Lupita Ayala Montanez
Grand Island, NE
Lupita Ayala Montanez is originally from Zacatecas, México, and has called Grand Island home since 2013. She works as a DOJ Accredited Representative with the Multicultural Coalition, where she supports immigrant families through legal guidance and community resources. She has been involved in local civic efforts, including work with the Heartland Workers Center, which helped spark her passion for helping others feel informed and included in community decisions. She hopes to continue learning, growing, and contributing to meaningful change through the Apiary.
Lupita's Civic Action Plan:
Laura, Lupita, and Muatasim are working together on a yearlong process of community engagement starting from their own networks. Their aim is to inform, listen and empower community members so they can participate in the 2026 elections in a way that is accessible and community led.
How can we ensure our neighbors are informed about what’s going on in their community? How can we help them feel confident to be involved and share their experiences with elected representatives?
The process begins through listening sessions to hear from neighbors about what they’re experiencing, what they need, and what they would change. From there, the group follows up with information and advocacy workshops that address what they’re able to address based on what they heard during each listening session. Finally, the group aims to convene a nonpartisan candidate panel and invite every community member they’ve spoken with to attend and hear from city-level candidates before the election.
The goal is to make sure community members feel informed, heard, and supported so they can take part in the 2026 elections. It’s important that this work stays nonpartisan, easy to understand, and truly led by the community. The hope is to build a community that feels more confident and involved. That starts when people understand what’s going on locally, know how to be part of the process, and feel like their voices and experiences actually matter in shaping decisions.
It begins by listening first and creating spaces where people can share their thoughts and experiences. From there, it’s about breaking down civic information in a way that’s clear and accessible. We can then bring people together to talk through issues, connect them to bigger systems, and support them in coming up with their own questions. Creating opportunities to engage with candidates is key, but it’s just as important to keep that connection and accountability going even after the election is over.