Stories from Changemakers Residents

Deb Paredes and Sinet Kroch share their experiences during the Changemakers Residency and their hopes for the future.

Written by Deb Paredes, 2022-2024 Changemakers Resident

This has been one of the most impactful experiences of my life thus far. It's strange to think how much can happen in a year, much less two.

I started the job with very little in my bank account, I couldn't even afford to make my car legal on the road. Now, my car still sucks but at least it's legal! At the start of the residency I wasn’t really sure what I wanted out of it, I was just finishing my degree program and in a state of deep transitions in my life. I felt disconnected from community and culture and I was hoping I could bridge that somehow with the role I was given. I knew even then by the end of the residency  I would learn a lot and that things would change for me, I just didn't know how. 
In many ways the medium of transformation for me throughout this position has been the relationships I have been able to form. There was so much intention put into supporting residents that we were able to form genuine relationships with many staff members from both MEEA and TNC. Through this support I was also able to develop relationships outside of the organizations and into the greater community. One part of my work, for example, was providing technical support of communities applying for the Community Resilience Partnership through the governor's office. This program is a multi step grant program and so in order to provide support I had to connect with communities across the state and come to understand their community climate needs. This looked like holding and facilitating community meetings, taking tours of community spaces, and connecting with community leaders on a consistent basis in order to properly comprehend their needs. 
In turn all of these experiences have made me understand and embody the importance of community relationships. Community is an interlocking and interdependent network wherever we are and to be able to see those connections move with collective needs and in collaboration is just a testament to how important it is to develop relationships. In Changemakers we have our yearly gathering in the Fall and this event really helped me ground myself in this truth. During the gathering we share stories, I was able to talk about my big ‘why’ and give context to who I am and how I show up to this work in a really vulnerable way that felt really safe. I’ve also been able to hear other people’s stories and there’s always something about evertone story that I feel connected to. It makes me realize we aren’t so different and we all have similar hopes and dreams for the world we want to see. 
Grounded in this, my hope for myself in the future is to continue to find spaces where I can connect with others over liberatory practices. I’ve found a love for organizing and holding space with others and building community through those relationships formed. I’m excited to continue to be in and witness how collective power can shift and change within Wabanakik and the world. I see myself contributing to culture and narrative shifting work in the state, I see the energies shifting already and I want to be able to participate in harnessing and molding it. 
As for the residency, I hope future residents are able to wholly show up for themselves and follow what guides them into the kind of transformational work MEEA is doing. I hope they are able to really feel into the learnings MEEA and TNC provide and to gain the confidence to speak up when something doesn’t feel right. I hope they continue to have and take opportunities to really engage all people in Wabanakik. All in all, I wish for them a transformative experience like I’ve had!

By Sinet Kroch, 2022-2024 Changemakers Climate Adaptation Resident

My journey working with MEEA and the TNC is both compelling and inspiring.

As a graduate from Bucknell University, armed with a double major in Environmental Studies and Women’s and Gender Studies, my academic foundation reflects the conscious choice to merge ecological consciousness with social justice perspectives. This intersectional approach speaks volumes about my recognition of the multifaceted nature of global challenges and my intention to address them holistically.
My approach in doing this job is shaped by my formative experiences, particularly my farming background and my involvement with organizations advocating for environmentally sustainable practices while concurrently addressing the lack of inclusivity within vital decision-making processes. With a specific focus on combatting the monumental issue of the climate crisis and empowering at-risk communities to adapt to the evolving climate, this Residency allows me to address both issues. 
As the Climate Adaptation Resident, I have collaborated closely with local communities to integrate natural climate solutions into climate adaptation and resilience projects. Through my involvement, I have helped advance state climate strategies and actions by assisting the most vulnerable and underinvested communities in project development and management, workshop facilitation, budgeting, and grant writing. Notably, I have assisted in diverse projects such as salt marsh restoration, urban heat mitigation, solar array implementation, and riverwalk shoreline restoration that demonstrates my commitment to practical, tangible change. These experiences have honed my skills in community engagement, environmental equity work, and grant writing.
For instance, during my time as a service provider to the City of Lewiston, I assisted the City on its urban heat island project, specifically on protecting and expanding the tree canopy in a historically underserved community. Through my work with the City, I have learned that in addition to committing to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to combat climate change, Maine makes funding available to support its communities to be proactive about understanding, planning, and acting to reduce their risk from climate change. From this involvement, I learned that everybody has a role to play when it comes to combatting climate change, so why not make it accessible and welcoming to everybody to participate in this journey. If Lewiston, a home to one of the most diverse populations in the state of Maine, cares about bringing trees back to their neighborhood for the purpose of beautification of the area, as a source of heat relief in addition to overall air quality improvement year round, those who hold more power and privilege have no excuses to not do anything to help a community like this have equitable access to the benefits that trees and green spaces provide regardless of their ZIP code.  
Besides opportunities to work on various climate related projects, I feel very grateful to have supervisors and colleagues who care about me. In addition to a dedicated weekly/biweekly check-in to discuss my work, receive feedback, and engage in career development conversations, these individuals create an environment that fosters collaboration and allows for co-creation of ideas, strategies, and joint execution, which in turn allows me to shine brightly without reservations. Thank you for seeing me, not just an employee.