By: Litzy Lastra
When I first stepped into the role of community organizer for FCCAN I had no idea what I was walking into. I was not aware that I would fall in love with the work, the people and the community.
I had never taken a big role in the community as part of an organizer before. I had always seemed to do what I thought was small acts of service for the community. This time it was different, I have a bigger role in the community and I get paid for the work that I love to do! I know it’s cliche but this experience has been a true rollercoaster, with many highs and lows that come with the nature of organizing.
When I first started, I was shy, nervous and scared. There I was sitting in a virtual retreat with many great people but I felt small, so petite and meaningless. But with time each and every one of the individuals in that virtual room taught me to love and value myself. I learned that I was not this insignificant dot in the community but I am a spark lighting up the community as I go and do the work I am passionate about. I learned to celebrate the small wins and I had space to grieve the losses with people who understood my pain and loss.
Litzy along with other organizers from FCCAN and Planned Parenthood after a know your rights training in Fall 2022
I have lived in Fort Collins almost my entire life but there were parts of the community that I hadn’t experienced and people I had not met. I didn’t realize there were people to meet that were as passionate as I am about social justice who are willing to work together and bring justice to Fort Collins. Even as I’m stepping away for travels abroad, I look forward to bringing the wisdom of community organizing with me wherever I go, and to continue my work in the community when I return.