Milpitas council recognizes community heroes

Vice mayor created awards to honor achievements at local level.

Business owners, gardeners and Rotarians were among those honored at the inaugural Milpitas Community Heroes recognition ceremony, held at city hall on June 11.

Vice Mayor Evelyn Chua launched the Community Heroes initiative after noticing that such awards were typically handed out by state-level politicians or organizations, and not by the city.

Chua’s goal was to allow each city councilmember to recommend an individual or group be recognized for their achievements, contributions to the community or a significant commemorative event or occasion in Milpitas.

Mayor Carmen Montano nominated Mariaelena Acevedo of Best Sandwiches on Main Street for her history of giving back to Milpitas residents. Acevedo regularly donates food to various groups and money to the Milpitas High School Boosters and St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, where she also volunteers.

Chua chose the Green Thumb Garden Club for its long history of raising funds to support charities in Milpitas and surrounding cities. The club, over 50 years old, continues to be very active, and its members volunteer at multiple special events.

In the 1950s and ’60s the club supported the gardens at Agnew’s State Hospital in Santa Clara. Since 1965, the club has participated to the Penny Pines program, a project run by the USDA Forest Service that restores national forests in California. Last year alone, the club donated six times to Penny Pines.

Councilmember Garry Barbadillo nominated the Rotary Club of Milpitas for their decades of programs, events and initiatives in Milpitas and around the world. True to their mission of “Service Above Self,” the Rotarians’ most recent event, “A Rose for You,” raised funds to promote awareness of and fight against human trafficking.

Hope for the Unhoused got the nod from councilmember Hon Lien for its advocacy for homeless Milpitas residents. Volunteers pack and deliver food to the unhoused, forming relationships and building trust. The nonprofit last year helped over three dozen residents find resources, services and permanent housing.

Marsha Grilli was recognized by councilmember Anthony Phan for advocating for children in the foster care system and championing mental health awareness and suicide prevention. Grilli serves as a court-appointed special advocate for foster youth in Santa Clara County and helps them navigate the court system. She co-spearheaded the city of Milpitas’ first Suicide Prevention Policy and was an original member of the Milpitas HOPE Suicide Prevention Community Task Force.