Maria Luz Torre is a founding Community Organizer for Parent Voices San Francisco. A single mother of two, she came to the United States from the Philippines and applied for political asylum in 1992. A lawyer and environmental advocate  in the Philippines, a country with family and national support networks, Maria found herself in desperate need of childcare in order to work in the US.

In her tenure as an advocate and organizer, Maria has worked with thousands of parents to establish the credibility of Parent Voices San Francisco at the city and state levels. Now a familiar and respected voice in the field, Maria is often called by government leaders to testify in front of California’s state legislature to testify with parent leaders for quality affordable childcare for all.