Loretto Volunteer Becca Krasky devotes herself to living in community

Having Becca Krasky at Angelica Village is a blessing. She is kind, engaging, brings new ideas and will help wherever needed. It is great to have the perspective of a young social justice advocate. Her wisdom brings us hope. 

Jean East CoL

Photos by Amy Van Der Kamp 

I’ve been learning a lot about intersectionality and the amazing things that come from building diverse community spaces that celebrate our common humanity.

Becca Krasky, Loretto Volunteer 

Five years ago, Loretto co-member Jean East began helping a former student, Renata Heberton, realize her dream to start an intentional community for individuals and families displaced by war, violence, poverty and racism. Angelica Village seeks to create community living spaces that support each person’s humanity, bringing hope and healing to the world. The organization started with two homes — one for refugees and unaccompanied minors, and the other for a displaced family. Now, the Village is a constellation of eight homes that provide shelter and comfort for formerly homeless and immigrant families. 

“Many social service organizations work with one ‘pop-ulation’ or group of people … but Angelica Village is different. We welcome formerly homeless families, un-accompanied refugee youth, immigrant and refugee families, and people supportive of our mission,” said Loretto Volunteer Becca Krasky. “So, I’ve been learning a lot about intersectionality and the amazing things that come from building diverse community spaces that cele-brate our common humanity.”

Becca has a strong passion for building community-based climate justice solutions. She says her work at Angelica Village has helped her further understand that efforts to protect our earth must also address access to housing and health care, immigration services, racial justice and indigenous sovereignty. 

“I deeply believe that growing our own food and restoring the land is essential to reconnecting humanity to our earth,” said Becca. “We recognize that the harm done to the land mirrors harm done to people, and that the healing of human trauma can only come from the healing of the earth.” 

Becca’s future plans are simple, yet profound: always to live in intentional community and always to grow a garden. 

The relationship between Loretto Volunteers and the orga-nizations they serve aspires to be creatively and radically reciprocal. Volunteers like Becca receive valuable profes-sional experience, and the organizations they serve receive the support of an energetic, dedicated young person eager to “work for justice and act for peace.”

Loretto Volunteers follow in the footsteps of Loretto Community members as they live in intentional community and serve full time at nonprofits around the country for at least one year. The program places volunteers in El Paso, Denver, St. Louis, Washington, D.C., and New York City. Learn more at www.lorettovolunteers.org.

Update from Becca Krasky: 
Many of our youth and adult housing partners are now unemployed because of the coronavirus. Most of our community members are not eligible for the government stimulus or unemployment checks, unfortunately, especially our undocumented youth and families. As an organization, we are thus facing a higher-than-anticipated need for housing and rent support, which will stretch our budget. With all of our children and youth out of school, we’re also stretched trying to support them with their distance learning. 

Photo by Renata Heberton