Moulton Honors Lynn’s Carlos Prudencio With Peter J. Gomes Service Award
SALEM, Mass. — Carlos Prudencio, a senior at Lynn English High School, was honored with the Peter J. Gomes Service Award by Congressman Seth Moulton (D-MA) during a digital ceremony today.
“Reverend Gomes was my mentor and my friend,” said Rep. Moulton. “His example inspired my own journey to serve in the Marines and later as a Member of Congress. Carlos received the Gomes Service Award for his work helping others and leading change in Lynn. He embodies the values that Reverend Gomes instilled in me: integrity, compassion, and a commitment to service others.”
Moulton created the award in 2016 in memory of Rev. Prof. Peter J. Gomes, his mentor and the minister of Harvard’s Memorial Church. More details about the award, as well as a list of past winners, can be found online.
Background
The recipient of the 2020 Rev. Peter J. Gomes Service Award is Carlos Prudencio.
Carlos was supported for the Peter Gomes Service Award by his mentor at Beyond Walls, Al Wilson, for his efforts distribute meals during the pandemic and leading racial justice initiatives in Lynn.
Throughout the pandemic, Carlos, 16, has been volunteering at the Salvation Army in Lynn to help distribute meals to families in need.
He has championed expanding the K-12 curriculum in Lynn to include human rights values of respect, compassion, and love. Together with the Human Rights Commission in Lynn, Carlos has garnered support for the initiative.
Carlos and a friend from school, Damianny Garrido, are leading a petition for a Black Lives Matter mural in downtown Lynn.
The finalists for the 2020 Rev. Peter J. Gomes Service Award were:
- Elizabeth Lopez - A Lynn based volunteer who redoubled her service distributing meals to families in need during the coronavirus pandemic. Elizabeth is a fixture of charitable efforts in Lynn, having participated in numerous clean-up campaigns, food security initiatives, and community programs.
- Elizabeth Pettis - The Executive Director at the Salisbury Council on Aging for the last 13 years, Elizabeth’s long-running dedication to ending senior isolation has proved invaluable during the pandemic. She remains accessible and receptive to individual seniors’ needs, even while organizing community building programs, classes, and other social events.
- Joyce Deliyiannis - Joyce founded Help Me Help Someone Inc. (HELPIS), a social network of charitable and kind acts in Burlington, when working as a hairdresser for a client who could not afford their haircut. In waiving the cost of the haircut, the client agreed to cook meals for people leaving a nearby clinic. The initiative has grown to inspire thousands of acts of kindness in recent years.
- Vickie Mata - A case manager with the Lynn Shelter Association, Vickie is dedicated to addressing the needs of program guests. Her work helps guests find housing, healthcare, and job resources. Although she was an outstanding case manager before the pandemic, she has gone above and beyond in recent months to support people displaced from shelter during the pandemic.
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