Today we’d like to introduce you to Erica Astacio.
Hi Erica, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
I moved to FL from NJ in 1996 and experienced housing and food insecurity in my early years. In high school, I bounced around from friends’ couches to hotels until I could afford my place my senior year. At the time, I was a dual enrollment student, working on my AA while completing my high school diploma. In 8th and 9th grade, I participated in a program for at-risk youth, Project GUARD, that completely changed my life. We were taught life skills, created resumes, volunteered in the community, and felt safe. Very different from our home lives, most of us were escaping. I always knew I would go to college (what other choice did I have? I’m a Millennial), but I had no clue what I wanted to pursue. When the program ended, I knew I would have to find a way to have that same impact in my community. After graduation from High School, I took some time off to work and focus on being a mom. I eventually returned to school and obtained my degree from UCF (while maintaining a full-time job, a part-time job, and having a young child at home). Sometimes I look back at that time and wonder, “Who was that girl? And How did she do it?”
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
So many struggles- anxiety, depression, imposter syndrome. You name it!
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
My first job out of college was at a Crisis shelter for youth. I would remain with that organization for almost a decade and find my passion for connecting with others. I saw so much of myself in my community. We learned to separate personal and professional life in school, but when I worked with the kids in the shelter, I knew they smelled the BS. I saw so much of my young self in them, and I was hesitant to allow myself to connect with them on such a vulnerable level (but then expected them to trust me enough to be vulnerable with me). It wasn’t until I had a young man in my office pouring his heart out to me and stating that he knew we didn’t understand and were there just to be paid. I politely asked him to google my salary (because no one goes into this field for the pay) and then opened up a little about my similar experiences. I was so nervous, but when I saw the walls come down and the impact that conversation had on my effectiveness as a Case Manager. From then on, I consciously decided to show up as myself in these spaces. It was more important for me to build repour with the kids I was working with and show them they are not in their situation and come out on the other side.
In 2021, I was accepted to be part of the Lived Experience Council at the Homeless Service Network to provide insight from my perspective as a person who has experienced homelessness and has worked as a service provider in Central Florida. I also started working at Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida that same year, overseeing the SNAP Outreach program.
In 2022, I was invited on behalf of Feeding America to attend the first White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health in over 50 years. I witnessed the President of the US state that they are committed to ending Hunger in the US by 2030. Talk about setting the bar high! Most recently, I was asked by Feeding America to return to the Capitol to plan and participate in Elevating Voices: Power Summit (the first conference created by and attended by neighbors with experience hunger).
What were you like growing up?
I was timid and education-focused. I was a good student, and I hated to miss school. It was my escape. I read a lot. Once we moved to FL, I spent all the holidays in NJ with my family, and I always had a book to keep my mind busy.
Contact Info:
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericaastacio
