What Fasting Taught Us About Fighting Back: Reflections from the OC Action Solidarity Fast

The week of May 19th, I joined OC Action and the broader We Are California coalition to lead a five-day solidarity fast outside Congresswoman Young Kim’s office in California’s 40th district. The goal: urge her to vote NO on Trump’s so-called “big beautiful bill,” a piece of legislation that would slash Medicaid, food assistance, LGBTQ+ healthcare, housing support, and other life-saving programs. The stakes weren’t just policy—they were people’s lives.

Congresswoman Kim had previously promised her constituents that she wouldn’t vote to cut Medicaid. But her record suggested otherwise, and as the vote approached, our community came together in resistance—with bodies, stories, and hunger. What began as one localized action became a statewide wave, with 500+ solidarity fasters across California joining our call. In Orange County alone, 440+ people showed up across five days, alongside labor unions, faith leaders, students, elders, community-based organizations, and artists.

The Invitation (and the Curveball)

I was brought on board just a week before the fast. With only three planning meetings under my belt, I worked quickly to align on the run of show with OC Action’s Executive Director and Chief of Staff—and then, three days before the action began, I learned I’d be stepping into a leadership role to guide and collaborate with their 5 staff to facilitate the core programming for the fast. By Monday morning, I was the lead coordinator and supervisor for the week, guiding a complex, emotionally charged, high-stakes campaign with a team I had just met.

The Three Hats I Wore:

Team Leader

With our team operating from 7AM to 8PM daily, I stepped into the role of day-to-day supervisor—assigning tasks, managing roles, and holding space for debriefs and transitions. I built relationships with five OC Action staff members in a matter of hours, and we operated as one unit throughout the week. Several staff shared that it was an extremely strong team bonding experience and that working with me felt like being with family. They noted that the space I held throughout the week made them and the participants feel safe. That meant everything to me.

Communications Partner

I partnered closely with OC Action’s photographer and videographer to co-develop content in real time—reels, graphics, and captions that reflected the emotional and political heart of our action. Together, we captured and amplified the fast in ways that resonated. One video of our core fasters was even reshared by a major media outlet and reposted by President Obama. I also designed a post-action infographic highlighting Young Kim’s vote and its consequences, which received strong engagement from our coalition partners. HUGE shoutout to Victor Valladares for being an incredible communications leader and such a great partner to work with on this project! I learned so much from him including upgrading my sound capturing skills with this bluetooth mic set up pictured below.

I’ll never forget running back and forth with Victor between Young Kim’s office, the solidarity fasters, and the marching protestors—capturing content on the fly while juggling real-time communications requests from the We Are California coalition. In between the chaos, we carved out moments of quiet on the grass to edit photos and videos... only to be called right back in to facilitate programming and support the fasters. It was nonstop, beautiful, exhausting, and deeply alive. What a time.

Adaptive Facilitator

Throughout the week of action, I facilitated programming to build bridges between labor, faith, immigrant justice, and cultural organizing networks. These moments built pathways for future partnership with OC Action and deepened alignment across movements. I shaped each day’s programmatic arc by reading the collective energy and adapting in real time to mood, momentum, and need—emotional and physical. Programming included group discussions, grounding meditations, and letter-writing sessions, alongside logistical anchors like nurse check-ins for fasters every morning, midday, and evening. We also created space for artistic expression and joy; at one point, we even had spoken word artist and stand-up comedian Sandra De Anda joined us to uplift the energy through humor and poetry.

I guided our team to support facilitation across diverse coalitions: from labor groups like the Orange County Labor Federation (OCLF) and the National Union of Healthcare Workers (NUHW), to community-based organizations like the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA) and Mijente, to faith-based leaders from the Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice (CLUE) and the Orange County Congregation Community Organization (OCCCO).

Elected leaders including Councilmember Jessie Lopez (Santa Ana), Ada Briceño (State Assembly candidate), Councilmember La Miya Hoque (Buena Park), and Vice Mayor Connor Traut (Buena Park) showed up throughout the week. Their presence grounded the action in political possibility and affirmed that community voices deserve to be heard in policy conversations. Facilitating these moments of connection between decision-makers and grassroots leaders was a key part of my role. It ensured the hunger strike was not only symbolic, but also strategic for next steps.

On May 21st, over 350 people gathered for a key day of action. In addition to facilitating the programming leading up to this key action, I anchored the energy at the end of the day by leading an impromptu karaoke session—what began as a lighthearted moment became a joyful release valve for our core fasters, language interpreters, and elected officials in attendance. It fostered connection, safety, and resilience in a week that asked everything of our bodies and spirits.

Takeaways

This work is where I come alive. I’m proud of how I showed up—not just as a consultant, but as a protector, a connector, and a creative. I don’t need months of ramp-up to be effective. Give me a cause, a team, and a bit of trust—and I’ll adapt, design, lead, and nurture what’s needed.

This fast reminded me that the most meaningful work happens in spaces where humanity and strategy intersect. I want more of that: more work that saves lives, more joy in resistance, more moments where people feel seen, held, and powerful together.

As a consultant, my role was to bring strategy, adaptability, and heart into a high-stakes, emotionally charged action space. Below are just some of the outcomes that emerged from the week of action in CA-40:

• Strengthened Coalition Power
  Built unity across labor, faith, immigrant justice, racial equity, and arts organizations—forming an aligned front to hold decision-makers accountable.

• Political Visibility and Pressure in CA-40
  Amplified constituent engagement and targeted public pressure on Rep. Young Kim, a critical swing vote on the federal reconciliation budget.

• Narrative Impact at the Statewide Level
  Created an emotionally resonant, values-driven story that connected local action to statewide resistance under the We Are California campaign.

• Public Awareness of the Reconciliation Budget ("Big Beautiful Bill")
  Made a complex federal issue visible and human through storytelling, art, and grassroots action.

• Mobilization Infrastructure for Future Actions
  Laid the groundwork for ongoing engagement through call tools, contact lists, and public education materials.

• Deepened Engagement from Local Electeds and Candidates
  Strengthened relationships with leaders like Jessie Lopez, Ada Briceño, La Miya Hoque, and Connor Traut who expressed continued interest in advocacy alignment.

• Wellness Infrastructure & Trauma-Informed Design
  Centered physical and emotional care through daily nurse check-ins, grounding exercises, and intentional spaceholding for rage, grief, and joy.

• Creative & Cultural Strategy Integration
  Wove in art, poetry, comedy, and joy as tools for resilience and political education—transforming heaviness into collective healing and connection.

• On-the-Ground Comms Execution
  Captured and curated real-time media, aligned with coalition narrative strategy, and maintained public messaging momentum throughout the week.

• Real-Time Facilitation of Dynamic Public Space
  Adapted daily programming to shifting energy and needs—balancing structure with intuition to support both visibility and community safety.

Let’s Work Together

If you're building a campaign, designing community programming, or looking for a creative strategist who can jump in with clarity, care, and urgency—reach out. I support organizations and coalitions in turning powerful ideas into unforgettable action.

📩 mdiep@thrivesocialimpact.org
📌 Based in California | Available for nationwide and remote work