Maria Belen Power hosted a reception for her election campaign for the District 8 seat on the Chelsea City Council.
A huge crowd of supporters joined Maria Belen Power at the event held at Chelsea Station.
Following are Maria Belen Powers remarks at the reception:
Good evening! Welcome! Buenas noches!
Thank you everyone for coming!
I want to first acknowledge and thank my family: my husband Fidel, my daughters Maya Gabriela and Ana Victoria and my cousin Andrew.
Thank you to Mark and Mike and to the entire Chelsea Station staff for being amazing hosts this evening.
For those of you who don’t know me, my name is Maria Belen Power. I was born and raised in Nicaragua and have been an activist and organizer my whole life. I came to the US for college and for the past 10 years I have organized right here in Chelsea.
In 2011, I started my career in Chelsea as a workers’ rights organizer, and together, we won back millions of dollars of stolen wages for immigrant workers.
For the past 7 years I have dedicated my career to environmental and climate justice. In that work I have had the honor of getting to know residents from every corner of Chelsea.
I have advocated for our community at the local, state and federal level. Together we have achieved significant victories that protect our public health, enhance our quality of life and give residents a voice.
I know from residents in District 8 that the issues I have organized and fought for, are the very same priorities of the district. Development without displacement, the climate crisis, public transit, public health… and so much more.
My husband and I first moved to Chelsea when Maya was 2 years old and five years ago we bought our first home. As soon as I started working here, I knew this was the place I wanted to live, work and raise my kids in. We love our community and its diversity. But we also know and have lived Chelsea’s struggles.
During the pandemic, when Chelsea was one of the hardest hit cities in the nation by covid19, I responded to the call for help. I interpreted for the City Manager’s weekly updates. I connected residents to much needed resources, and delivered groceries to seniors who were in isolation.
As we recover from this crisis, we must ensure Chelsea continues to receive the help and resource we deserve. I will continue to fight for our community, bringing our voice to the table and holding agencies accountable.
I am excited to run for city council and bring my lived experiences and expertise as your councilor for District 8. But I know I have an uphill battle as a woman, as a mother and as an immigrant. I need all your support because without you, I cannot win.
This event is just the beginning, and I will work hard every day for our District and the rest of our community. But this campaign is not about me, it’s about us and every single resident in Chelsea!
When we fight, we win!