My name is Elizabeth and I have been apart of Youth United for Community Action (YUCA) for the past 2 years. YUCA has been a life changing experience and that is why I continue to participate.

I used to be the quiet person, sitting at the back of the classroom, too scared to talk or to even take action. I had no voice and everyday as I walked home, I saw why my small town of East Palo Alto had a bad reputation. Crimes were being committed everywhere, everyday while I just stood there and watched and did nothing.

One day after soccer practice my mom gave me a ‘Quick Survey’, it was to join YUCA. What I didn’t know was that this non-profit organization would be the entity to help me get my voice. I entered the small office and saw many teenagers, a few students and many staff members working hard. I sat there not doing anything and watching the members run from one place to the next.

I was assigned to the Affordable Housing Campaign and thought that all I had to do was sit in boring meetings. I sat in my meeting, everyone was alive with feelings and I smiled trying to be part of the conversation. We talked about illegal rent increases and how people were being displaced from their homes. I knew that something had to be done but I didn’t say anything. I sat there listening to everyone talk and give out ideas. After all, I’m just a kid that has no voice, what can I do?

My first task was planning a rally. There couldn’t have been a more difficult task given to me especially since I have no voice. At the rally many tenants screaming out their frustrations surrounded me. I felt suffocated and just wanted to run. I held the mega-phone struggling to lead the chants. I tried to speak and nothing came out, not even a whisper. The tenants kept looking past me, screaming out their frustrations as if I didn’t matter. I tried again and yelled, “What do we want?” The tenants stunned by my voice, quieted down, but didn’t say anything. I repeated it, “What do we want?” This time they yelled back, “Fair rent!” I had found my voice!

YUCA fights the injustices happening in East Palo Alto. The Affordable Housing Campaign is currently fighting for the tenants living in Page Mill Properties a.k.a. Woodland Park and numerous other aliases, because their rent is constantly being increased with no end in sight. Many of them have been kicked out for not being able to pay their rent. Others have stayed because they have no voice to stop the increases. Many have tried to talk to Page Mill Properties only to be ignored.

This is where YUCA comes in to be the voice of the people and to make a change in our lives. YUCA has been setting up meetings with City Council members that can influence the Rent Board who can lower the rent. YUCA has also held many rallies where dozens of families come out to support and fight with us. We make phone calls to tenants and inform them on rallies and meetings that we are going to have. The tenants have been very supportive of us and thank us for helping them out.

At first, I had no voice. I was too scared to even talk and fight for what was right. Now, I attend every rally that I can and I love leading the crowd. Thanks to YUCA, I now know that anyone can be the change in the world that we want to see.