words can’t express the loss to our community of organizer,Chaplin, community builder and friend Myrta Rivera.
Thos of us who know her will remember her as someone who always cared about the plight of the poor and downtrodden who dedicated her life to better the life of others.
Personally she was a family friend, and a bridge between street level organizing and different more official groups. After my arrest at the g20 and my moms death, despite pain that she herself was going through, would come visit me and tell me stories as well as give me advice on various projects that i was involved with.
When we started organizing around dealing with drugs as a social issue and mobilized the community around this, her imput as well as her guidance was crucial, along with the working centre, to unify a broad variety of groups around this despite the fact that she herself was fighting breast cancer. i remember the nights we would talk and discuss the issues on Facebook and her apologizing of all things for not being able to attend meetings. I still have the Che Guevara Hat she brought me back from Cuba and will wear it with pride.
Of all the things that she was done for the community, from her work with the Multi Cultural Centre, to being Chaplin at St. Marys hospital, the thing that most people will miss is the fact that all her actions came from the heart. Myrta, you will be missed, may you watch over us from heaven where you are with the angels!!!!!
That’s really nice. I didn’t know the lady but by all accounts she was liked and respected by all.