Mayra Loera

42, Program Manager for Client Services,

Esperanza Center

For years after moving from Mexico to New York in 1998, Mayra Loera struggled with many of the challenges that face economic immigrants to the U.S. – learning a new language, juggling jobs, never quite knowing whom to trust. Now her passion is helping others deal with such issues.

The Anne Arundel County resident heads a team that helps nearly 4,000 immigrants per year. Any given day can find her helping families with issues ranging from schools to health care to safety. “

“Every day is kind of crazy,” she says. “There’s always someone who needs help.”

Loera, a U.S. citizen and mother of two, says many clients are undocumented. That, she says, is because the legal process is prohibitively long for desperate people and requires applicants to supply evidence of wealth they don’t possess.

Loera served as a crucial liaison for the families of the six men who were killed in the Key Bridge collapse. Backed by a grant from Maryland Tough Baltimore Strong, she visited their homes, helped relatives fill out applications for financial support, organized travel for overseas relatives and attended funerals.

“It was not in any job description, but I think there’s a reason I was there,” says Loera, a lifelong churchgoer. “God has divine purposes.”

— Jonathan M. Pitts