Jorge Muñoz (Colombian politician)

Muñoz has been called a real life angel due to his commitment to help others by daily cooking and offering free hot meals to hungry people in Queens, New York.{{cite web|title = An Angel In Queens, New York: School Bus Driver Responsible For 70,000 Hot Meals And Counting...(Video)|url = http://blog.goinspirego.com/2009/07/an-angel-in-queens-new-york-school-bus.html|access-date = September 1, 2015|author = Toan Lam|date = July 30, 2009}} In 2004, Muñoz began his philanthropic labour, when he realized that large amounts of food were thrown away at some places. Initially, he collected food from local businesses and handed out meals to underprivileged people three nights a week. As time passed by, his mother and sister, and some friends, joined him in this endeavor, and then he could start to offer food on a daily basis. Muñoz invests a large part of his salary to support his philanthropic activities, and sometimes receives donations from third parties.{{cite web|title=The work of angels|url=http://www.aarp.org/giving-back/volunteering/info-10-2009/The_Work_of_Angels.2.html|access-date=6 February 2014|author=Elizabeth Llorente-AARP VIVA|date=October 2009|archive-date=28 February 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140228030209/http://www.aarp.org/giving-back/volunteering/info-10-2009/The_Work_of_Angels.2.html|url-status=dead}}

In 2006, Muñoz directed his efforts into the creation of the An Angel in Queens Foundation, a non-profit institution that targets the problem of hunger in the less privileged in the city of New York.{{cite web|title=About us|url=http://www.anangelinqueens.com|access-date=6 February 2014|author=An Angel in Queens Foundation|year= 2014}}

Muñoz himself acknowledges that his altruistic activities became of public knowledge after his story was published by the New York Times.{{cite web|title=Un ángel pereirano|url=http://www.semana.com/nacion/articulo/un-angel-pereirano/120413-3|access-date=6 February 2014|author=Luis Ángel Murcia - Semana Magazine|date=11 August 2010|language=es}} Afterwards, the exposure of his philanthropic work allowed him to be one of the recipients of the CNN heroes tribute, as he classified in the Top 10 heroes of 2009.{{cite web|title=Jorge Muñoz, El Ángel de Queens |url=http://www.eluniversal.com.co/suplementos/facetas/jorge-munoz-"el-angel-de-queens"|access-date=6 February 2014|author=Gustavo Tatis Guerra - El Universal Newspaper|date=5 September 2010|language=es}} Later on, in 2010, people in the United States nominated him, along with other 6000 nominees, to be the recipient of the Presidential Citizens Medal. He was awarded one of the 13 medals.{{cite web|title=Jorge Muñoz. El ángel de Queens "Héroe Colombiano"|url=http://www.somoscolombianos.com/mundo/jorge-munoz-el-angel-de-queens-heroe-colombiano/|access-date=6 February 2014|author=Lorena - Somos Colombianos|date=24 May 2013|language=es}} In 2012, Muñoz was presented the Order of the Congress of Colombia in the Degree of Knight by the Senate of Colombia, as a recognition of his philanthropic efforts to help the Latin immigrants of New York City.{{cite web|title=Condecoran al 'Ángel de Queens'|url=http://www.latarde.com/historico/61562-condecoran-al-angel-de-queens|access-date=7 February 2014|author=La Tarde Newspaper|date=7 June 2012|language=es|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140222035555/http://www.latarde.com/historico/61562-condecoran-al-angel-de-queens|archive-date=22 February 2014}} In the same year, Muñoz was acknowledged as one of the 100 most outstanding Colombian expatriates by Marca Colombia and Fusionarte, during a ceremony held at the Casa de Nariño, in company of the President Juan Manuel Santos.{{cite web|title=100 Colombianos (1a Edición)|url=http://100latinos.com/cien/emigrantes/100-colombianos-1a-edicion/|access-date=7 February 2014|author=Fusionarte|date=December 2012|language=es|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140223024236/http://100latinos.com/cien/emigrantes/100-colombianos-1a-edicion/|archive-date=23 February 2014}}{{cite web|title=Siete pereiranos, entre los 100 colombianos más destacados|url=http://www.latarde.com/noticias/pereira/105344-siete-pereiranos-entre-los-100-colombianos-mas-destacados|access-date=7 February 2014|author=La Tarde Newspaper|date=8 December 2012|language=es|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140222035750/http://www.latarde.com/noticias/pereira/105344-siete-pereiranos-entre-los-100-colombianos-mas-destacados|archive-date=22 February 2014}} Muñoz has received, among other acknowledgments and distinctions, the distinction for being an exemplary human being due to his outstanding moral values{{cite web|title=En emotivo acto ASAMBLEA DEPARTAMENTAL reconoció labor del 'Héroe´ y 'Ángel de Qeens´ JORGE MUÑOZ Homenaje al hombre que alimenta a los necesitados en Estados Unidos.|url=http://www.valledelcauca.gov.co/asamblea/publicaciones.php?id=12887|access-date=7 February 2014|author=Gobernación del Valle del Cauca|date=9 August 2010|language=es|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140222063524/http://www.valledelcauca.gov.co/asamblea/publicaciones.php?id=12887|archive-date=22 February 2014}} by the Assembly of the Valle del Cauca Department, and the decoration for his humanitarian labour in the United States and the bestowing with the Freedom of the city{{cite web|title=Alcaldía y Concejo condecoran a Jorge Muñoz "Un ángel en Queens"|url=http://eje21.com.co/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=26262&Itemid=2|access-date=7 February 2014|author=Eje 21 Magazine|date=26 August 2010|language=es}} by the Mayorship and the City Council of Manizales.{{cite web|title=Arranca a diario unas 170 sonrisas|url=http://archivo.lapatria.com/story/arranca-diario-unas-170-sonrisas|access-date=7 February 2014|author=La Patria Newspaper|date=4 September 2010|language=es|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140222132848/http://archivo.lapatria.com/story/arranca-diario-unas-170-sonrisas|archive-date=22 February 2014}}

Jorge Muñoz was candidate of the Independent Movement of Absolute Renovation to the Chamber of Representatives of Colombia in 2010, when he ran for Representative of the Colombian expatriates. He obtained second place in the elections thanks to 8.197 votes.{{cite web|title=ACTA DE ESCRUTINIO DE LOS VOTOS PARA LA CÁMARA|url=http://www.registraduria.gov.co/elec2010/e26/camara/E-26_CAMARA_consulados.pdf|access-date=4 April 2011|author=Registraduría Nacional del Estado Civil|author-link=National Civil Registry (Colombia)|date=14 April 2010|language=es|archive-date=22 February 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140222031544/http://www.registraduria.gov.co/elec2010/e26/camara/E-26_CAMARA_consulados.pdf|url-status=dead}} Muñoz was once again running for Representative of the Colombian expatriates for the 2014 Colombian parliamentary election, but that time he was the leader of the list of candidates of the MIRA movement to the Chamber of representatives for the Colombian expatriates constituency.{{cite web|title=MIRA le madruga a las elecciones del 2014|url=http://www.movimientomira.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3739:mira-le-madruga-a-las-elecciones-del-2014&catid=242:estados-unidos&Itemid=1120|access-date=4 April 2011|author=Independent Movement of Absolute Renovation|date=18 January 2011|language=es}}{{cite web|title=Candidatos a la Cámara por los colombianos en el exterior|url=http://candidatos.movimientomira.com/candidatos/groups/viewmembers?groupid=32|access-date=6 February 2014|author=Independent Movement of Absolute Renovation|date=January 2014|language=es|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140222174122/http://candidatos.movimientomira.com/candidatos/groups/viewmembers?groupid=32|archive-date=22 February 2014}}

Jorge Muñoz was appointed temporary Congressman from September to December 2015 in replacement of Congresswoman Ana Paola Agudelo García.{{cite web|title=Representante a la Cámara Jorge Muñoz Zapata|url=http://congresovisible.org/congresistas/perfil/jorge-munoz-zapata/8775/|access-date=20 November 2015|author=Congreso Visible|date=20 November 2015|language=es|archive-date=20 November 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151120170314/http://www.congresovisible.org/congresistas/perfil/jorge-munoz-zapata/8775/|url-status=dead}}{{cite AV media | people = Chamber of Representatives of Colombia | title = Posesión Jorge Muñoz en la Cámara de Representantes del Congreso de Colombia | medium = Youtube website | publisher = Jorge Muñoz Youtube channel | location = Bogotá, Colombia | date = 2015-09-28 | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDaDrHxCRl8 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211220/SDaDrHxCRl8 |archive-date=2021-12-20 |url-status=live|language=es }}{{cbignore}}

Muñoz was born in Colombia to a humble family. When he was in his late teens, his father died in an accident and due to a difficult economic situation, his mother traveled to New York in search for a better future.{{cite web|title=Jorge Munoz: An inspiration|url=http://mindblowingfacts.org/2013/07/jorge-muoz-an-inspiration/|access-date=6 February 2014|author=Mind blowing facts|date= 4 July 2013}} Muñoz followed his mother, moving to New York to find work to support the family, obtaining legal residency in 1987, and later becoming a citizen, along with his mother and sister. Muñoz works as a school bus driver. Muñoz is a member of the Church of God Ministry of Jesus Christ International.{{cite web|title=15 minutos con Jorge Muñoz Zapata|trans-title=15 minutes with Jorge Muñoz Zapata|first=Jose|last=Rey|date=26 February 2014|access-date=9 February 2019|publisher=Magazine Latino|url=https://www.magazinelatino.com/15-minutos-con-jorge-munoz-zapata/|language=es}}

{{Reflist|1}}

• [http://video.nytimes.com/video/2007/11/21/nyregion/1194817108239/an-angel-in-queens.html NY Times Video: An Angel in Queens] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100314044552/http://video.nytimes.com/video/2007/11/21/nyregion/1194817108239/an-angel-in-queens.html |date=2010-03-14 }}
• [http://us.cnn.com/video/?/video/living/2009/11/25/cnnheroes.munoz.tribute.cnn CNN Heroes: A Guardian Angel for the Hungry]
• [http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/08/04/citizens.medal/ Obama honors CNN Hero who cooks meals for homeless people]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Munoz, Jorge}}

Category:1964 births

Category:Colombian emigrants to the United States

Category:Independent Movement of Absolute Renovation politicians

Category:Living people

Category:Members of the Chamber of Representatives of Colombia

Category:People from Palmira, Valle del Cauca

Category:People from Valle del Cauca Department

Category:Presidential Citizens Medal recipients

Category:American politicians of Colombian descent

Category:American Pentecostals

Category:Colombian Pentecostals

Category:Members of the Church of God Ministry of Jesus Christ International