Bio:
Mr. Pacheco has invested his life working and volunteering (since 2005 Barrios Unidos East Coast has not received formal funding) as the East coast Representative for Barrios Unidos, a youth violence prevention/intervention and community awareness organization. Barrios Unidos believes that by drawing upon the resources of adults and older youth that have made it out of the “street life,” youth are helped to choose life-affirming behavior, positive self-esteem, constructive goals, supportive community, and cultural pride. Mr. Pacheco worked as community Liaison for World Vision’s Community Mobilization Initiative (CMI). His role in World Vision helped the CMI Program attain the title of “Best Practices in Gang Prevention Program” highlighted in the study “Dare to Care – Community-Based Responses to Youth Gang Violence in Central America and Central American Immigrant Communities in the United States.” He most recently served in the nation’s capital at the Latin American Youth Center (LAYC) as Community Peace Mobilizer and Youth Leadership Coordinator, where he is most proud of encouraging and assisting youth to develop the Latino Youth Leadership Council and together as a family becoming published authors of the award-winning graphic novel, “Voces Sin Fronteras: Our Stories, Our Truth”. Mr. Pacheco believes that this youth & community-led movement and book are windows and mirrors to the beauty, purpose, and value of immigrants in the America we ought to be.