Our team at Bienestar decided we’d kick off the year with an introduction. So hello, Friend, I'm Itzel Hernandez Spehar, Bienestar's new Director of Policy and Advocacy.
I was born and raised in Oaxaca, Mexico. At a very early age, I became aware of structural and historical inequalities associated with the native indigenous populations in my hometown. I graduated from Oregon State University and attended two years of Law School in Mexico wanting to get the knowledge and tools to challenge perspectives regarding access to housing, education, and health care in rural areas of Oaxaca.
I started a family in Portland and my experience in Mexico was a natural fit to work locally for non-profits in the areas of housing and asset building. In September, I became the Director of Policy and Advocacy to elevate the voices of community members, be a liaison between community members and elected officials, and advocate for immigrant and housing issues, including affordable housing and renters' rights. I took this position because there are very few Latinx community members participating in advocacy efforts at local, state, and national levels. Bienestar is in a position to explore and open these opportunities for and with our communities.
And why does this all matter to you? Bienestar will be engaging our residents to create more civic engagement opportunities to make our communities stronger and more equitable. I'm excited to share that we are leading efforts to implement the first Spanish language housing policy forum in partnership with the Welcome Home Coalition in Washington County. This will bring together affordable housing residents and policymakers in a new way—setting the stage for our advocacy and civic engagement agenda for the rest of the year. Stay tuned for more details, to be announced very soon.
I look forward to working with you and getting to know you,
Itzel Hernandez Spehar
P.S. We're hiring! Spread the word to help us build our team to include a new Events & Communications Coordinator who will be helping us organize and digitize our advocacy and policy strategies.
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