Darcelina Soloria: Resident, Advocate, Mother, and ZONE Champion

Stand for Children is one of our ZONE partners, reaching families and helping students gain the academic supports that will propel them to their best life. And representing Stand for Children in Eastern Washington is Darcelina Soloria.  She is a Northeast resident and mom to two children. When her eldest’s school was in jeopardy, she was the only parent who showed up to a meeting.  This motivated her to become more active in engaging families in their children’s schools.

Darcelina is a passionate advocate for children and families working with Stand for Children since 2017. When she started with Stand for Children, she began working closely with Spokane Public Schools at Garry Middle School to make connections with parents. She was a valued part of the school that up to that time had very low parent engagement and no PTG. Her goal was to help students and families understand the milestones and supports available in order for students to ‘cross the finish line.’

Darcelina hosts workshops and special events for families, like Stand For Children’s annual trip to Olympia to speak with state representatives and to see the government process and workshops for students and families about how to go to college a manage college debt.

As a Northeast resident since 2008, Darcelina is a big part of her local community. She is involved in her church just one block from her home. She loves living in Northeast Spokane because of its close proximity to downtown, Mt. Spokane, and all of the fun things to do in Spokane without being too close to any of the action.

Darcelina has been a champion of the partnership between The ZONE and Stand for Children Washington. She helped facilitate a shared staff position between The ZONE and Stand for Children so there could be a Family Resource Coordinator in three Spokane Schools: Garry, Lidgerwood, and Stevens Elementary over the past 2 years. Family Resource Coordinators play a vital role in schools helping families meet their basic needs while creating whole-family and whole-school supports that help student attendance, health and academic success (like clothing banks, attendance boards and walking school bus routes). During the pandemic, these roles became critical in supporting students and families in staying housed, accessing education and food. Darcelina continues her work with Stand for Children WA today, connecting with parents who need more from their children’s school experience, and who are ready to advocate for changes…just like she did when she accepted the call to action at her own children’s school years ago. She is truly a champion!