Community member speaking during a housing justice protest. Photo by Kiana Shoots Photography.
“I feel I belong here.” That is how Deiglis Delgado, project coordinator for Mujeres Poderosas Amorosas (MPA) described the sense of connection that she helps foster among Latina immigrant women in her community. Building trusting relationships where community members feel they are part of a support network —a safe space where they can belong—is one of the ways in which SHINE collaboratives support individuals as leaders and advocates. In September 2024, the SHINE learning community came together to discuss their role in recruiting, cultivating, and sustaining community leadership to influence programs, policies, and systems for thriving, safe communities.
Conducting thoughtful and tailored outreach to engage community members
SHINE collaboratives affirm how important it is for community members, including youth, to see themselves in leadership development opportunities. When McKinleyville Family Resource Center invited transitional-age youth to participate in their leadership development program, they sought out youth with diverse backgrounds and identities. Aristea Salisbury, co-executive director of the McKinleyville Family Resource Center, lead agency for The Center at McKinleyville, shared:
“We make it very clear when we put that call out that we are specifically looking for BIPOC, queer and/or disabled youth. Not in exclusivity, but to make it clear that we are prepared to be able to support youth who come from those backgrounds. What we found is that coming into a space together folks are much more able to enter it [when they feel] safe from the get-go…”
Community outreach efforts can also raise questions about who are the people most engaged and how organizations can build upon those connections to expand their movement’s reach. Building on MPA's success in community outreach through word-of-mouth and social media engagement, Genoveva Islas, executive director of Cultiva La Salud, mentioned that they work with the people who are most passionate, and it's important to explore how those people can bring others into the movement.
Offering pathways to leadership development through fulfilling mentorship
Collaboratives offer different pathways for community members to access leadership opportunities in ways that are culturally responsive. Noun Abdelaziz, advocacy lead for United Women of East Africa (UWEAST) explained that the organization, which supports advocacy efforts for the East African community, implements a peer-based model rooted in mentorship and a “from the community, for the community” approach. Noun, who first joined UWEAST as a young volunteer, shared:
“A lot of these models are very effective and result in a lot of good mentorship. But [it] also builds jobs in our community. Because there is limited space for people like us. In our culture and the way that we see the world. So having a place where you can come back and feel like you can be sheltered and mentored by the same people that were part of your youth is really nurturing.”
At UWEAST, effective mentorship is foundational to leadership development as it helps young staff feel more equipped to take on greater responsibilities at the organization.
Equipping community members to engage in advocacy and organizing efforts
SHINE collaboratives strive to make it easy for community members to understand and engage in advocacy. For example, MPA supports women as they take incremental steps to lean into more substantive roles in community organizing efforts. From joining community celebrations and book clubs to helping organize outreach events in ways that foster their sense of community and belonging, participants eventually take on more responsibility by attending city council and board meetings, and participating in housing and school committees. This way, women lean into advocacy roles in areas related to domestic violence prevention. Genoveva shared:
“We feel like these community organizing and capacity building efforts are important to move the policy levers around housing, economic development, mental health, and wellness.”
Harnessing the power of connections and collective leadership
“In this exquisitely connected work, it’s never a question of critical mass. It’s always about critical connections.” - Grace Lee Boggs
Kanwarpal Dhaliwal, associate director at RYSE Center, and Gustavo López, research director at Alliance for Boys and Men of Color (ABMoC) mentioned this quote from Grace Lee Boggs to illustrate that organizational relationships are instrumental in supporting partners and community members to engage in advocacy. Their organizations (as well as the Collective Healing And Transformation (CHAT) Project) are part of the We Take Care of Each Other Partnership, which has offered a platform for movement groups like theirs to collaborate and, as Gustavo shared, “build up the capacity of our partners to do a lot of this advocacy and research themselves, especially when working with young people.” ABMoC provides supports and trainings for community partners to engage in legislative advocacy. RYSE youth engaged in direct advocacy by joining the ENACT Day and pushing for housing justice, among other issues, at the state Capitol in Sacramento, California.
Building on SHINE’s vision of communities taking the lead
Investing in community leadership affirms community members’ centrality in designing and implementing strategies that work for their communities. At the center of SHINE’s vision for safety and healing lies the tapestry of experiences, wisdom, guidance, and contributions of community leaders. As SHINE continues to support and harness leaders’ power in advocating for community- and systems-level changes, collaboratives hold on to the critical relationships and spaces of care and belonging that make this journey possible.
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We invite others to share how they and their communities understand and contribute to leadership development to effect positive change in their communities.
To connect, please reach out to Anne Rara at anne@preventioninstitute.org.
SHINE (Safety and Healing in Networks of Equity) promotes safety and healing and addresses the root causes of domestic violence and other health inequities. We do so by cultivating community leadership, building community power, and advocating for housing and economic justice, holistic youth and family support, and community-based intergenerational healing. SHINE is stewarded by Prevention Institute, co-created with five collaboratives, and supported by the Blue Shield of California Foundation.