Angel Morales

Role: Vice SLA (State Lead Ambassador)

Hometown: Ponce, Puerto Rico

Years of volunteering: 2 with ACS CAN and 11 with ACS Puerto Rico (American Cancer Society Puerto Rico)

Angel is an outstanding volunteer and leader of ACS CAN in Puerto Rico. He is deeply committed to advocating for health equity, providing crucial representation to the Spanish-speaking community and working to improve conditions for cancer patients through legislative and educational initiatives.

How did you first get involved with ACS CAN and what was your motivation to participate?

One of my motivations to get involved is my father. My father is a prostate cancer survivor, and learning about cancer from that perspective is life-changing. Becoming a caregiver makes me understand the difficulties a cancer patient goes through. 

After a local initiative where we visited the municipal legislatures, I learned about ACS CAN. I was asked to be the ACT Lead for Puerto Rico to talk with our representative in the U.S. Congress. 

How did you feel after that first meeting with a legislator?

I was highly motivated to make our voices heard. We were able to exchange local and federal concerns. I found that communication very effective because I understood our responsibility in representing the community with and without cancer.

Can you describe a memorable moment or experience from your time as a volunteer?

One of the most memorable moments was in April this year when I participated in the SLA Summit [where I was able to] exchange ideas, strategies, thoughts and experiences with different people from all over the world. The mix of cultures is very impressive, especially when I mentioned the importance of speaking our language (Spanish). There is a large Spanish-speaking community that needs to be heard. 

If someone said to you: "I'm not a political person, why should I get involved?", what would your answer be?

We must educate the community that ACS CAN does not belong to or represent a political party or ideology. Anyone can join and we have the opportunity to impact different communities. You don't have to know anything about the laws or be involved in politics. Speaking of myself, I studied Chemical Engineering (which has nothing to do with legislation), and I have been able to adapt to everything. It is very important to specify that everyone can be part of ACS CAN. 

What kinds of things do you do as an ACS CAN volunteer? 

ACS CAN gives us the opportunity to educate other volunteers and explain to them the importance of what we do. As volunteers, we can impact lives with the legislation we propose, as it has a direct impact on cancer patients. In turn, we can carry a message of prevention and early detection since time can be our best ally or our worst enemy. 

Any final thoughts?

I would love to continue promoting ACS CAN initiatives in Puerto Rico. The entire Puerto Rican community must understand what we do, but for that, we need more volunteers to play different roles with the skills and abilities they have. What we do is great, but we must continue impacting every corner of the island to continue saving lives.