Mario Villanueva likes to keep his faith in mind when providing affordable housing and education to farm workers.

"The Good Samaritan stopped (for the wounded man) because he was compelled to stop," Villanueva said. "It's our responsibility as humans,
as people of God."

The 56-year-old Villanueva was one of three people in the state to receive a Golden Tennis Shoe Award late last month from Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash.

Murray is known as "the mom in tennis shoes" because of her rise from obscurity and support for the underdog. She created the annual awards to honor those who have improved the lives of Washington residents in need.

Villanueva has been the director of the Diocese of Yakima Housing Services since 2000, and created the Raices Corporation three years ago to address the "roots," or common concerns, of farm workers, first-time home-buyers, seniors and other low-income families throughout Central Washington.

"(Villanueva) really embodies the spirit of the award," said Murray's campaign director, Carol Albert. "He has been giving a voice to low-income families and communities that are marginalized."

Villanueva said there are more than 190,000 farm workers in the state, most of whom are concentrated in Yakima County.

Since 2000, Villanueva has helped the Diocese of Yakima build 360 affordable housing units for farm workers in 10 different communities.

Villanueva was born into migrant farm worker housing in Outlook. He often had to help his parents work the fields, so his eyes were opened to the many problems farm workers face at a very young age.

"A lot of people employed in agriculture don't make a lot of money," he said. "It's just the nature of the work."

Farm working is seasonal, meaning there are periods of time when certain crops aren't being harvested. Many farm workers find themselves out of work or receiving low wages. As a result, they cannot afford decent housing, and additional problems arise.

"Bad housing means bad health, especially for children," Villanueva said. "If you go to a home that's drafty, cold, moldy and isn't sufficiently warm, it just gets kids sick again. It also affects self-image. Their self-esteem isn't what it should be."

Overcrowding is also a problem because multiple families have to share a small living space to be able to afford the rent. Villanueva said he once found 30 people living in a basement, each paying $100 per month.

He said he couldn't stand the sight of farm workers camping on the river and living in cars, garages and storage units. He felt he had a duty to help these people.

Ministry of Management is an umbrella program he created with Diocese of Yakima that gives people the necessary tools to help themselves.

Villanueva and his staff connect farm workers to services such as English language courses, home-buyer education and other civics instruction. He said it's better in the long term to get people involved in the solution to a problem, rather than solving the problem for them.

Villanueva said his faith has largely paved the way for his work.

"I try to live right; I try to live for God," he said.

He said he believes a society should be judged by the quality of life of the least privileged.

Before he decided to devote his time toward helping others, Villanueva attended the University of Washington as an art major.

He quickly realized his destiny actually lay in construction, so he left to become a journeyman carpenter. After working for several years in a labor union, he started his own construction business where he worked for 30 years.

But Villanueva hasn't lost his artistic flare. He continues to play the guitar, sing and record music.

He also said the two sides of his brain sometimes come together. He often uses his creative expertise when trying to determine the best way to improve the lives of his neighbors.

"It's our responsibility to provide resources," Villanueva said. "If we can, then we need to."