Anabel Barron Sanchez is a social worker, community leader, and organizer born in Guanajuato, Mexico. She is co-founder of the Lorain Ohio Immigrant Rights Association (LOIRA).

Throughout her career, Anabel has held key roles with organizations such as El Centro de Servicios Sociales, H&R Block, and the Lorain Metropolitan Housing Authority. She has managed extensive caseloads, guided clients through complex immigration processes, coordinated disaster relief efforts, and conducted public education on health and financial literacy. Her leadership and advocacy earned her several honors, including the Distinguished Hispanic Ohioan Award and the Bishop A.J. Quinn Justice Award.

Anabel’s expertise also extends to consular coordination, where she played a key role in organizing documentation services in partnership with the Mexican Consulate in Detroit, helping individuals obtain essential documents. Anabel’s ability to connect individuals with trusted institutions helped hundreds gain access to healthcare, housing, and legal services.

Anabel is passionate about bridging language and cultural gaps in public service. She also served as a FEMA crisis counselor and a United Way 211 Spanish operator, responding to urgent needs during times of crisis, including the COVID-19 pandemic and Hurricane Maria Relief.

Anabel's immigration advocacy is grounded in community leadership — serving as vice president of the Lorain Ohio Immigrant Rights Association (LOIRA) and working with Cleveland Jobs with Justice. Her efforts earned her the 2014 Reverend Bob Strommen Award and the 2021 Distinguished Hispanic Ohioan Award for her service on El Centro’s COVID-19 Care Team.

With a foundation in immigrant integration training and certifications from Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc., Anabel brings both heart and expertise to her mission of empowering and protecting immigrant families.