Erika Gutierrez, La Colectiva board member and community activist, is a firm believer in the power of positive change.
“Having a positive attitude toward life and others is what makes change,” she said. “We are all beings of change. Everyone can change and change their outcomes as well.”
In 2000, Erika came to Delaware from her native Mexico. She didn’t speak English and found life difficult without knowing the language. She enrolled in ESL classes and found the right program for her learning style at Delaware Technical Community College in Wilmington. It was an intensive program that helped her speak English fluently in about 18 months. Learning the language opened many doors. Erika continued taking courses to increase her knowledge and find better jobs.
Erika worked as a library assistant in La Biblioteca del Pueblo for more than a year, assisting Wilmington’s Spanish-speaking community. She became a board member of Voces Sin Fronteras, an organization founded by St. Paul’s Roman Catholic Church in Wilmington that organized events and provided outreach and advocacy for Latinos.
Erika worked in the restaurant industry for 14 years. She advocated for others, writing letters to restaurant headquarters to improve conditions for employees. She translated for her co-workers, offering support and advice. This taught her to overcome insecurities.
“It has been a journey into self-discovery and my capacity to face difficult fears and vulnerabilities, but also to embrace courage and lead my own destiny with dignity,” she said.
The 2016 election was a catalyst for Erika. She felt that immigrants were a vulnerable target who needed a local effort to protect them. She was introduced to Network Delaware, an advocacy group that taught her community organizing, including how to run campaigns. Erika became a coordinator for the Safe Communities Campaign, acquiring the skills to become an organizer and mentor for other community leaders. Erika next began collaborating with La Colectiva and working with DelawareCan.
“Network Delaware gave me the tools I needed to start my journey organizing and being immersed in politics,” she said. “I learned to empower others in organizing as well.
“I love to see the changes in the community after working so hard,” she added. “I like how the community is always so grateful and brave.”
Erika next began collaborating with La Colectiva in Sussex County. Continuing to work with others has made Erika more enthusiastic about working for the Latino community. She said seeing how organizations collaborate on the same goal has been very inspiring.
“La Colectiva exists to link organizations and get them closer so they learn about each other and use resources in the best way possible,” she said. “This group has been a force that helps us better understand how we are offering help to the community. I have learned so much about the opportunities to help advance the Latino community in Delaware.”
Erika believes it is vital that community leaders should be humble and recognize social disadvantage. Having experienced hardship, she feels fortunate to identify with the community she works so hard to help.
“I don’t believe in forcing people to make changes. I believe in giving them the trust, the hope, and, most important, the tools that will give them the motivation to make the changes when they are ready,” she said.
One of Erika’s inspirations is New Castle County Executive Matt Meyer. “He has done so much to help and inspire disadvantaged communities here and overseas. He does this by teaching and empowering others by using their creativity and boldness to solve problems so they better their lives and their communities.”
Erika hopes to create a state initiative that includes community centers in each county, centers filled with art and culture where the community feels welcome. The centers would offer support and resources for schools and answer legal and employment questions. She wants all schools to offer bilingual services.
Erika believes that organizations with the same goals should work together and form a team for the community’s good. Most importantly, Erika’s goal is to see members of the Latino community become leaders.
“These things can happen if everyone gives the best effort possible,” she said.