The Rotary Club of Northfield recently named Mar Valdecantos Rotary’s Good Neighbor
for 2019. The award goes each year to a non-Rotarian resident of Northfield School
District whose community work reflects Rotary’s commitment to “service above self.”
Mar is a tireless advocate for under-represented members of the community. She serves
as chair of Northfield Human Rights Commission, a member of the Governor’s Task
Force On Housing, a member of Northfield Affordable Housing Task Force and a radio
host for “El Super Barrio”, a local radio program on KYMN 95 The One produced for the Latino community.
Mar is a member of Neighbors United, a local organization dedicated to increasing the
visibility and empowerment of Northfield’s immigrant community. She has worked to
build bridges between recent arrivals and the larger Northfield community. She has
worked on the Municipal ID program among other collaborative work.
Mar, a trained sociologist, accepted the award on behalf of Neighbors United. She said it
takes a team effort to make things happen. “It’s never a one person deal,” she said.
Alyssa Herzog-Melby, a member of Rotary’s Good Neighbor selection committee, said
Mar Valdecantos is an outstanding example of a Northfielder who invests in her
community. “Her work embodies good neighbor and then some,” she said.
To learn more about Rotary, visit the club on Thursdays from 12:15 p.m. to 1:15 p.m. at
Northfield United Methodist Church or see their web site at: northfieldrotary.org.
