Martha Fierro: The Gift of Great Giving

Strength, Resilience, Voice

Written by: Chris O’Brien

Gifts come in many forms, and while some are innate or freely endowed, for most of us, our gifts come at a cost. That cost could be a loss, a challenge, a testing life experience, or even ongoing circumstances that could drag us down but somehow compel us to rise with strength.

With that strength, so often comes the calling to truly help others. From our experience, we learn what works and what doesn’t, what feels good and what doesn’t, what’s kind, and what’s not kind. Forged from these lessons comes the commitment to give back because we have found the commonality among us and the compassion to understand that, at times, we all struggle, and we all need help.

Martha Fierro is a self-proclaimed Promotora. True to the definition, she is a Latinx member of our community who assists people with education around health and well-being, particularly when living independently with a disability. And, as the word implies, she has a strong voice. In her own words: “Being a Promotora means that I am constantly speaking out, being heard, promoting. This is a great strength of mine; I don’t need a megaphone.”

Currently, she works as an Independent Living Advisor for the Center for People With Disabilities at the Longmont office on Main Street. Since COVID-19, most of her work has been online or on the phone. Even with these changes, she continues to work at the intersection of Latinx people with disabilities in Longmont, community support services for people with disabilities, health and wellness organizations, and local community government. She works to ensure access to effective services and positively change Latinx people and the entire Longmont community.

Martha came to the U.S. as a 4-year-old immigrant child and was raised in the Longmont community, building strong ties and a powerful sense of home here. As an adult, she discovered that she has many gifts to offer the community that contributes empowerment and resiliency to underserved members of our community.

In 2005, Martha was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. At the time, she was working in the medical field. She remembers the stoic phone call and impersonal “diagnostic review,” as well as pity from her co-workers. “People would hug me and say, ‘I’m sorry.’ I hated that; it was not the type of support I needed. I have learned that the most powerful support for people with disabilities is empathy, offering knowledge about options for living independently, and assisting them in advocating for their needs.”

Currently, Martha is passionate about disparities inaccessible mental health services for Latinx people with disabilities. She is bringing her Promotora experience to increase access to and awareness of mental health services for the Longmont and Latino communities. She is passionate about speaking up for those who have no voice or no heard voice, connecting with people who have needs and assisting them in finding solutions and resources, and being a community advocate for people with disabilities, the Latinx community, and people with mental health issues.

From her life experience as an immigrant, she brings her strength. From her personal journey of living independently with a disability, she brings her resilience. And her voice, well, that’s just who she is!