1) What are you working on now—the change you are feeling the most urgency around making in the world through your organizing?
I am working with a team of organizers in Nevada to advocate for standards in recovery housing in the state. Through group and individual listening sessions, we identified one of the biggest barriers to recovery in Nevada is the lack of safe and inclusive recovery homes. Women and men shared a need for family housing. The LGBTQIA community shared a need for safety and inclusivity in housing. We are working together to identify changes needed in state legislation to ensure that our community has access to safe, standard-driven homes to support their recovery process.
2) If you could give a new organizer one piece of guidance, what would it be?
Trust yourself and lead with your heart. We can often get sidetracked by projects and strategy when it is the relationships that pull us through to the finish line. Take time to be just people with one another. Laugh, break bread, play music, share poetry. With each other, you have everything you need.
3) When times are tough, what is your go-to for getting “back on the bike?”
My go-to is to reach out for support from experienced organizers. When I’m feeling stuck or have experienced a loss or failure, it helps to call on my mentor and those who have done this work before me to keep me grounded. I ask for 15 minutes over zoom or a phone call to chat. It helps me realize I’m not alone and will live to fight another day.
4) What’s your favorite Wild moment?
My favorite Wild moment was when I watched a fellow organizer overcome her fear of performing in front of a crowd to play her instrument during our Growing a Beloved Community. It was then that I realized that oftentimes we get stuck in fear, that real organizing takes a bravery that only comes from the heart. Embracing that fear and allowing ourselves to be seen with others was a beautiful moment.
5) What’s a fun fact about you?
I’ve worked in a coal mine. Hard hat and steel-toed boots and all.
