By ABBIE TANG Journal staff writer

Three years ago Roberto Villarroel came to the United States speaking little English, but with a desire to support his family back in Bolivia.

He has since received a leadership award, become president of the Culmore Worker's Center and given day laborers a strong voice in the community.

For the past two years, Villarroel, 48, has been working for the day laborer community in the Culmore neighborhood. He wanted justice in the workplace and respect from the community for his co-workers, he said.

Every morning, he joined hundreds of others from his neighborhood as they waited for work at a local convenience store.

"The management at the 7-Eleven thought we were a problem," Villarroel said through a translator. "They sent complaints to the police and many of the contractors were ticketed ... the ticketing had a really dramatic economic effect."

He said his co-workers did not have any kind of leadership and worked alone in the beginning.

"Once the police started to take action, they spurred us to organize more leadership," Villarroel said.

A leadership committee was organized, and a few months later, a formal meeting took place in August 2002 at St. Anthony's Catholic Church in Arlington. Local government officials, area institutions and day laborers were in attendance.

"After that meeting, a very respectful relationship with the [Mason District police] was developed," Villarroel said. "They understand that we have the capacity to speak and communicate with them, and are actually a group that can be worked with."

Fairfax County police officers from the Mason District station visit the 7-Eleven every day to assist the day laborers in their efforts to find work.

"Drivers and pedestrians used to call into the station thinking [the day laborers] were causing trouble," said Fairfax police Capt. Sharon Smith. "[Villarroel] has really built up a great alliance with the community."

Villarroel is working closely with the Virginia Justice Center, as well as the Fairfax County Chamber of Commerce and government to move forward and build an educational center in the area.

"My greatest hope is to build the center," Villarroel said. "I want the young people to have the opportunity to be educated and receive the training necessary to be qualified for the work force."

Villarroel was nominated for the Linowes Leadership Award through an anonymous network of spotters. The network looks for leaders who are making a difference in the region in unusual, creative ways and who reflect the community's diversity and have not been publicly recognized for their work.

Recipients receive a $1,000 unrestricted, individual grant and an additional $1,000 grant to be directed to the nonprofit organization of their choice. Villarroel chose to donate his grant to the Virginia Justice Center.

Villarroel received the award, presented by the Community Foundation for the National Capital Region, on June 10.