Elaine Labson

Deputy Director

Hi! My name is Elaine Galiza Barut Labson (She/Her), and I am serving as Little Manila Rising’s Deputy Director overseeing our health programs.

What does a typical work week look like for you?

I oversee our health programs and help directors strategize with teams on their vision for short and long-term outcomes for their programs. In my work, I handle and move forward projects that are related to health while building out LMR’s school to social justice framework. When I am not having to answer emails, one of my favorite things about my work is being able to connect with our directors and get to know about their passions, who they are as a person, and find ways to level themselves up in life. The more I grow in my role--as someone going all in at LMR--I love being able to share with folks, especially folks who are new at LMR, the culture and traditions we hold in service of our beloved South Stockton.

How’d you get to LMR?

Once upon a time, after St. George's youth mass and after moving back from Stockton and after living in Sacramento for my undergrad, I took a leap of faith and asked Dillon (my youth minister at the time, and Executive Director of LMR) for a job. Funny thing. I didn't know much about the organization, nor was I exposed to ethnic studies. What I did know, was Stockton. And I especially know South Stockton. I knew how I always wanted to give back to my community and lead the change for our community. I knew my profound need to have Stockton’s circumstances be better for the next generation (and now for my kid). This value was instilled by the words and wisdom of Dillon shared with me since being a youth in St. George's youth group.

I also majored in public health with an emphasis on community health education (later getting my master's in public health with an emphasis on health education, leadership, and policy). Anything and everything is connected to our health and understanding how we can flip the lens from treatment to prevention and education is such an important piece to our livelihoods. I wanted to apply what I learned from being exposed to the public health realm and academia and share it with our people.

What do you like to do when you're not at LMR?

I love to eat. I love trying new foods, and going to restaurants. I also love cooking and learned most of what I know from my mama! I hella love to drive especially coastal nature views. Practice Yoga. I am a wife and mother, and dog mama. I love music and the intricacies of it, and pulling out the DJ controller every now and then and mix. Sorry, you can't find me on Soundcloud.

What does Stockton mean to you?

It’s my everything. SOUTHSIDEEEE.

A word before you go…

Did young Elaine know exactly what she was gonna do? Nah. But all roads lead back to Stockton - literally. Being open to the opportunities, learning and especially knowing when to unlearn, led me to the work I'm in. I also reflect on all those around me, my family, my mentors, homies, the community, and especially my ancestors on what they did in order for me to be unapologetically - me - I do this for them and I do this for young me.