Esther, 23, has been living in the Walla Walla area for the last two years. She attends Walla Walla University and is 10 months away from graduating with a degree in Strategic Communication. Through her work with the Anchor Community Initiative (ACI) and Mockingbird Society, Esther is a strong advocate for positive change in the foster care and youth homelessness systems in Washington State. She was kind enough to spare some of her time between school and work to share her experiences with being a young leader in her community in an interview with Azia Ruff.
How long have you been involved in the ACI? What has your involvement looked like over time?
I was introduced to the ACI a year and a half ago, shortly after moving to the Walla Walla area. I reached out to Sam Jackle, the ACI Coordinator in Walla Walla. I was actually looking for an internship at the time but it ended up turning into something more-- something greater-- which has led me to where I am today as a young leader in the ACI.
I’m a member of Walla Walla’s Core Team and have attended their meetings throughout this time. Twice a month we gather to talk about our plan to end YYA homelessness in our area, discussing the reasons we must do this work; looking at data to identify problems and solutions and track the impact of the changes we make. We’ve created a space where our group can be honest and vulnerable with each other whether we’re talking out systemic issues or our own personal problems.
I also attend the monthly Youth Action Board (YAB) meetings for the ACI. The YAB is a space for young people with experiences of being homeless to gather and offer guidance to the Core Team. In our meetings we talk about our own ideas of what it would take to end youth homelessness; we get to this vision by sharing our personal experiences, naming the areas of improvement and coming up with solutions that service providers can test. Similar to the Core Team, it’s important that the YAB is somewhere that people can be vulnerable with others and show up as their true selves. My time on the YAB has been pivotal for me to learn from others.
There are trainings and gatherings I attend that allow me to talk to people across the state about solving YYA homelessness in Washington. I’ve been involved with a variety of programs, and heard so many stories and experiences through the ACI. This work has been rewarding to me because it’s work that I can be myself and talk with others about important things.
You’ve been helping lead Youth Action Board meetings in Walla Walla. What does that look like?
In YAB meetings I offer my own ideas about what can be changed in order to end youth homelessness, of course. Another thing I do is lead a part of the meeting where we let participants know that this is a safe space: one where you can talk about what you’re going through, where you can be as authentically “you” as possible. We make sure to emphasize this in every meeting.
In these meetings I’m learning others’ experiences, really listening to them and being with them in their pain. These people are -- getting up each day despite being on the streets is a testament to that-- but that doesn't take away from the fact that going through homelessness is HARD.
Something that I’m working on as I get to know more people in the community is inviting more young people to the YAB. An important aspect of this work is having participation from many young people. The more the merrier.
What kinds of things have older adults in this work done to support your leadership?
Sam has been such a great support system to me. She makes sure that I know that I can reach out to her, does her best to tell me about the resources she knows and answers the questions that I have about the work.
In February I wrote an article in the Union-Bulletin, “We Can All Use Our Voice to End Racism and Homelessness.” Tim Meliah was a cheerleader for me. In fact, he was the one that supported getting my article published in the Union-Bulletin.
The ACI Team has been so understanding with me, even when I’m showing up on a bad day. Again, this work and my team allow me to show up authentically and that helps me to be successful in doing this work.
What motivates you to do this work?
Having personally experienced foster care and homelessness gives me the drive and the passion to do this work in my community. It’s because of this, that even when there are roadblocks, I’m still determined to solve issues that harm young people and to make a platform for people to share their stories. It’s pivotal when people share their stories, minds and hearts.
The world we live in has too much toxic positivity and optimism and this narrative doesn't work for everybody, especially people who are facing adversity.
Like I said earlier, being homeless is HARD. It’s not a negative thing to be honest about your pain. Being honest about mine has helped me in my work and that’s rewarding to me.
Seeing the passion of others is also energizing; talking about the progress our community has made on our goals. Being on a team with people who take goals seriously, having a supportive team and the value of honesty. Celebrating the small wins, because small wins are big wins nonetheless.
Do you have any advice for people that are thinking about taking on more leadership in their YABs?
Know your boundaries in terms of what you can and and can’t take on, what you can handle and manage. I’m going into my last year of college in September. This work is very important to me, but so is my degree. Sometimes you have to let people know that you can’t make it to a meeting, can only show up over the phone or have to leave early. There are other things in your life that are important and that you’ll need to take care of, so being able to set boundaries with others about how you can show up is key.
As much as the YAB is about getting work done, it’s also about bringing your authentic self. Staying true to yourself, that’s most important. You should ask yourself, “Does this task-- does this work-- allow me to be myself? Or do I have to act like a different person in order to contribute?” At the end of the day when the work is done, who you are is yourself.
These things apply to life outside of your work, too. And they’re things that I’m still working on, myself-- things many people work on throughout their whole lives. Don’t beat yourself up if you feel like you’ve slipped up. It’s okay to not get it all right on the first, second or third try.