No debería haber nada sobre nosotros sin nosotros.

Everyone is entitled to just live their best life and thrive, yet there are some families who have to think, “Are we going to eat today? Do we have to live outside?” instead of just being able to have food, shelter, and all the things that human beings need. We all love our families. We all love our communities. Unfortunately, some communities have systematically been challenged—placed in positions of poverty and kept from education because of systems and policies that we know need reform. I have a loud, strong voice. But not everyone has that voice, so I try my best to encourage others to know that their voice matters. Your lived experience matters. Fines and fees are a huge barrier for so many people. Women of color, particularly mothers, are usually the most impacted by these economic policies. Often times, people say, “Oh, just save.” Or just do this or that, like it’s a magic bullet. But the truth of the matter is, many people make all those efforts, but they’re bombarded by these predatory practices that suck not only every dime that they could possibly save, but the money that they already don’t have in the first place. It’s very important to me to look at these systems and see how we can reform them. Decision-makers have not paid attention and respected our lived experience. In fact, we usually have the solutions. They try to find all these experts… but we are right here! We know what it takes to change the circumstances. We’re willing to come to the table. As a matter of fact, we should be at every table that is making a decision about us, our children, our families, and our communities. As the saying goes, “there should be nothing about us without us,” from planning to implementation. Rosazlia (Sra. Rose) Grillier es madre de dos hijas ahora adultas, activista desde hace mucho tiempo en su comunidad de South Side Englewood y presidenta emérita de POWER-PAC IL. Ella es la ex copresidenta de POWER-PAC's Campaña Saliendo de la Pobreza. Como Entrenadora de Padres y Pares de COFI, ha viajado por el país, brindando capacitaciones sobre El modelo de COFI y sirviendo de inspiración a cientos de otros padres líderes de bajos ingresos. En 2021, la Sra. Rose fue honrada por la Chicago Foundation for Women con el premio Founders. También recibió el premio Give Back Day de Allstate, un reconocimiento nacional que honra a los voluntarios de la comunidad en 2011. Actualmente es miembro de la Junta de Síndicos de COFI y del Consejo de Gobierno nacional de la Red de Acción de Padres Líderes Unidos (UPLAN). Aquí está la Sra. Rose hablando sobre traer de vuelta el recreo a las escuelas primarias de Chicago con POWER-PAC IL: