Changemaker Spotlight: April 2021
LaToya McNeil
Advance Peace Stockton, Faith in the Valley San Joaquin (Concrete Team), PICO CA Peacemaker Fellowship
In one sentence, what do you do?
Social Justice Non-profit administration/Internal Organizing
What drew you to the work you are doing in Stockton?
I have always been passionate about social justice, but after sitting through leadership development on the Concrete Team I quickly realized I was not an organizer I was a very knowledgeable social justice administrator - internal organizer. I genuinely love EVERYTHING Advance Peace (AP), Faith in the Valley (FIV) and PICO stands for! I do PURPOSE work!
What inspires you about Stockton?
Stockton is often overlooked and underestimated, but Stockton is MIGHTY! The community I'm privileged to see never seems to give up no matter how many times they are knocked down. Stockton is BEAUTIFUL, Stockton is STRONG, Stockton is DIVERSE, Stockton is HOME!
What advice do you have for those looking to make change in Stockton?
Know who YOU are first, create a village/safe space for yourself and the people you work with (you will need it for the challenging times), be CLEAR about the people you are called to serve, do ONLY what your spirit leads you to do, MASTER your area of expertise, CHECK YOUR EGO, lead with LOVE and INTEGRITY. SMILE!
You're an innovator in your field. With the world rapidly changing around us, how are you adapting and what support can Third City Coalition members offer?
Always make your services and areas of community support clear.