HOPE hosts another year of externs from New Voices Are Rising

In June, we partnered with New Voices Are Rising (NVR) and welcomed 3 youth externs from NVR for a four week journey centered on team building, critical reflection, discussion, land stewardship, food justice, and environmental advocacy. We talked about the importance of land acknowledgment and recognized the Indigenous lands we currently live on. Our conversations, as well as our trip to the Lake Gardens, helped youth distinguish between native and non native plant species, deepening their relationships with the environment, plants and their histories. This sparked powerful reflections and conversations on displacement and housing injustice, leading the group to center their zine project on housing injustice. Below are reflections from our externs Kalea, Malaya, and Annie who each bring their personal experiences, memorable moments and insights to this urgent issue.

Kalea:
During my externship at HOPE Collaborative we learned a lot, laughed a lot, and went on many educational field trips that helped us understand the world around us in deeper ways. In the second week of the program, we started working on our zine project and chose the topic of housing justice. We named our zine “People For Housing,” inspired by Moms 4 Housing. We chose  this topic because we see how housing injustice impacts many people. Homelessness, gentrification, substance abuse and mental health struggles are all connected. This can also play a huge role in a person's homelessness It is important for the recuperation of these individuals to invite consistent stability into their lives. 

Malaya:
During my externship at HOPE Collaborative, I had the opportunity to reflect on my own experiences and learn more about the housing issues people in our community face. As a group of low income, people of color, we've all experienced housing injustice in some shape or form. From being robbed of our land, being stuck in dangerous cities, and much more. Although housing is a basic human need and right, it still isn't treated as such. Over 183,000 Californians are homeless, with two thirds of those sleeping in tents, cars, and more. And currently I face those issues right now. We've constantly jumped from apartment, to houses, to cars, just to get by. Opportunities like jobs and housing have been ripped away from us, leaving us  with no choice but to sleep in our car or friend's couches. The zine People For Housing was created with the intention to inform people about the complexities of homelessness, what we can do to help those that are struggling with housing injustice, and share the knowledge we’ve learned together and offer ways to take action.

Annie:
My experience at HOPE Collaborative is definitely something that is new for me, but I’ve gotten comfortable quickly because of the helpful group I’m in. Going over a variety of topics such as the land we live on and the environmental impacts that we or plants create, has been helpful and given me an insight on how the world has evolved. I’m excited to see how our zine will come out with the effort of all of us, and I wish to continue to expand my knowledge on all types of things within our community.