OUR AMAZING PARK ADVISORS
Special thanks to these Friends of Sara J. González Park, without whose tireless guidance and dedication the park would not drive the impact that it does today.
Since 2018, Sofia Marie Aun has served as a leader and spokesperson for the park, first as the Director of Community Engagement and now as an advisor. In addition to helping drive the success of Winter Resource Fairs, food and Back to School distributions, Sofia led the creation of the Officer Edgar Flores Memorial Learning Garden, the first memorial to a fallen Latino police officer in Georgia and the first Latin ethnobotanical garden in Atlanta. The garden serves as the inspiration for Sprouting Readers Program in partnership with Emory University.
Community advocate, advisor and spokesperson Sandy Feliciano is the park’s current Director of Community Engagement. Among her many efforts, Sandy oversees twice annual plantings at the Officer Edgar Flores Memorial Learning Garden with the Flores family, leads partnership and volunteer engagement at the annual Back to School distributions, Winter Resource Fairs, and monthly food distributions, and contributes to the success of the Sprouting Readers through advocacy and awareness building.
Leading nonprofit and public relations executive, Liz Lapidus knew Sara J. González and supported the park during its visioning process with the community. Liz’s work has brought media and partners to the park including Helping Mamas and Second Helpings Atlanta along with other organizations and individual contributors to the monthly food distributions and annual Winter Resource Fairs.
It is thanks to development executive and community advocate Alisa Toney, that the food distributions and Winter Resource Fair now include critical medical screenings and interventions for a community that too often goes without. A long time friend of Sara J. González, Toney’s commitment to the park began during the visioning process and continues today through creative partnerships and ongoing support.
In support of the park’s tenet of inclusion, well-known Atlanta student advocate Elizabeth Wickland introduced powerful youth engagement activations at the park that centered on Black Lives Matter and Stop Asian Hate. Elizabeth continues to support the park through the Sprouting Readers program, which is now in its second full year, and through partnerships including the Brookwood Hills Garden Club.
