April 29, 2019
After the 2016 presidential elections, Virginia felt the utter shock which took hold of many people in the United States on November 3rd. It immediately inspired her to activism. While she cares deeply about many causes such as reproductive rights, immigrants’ rights, health care, and equality among all people, Virginia followed her passion for hiking and found a place for herself with the Sierra Club. Since then, Virginia has been heavily involved in a number of campaigns. You’re likely to find her sitting in on public hearings, gathering signatures, phone banking, or tabling at public venues for the Sierra Club. She started working in the Beyond Coal campaign and was part of the grassroots group that saw the Portland Clean Energy Fund passed in November 2018.
In her time with the Sierra Club, Virginia has come to truly appreciate the importance of community and the power which grassroots holds. She admits it took her time to truly appreciate it, attributing the delay in growing up in a small town that forced a sense of community due to proximity. Now she makes a clear distinction between the former and an intentional community built by its members. Virginia understands the power in that and how community spurs real social movements.
“I don’t have an illusion that as an individual, I can change the world,” Virginia explained. “But I have a strong belief that groups of people have amazing power. By working collaboratively with like-minded people, we can make changes.”
Virginia speaks highly of fellow members and volunteers, often citing their talents and hard work before making mention of her own contributions. They inspire her everyday with all their work in multiple causes and Virginia truly admires those around her. The chapter’s Clean Energy Task Force, of which Virginia is a member of the Steering Committee, was inspired by the concept of Beloved Community, a term popularized by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. during the Civil Rights Movement. They regularly meet up to discuss pertinent social issues and their connections to environmental justice as well as for a monthly book club, hosted at members’ houses.
When asked about her hopes for the future, Virginia said, “I hope that people have more compassion.” Her reasoning behind this is is that if people were more compassionate towards one another, more empathetic, they would be spurred to come together and do amazing things that could change the world.
Fun facts about Virginia:
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True to her love of the outdoors and nature, Virginia works with the Department of Agriculture in Oregon. She spends work days in labs while longing to be outdoors.
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Virginia’s love for handcrafts manifests itself in knitting, sewing, and weaving. She would love to be a basket weaver.
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Virginia is a proud second generation American. Both of her parents are from Texas while their families come from Mexican and Spanish origins. She herself grew up in southeastern Idaho before moving to Oregon.
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While Virginia loves hiking, she admits that she is not the most athletic person and would not recommend choosing her first for any sports teams.
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She collects inspiring quotes which she likes and even has a notebook for them she carries in a bag. One of her favorites is, “It is hardly possible to build anything if frustration, bitterness, and a mood of helplessness prevail.” (Lech Walesa)