Introducing Bec Delbos, Communications Fellow, Quaker Voluntary Service

Hi there! My name is Bec Delbos and I am the new Communications Fellow at Washington Housing Alliance. For the next eleven months, I will be serving as a member of Quaker Voluntary Service (QVS), a program for young adults who are interested in community service and social justice while exploring spirituality and intentional living. As a part of the program, all fellows are matched with a nonprofit to work with, and I am thrilled to be with Washington Housing Alliance as my placement. 

Prior to joining Washington Housing Alliance, I attended American University in Washington, DC where I double majored in Political Science and American Studies, with certificates in Advanced Leadership Studies and Disability, Health, and Bodies. During my time at AU, I acted as a student organizer focusing on immigrant rights, LGBTQ+ rights, and academic freedom on campus. I was also involved in advocacy in the broader DC community and in my home state of Virginia. Most recently, I worked with an LGBTQ+ advocacy organization as a community organizer ahead of the Marriage Equality Amendment, a ballot measure to repeal a state-wide ban on same-sex marriage and replace it with a Constitutional right to marriage in Virginia. Prior to that, I completed internships with political advocacy organizations focusing on issues ranging from affordability to surveillance and held leadership positions on state and local electoral campaigns.  

During my undergraduate education, I spent four months studying abroad in Copenhagen, Denmark where I took classes focusing on public policy and the humanities. I was particularly inspired by a class I took called “Inclusive Design and Architecture in Urban Spaces.” Although I initially enrolled in the class to fulfill requirements for my disability studies certificate, it ultimately broadened the way I thought about the relationship between policy, the built environment, and inequality. One of my biggest takeaways was that the barriers people face in accessing safe, affordable, and accessible housing are not inevitable— they are problems that can be addressed through thoughtful public policy, community advocacy, and investment. 

That perspective, along with my experiences in organizing and advocacy, is what drew me to both QVS and Washington Housing Alliance. I am excited to learn more about housing policy and communications while contributing to work that helps make housing more accessible and affordable for communities across Washington. 

For the duration of the program, I will be based in Portland, Oregon where I'm excited to experience the local music scene, explore the nature of the pacific northwest, and live in intentional community with other QVS fellows. I’m looking forward to working with Washington Housing Alliance to gain skills in communications and to contribute to their mission of safe and equitable housing for all.