Profile in Advocacy
I'm delighted that North Carolina Harm Reduction Coalition's Advocacy and Communications Coordinator Tessie Castillo has agreed to be my inaugural
Profile in Advocacy
.
Tessie, a widely published writer on public health has successfully advocated for several laws to expand access to naloxone and syringe services.
She humored me by answering my 5 standard questions.
1.
Advocate, from Latin advocatus means "one called to aid (another)”. What moves you to aid others in this way?
I recognize that I come from a place of great privilege in my life. I came from a stable, middle-class home with no major childhood trauma, went to good schools, and have had many opportunities to achieve success. And even with all that, life can be very challenging. Sometimes even I feel depressed and disenfranchised. So, I just imagine how much harder it must be for people who don’t have some, or even any, of those advantages. I feel an obligation to do what I can to right the wrongs I see.
2.
What’s the single most important character trait that makes an effective advocate?
You have to have a tough skin. You can be compassionate and hard-working and everything else, but if you can’t take heat from all sides – from people who disagree with you and even people who are supposed to be on your side – you won’t last long as an advocate. It’s not easy to fight the system.
3.
Share with us an advocacy story from your work – one in which you are most proud or where you learned the most.
I consider the legalization of syringe exchange programs to be my single greatest achievement. I remember in 2012 sitting around a conference table with a couple of NCHRC staff and Board members talking about how maybe in 10 years we would get that law passed. Then to be part of it passing just 4 years later – even I couldn’t believe it. But looking back now I can see how the strategies we used and the education and momentum we built contributed to its success.
4.
When you look back, how will you measure your success as an advocate?
I hope to measure it in the number of lives saved through naloxone distribution, the number of people whose lives have improved through participating in a syringe exchange, and the number of individuals and groups who are inspired to make change because of NCHRC’s successes.
5.
Tomato-based or vinegar?
I grew up on tomato-based BBQ but I have to say that once I tried vinegar for the first time I never went back!
If you have suggested topics for
Advocacy 101
or know someone we should feature in
Profile in Advocacy
, do let me know.
Until next time,
Kathleen
