Community remembers advocate by renaming Albuquerque center after her

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – City leaders, community members, and family all came together to celebrate a local advocate.

The Whittier Community Center, in southeast Albuquerque, was renamed the ReynaLuz Juarez Community Center.

Juarez wanted to help those in the International District find a sense of community and used Whittier as her home base connecting families to resources. To those who knew her, she was a humble woman who put others first, always.

“She was just always, always looking at how to build community, how to support community, how to bring people together. We didn’t always agree about how to do it, but we always tried to figure it out. Because at the end of the day, that was her goal, and the goal of many of us who worked with her,” said Enrique, a friend of Reynaluz Juarez.

Despite Renyaluz’s passing, friends and officials said she still had plans left to complete, and they will carry on her work.

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