PenFed Foundation to Honor Humanitarian and Community Heroes at Celebration of Service Gala
Renata Parras to receive Mary Boies Humanitarian Award for providing legal services to ensure safe future for Afghan women military allies
The PenFed Foundation, a national 501(c)3 founded by PenFed Credit Union, announces the humanitarian and community hero honorees for the 2024 Celebration of Service Gala. The event will bring together military heroes, business and community leaders at the Four Seasons Washington D.C. on May 9.
Renata Parras will receive The Mary Boies Humanitarian Award for providing legal services to ensure safe futures for Afghan women military allies. Parras partnered with other law firms to create a legal task force to ensure the safety and future of 43 members of an all-female tactical combat unit in Afghanistan who provided critical help to U.S. troops. These courageous Afghan women risked everything, including their families' safety and defied their culture to work side by side with U.S. troops and in the dangerous aftermath and evacuation to finally re-settle here in the United States. Her major pro bono effort has already surpassed $4 million to date and her work has been instrumental in 41 of the 43 Afghan women being granted asylum.
"I don't feel finished because all of the applications have not been granted," said Parras. "The women are not in the place we want them to be yet, but this has been one of the honors of a lifetime. We feel incredibly privileged and humbled to work alongside these women."
In 2021, Mary Boies was the founding donor of the Afghan Allies program that helped evacuate the women from Afghanistan and provide them and their families with housing, childcare, English lessons and more. She teamed up with Parras to assist the women in applying for immigration benefits and obtaining permanent legal status.
"Renata's tenacity and skill in navigating the asylum backlog for these brave Afghan women is the critical step in saving their lives and securing their safety and opportunity in America," said Boies.
The PenFed Foundation will also deliver three national community hero awards to veterans who are making a positive impact in their communities, including:
Carmen Rosario, first woman commander of The American Legion Puerto Rico and is a true advocate for our country's military veterans and fights for the rights and benefits owed to them.
Air Force Sergeant Michael Brennan served in the Middle East and witnessed significant trauma. He is the recipient of a Canine Companions service dog and is an advocate for the need for service dogs for veterans suffering from PTSD.
Erik Brine and Rob Raymond, founders of Operation Encore, help veteran and active-duty musicians take their music to the next level through artist development and studio time.
"The PenFed Foundation is thrilled to celebrate Renata, Carmen, Michael, Erik and Rob for their heroic work empowering veterans and saving lives," said PenFed Foundation President Andrea McCarren. "They are an inspiration and epitomize our mission of helping to ensure the transition of veterans from military service to success in their civilian lives."