Good Vibes Only: El Paso family earns Volunteer Family Award, to be honored by governor next week
Rosemary Garcia
EL PASO, Texas (KVIA)—El Pasoans Oscar, Yolanda, and Adrian Cisneros will visit the Texas Governor’s Mansion next week to receive the Volunteer Family of the Year Award. For 18 years, the family has diligently volunteered to help improve the lives of others.
At the age of one, Oscar and Yolanda’s oldest son, Alex, was diagnosed with leukemia. He would spend the next few years of his life in and out of the hospital.
While he was hospitalized at Providence Children’s Hospital, Alex participated in the Creative Kids hospital art program. It’s a nationally recognized youth development organization that allows young people to thrive creatively and emotionally. The program offers art classes to children while they are hospitalized.
Yolanda said Alex deeply enjoyed the classes.
“He would say, ‘When I’m painting free, I’m free. I don’t have to remember if I’m at the hospital, if I have leukemia. I’m just free.”
During their time at the hospital, the family remembers the generosity and kindness of many volunteers, who overall improved their hospital experience.
At seven years old, Alex died, but despite his short life, he left a resounding impact. His family remembers him as a wise and meticulous child.
“Alex was an amazing kid. Everyone who knows Alex or who met Alex at that time fall in love with him. He was a magical kid,” said his mother.
His brother Adrian was only two years old when Alex died.
“Every recollection I have of him, he’s smiling. He’s always happy to be there. Even, like, in the stressful hospital, he was always running around. He made me like value that every day is another day,” he said.
The Cisneros decided to take their pain and grief and transform it into something good. The family decided to join Creative Kids as volunteers and give back to a cause close to their hearts.
Evwery week, the Cisneros help others process fear, experience moments of healing and rebuild confidence.
The family was recently nominated for the Governor’s Volunteer Awards. Andrea Gates-Ingle, the executive director and co-founder of Creative Kids, met the family over 20 years ago and she nominated them.
She said it is admirable to see the family continue to help others during times of grief.
“They could have easily just, you know, gone away and try to grieve on their own. But instead, they decided they wanted to honor Alex’s memory,” Gates-Ingle shared.
Earlier this year, the family learned they had been chosen as the recipients!
Yolanda was at the park when she received a phone call from Gates-Ingle, asking her to check her e-mail for the announcement.
“I was amazed. So I turned to my husband, and I said, ‘We got the award.’ He said, ‘No.’ And I’m like, ‘Yes.’ So we were just quiet. Just, it was a big surprise. We feel so special. My family, we were like us? because we don’t feel like we are doing something that extraordinary,” she said.
The Cisneros said they will continue to share Alex’s passion for art with others. They hope they can continue to carry Alex’s legacy.
“We decided to honor his name,” said Oscar Cisneros, Alex’s father, when asked why he volunteers.
“We decided to continue. We decided to honor Alex’s memory. So that’s what we’re trying to do,” Yolanda added.
A room at Creative Kids was also renamed in honor of Alex’s memory.
Forty-two recipients, including the Cisneros family, will be traveling to the governor’s mansion next week for a special reception at the Texas Governor’s Mansion.
The Governor’s Volunteer Awards serve as the state’s highest recognition for volunteer service.