her heart—one expanding access to higher education for Latine youth and another with United Way—where she advocates for equity, opportunity, and community-centered solutions.

Sarah Nuñez

Sarah Nuñez, PhD, is an educator, consultant, facilitator, and cultural organizer bringing traditional healing practices to individuals and organizations seeking transformative change. Sarah brings experience as a community organizer, professor, nonprofit executive, and personal coach to her work. She’s an entrepreneur and owner of Sarita’s Healing Hub and co-founder of Aflorar Herb Collective. Her aim is to support all people, but especially people of color, to thrive within institutions of learning, business, and service.

Angélica Wind

NC Counts is a coalition of organizations utilizing census advocacy as a strategy for providing resources and equitable representation across issue areas and demographics. Angélica Wind, JD, serves as Regional Director. Prior to working with NC Counts, Angélica was the Executive Director of Our VOICE. Angélica has received the National Sexual Violence Resource Center’s Visionary Voice Award for NC, and has been a William C. Friday Fellow for Human Relations and a WNC Nonprofit Pathways Leadership Fellow, and has served on the Governor’s Task Force for Racial Equity in Criminal Justice and the North Carolina Human Trafficking Commission.

We stand in awe of these powerful women as they work tirelessly to make WNC a stronger, more resilient, and just community.