Dulce Castañeda is the daughter of a meat packing plant worker in Crete, Nebraska. As the COVID-19 pandemic first began, Dulce was an early and loud voice raising awareness on the need to protect plant workers from the virus, given the working conditions of meat processing plants. She eventually played a part in forming the group Children of Smithfield, with other sons & daughters of plant workers. The movement has since grown and partnered with similar groups across the state of Nebraska and beyond, as the rates of infection ballooned among plant workers from many communities across the midwest. 

Dulce does a fantastic job unpacking why she felt she had to take a stand for her community, the influx of emotions that such efforts caused her to feel, and how there is still much work to be done to help the workers get their stories out and get the protections they need going forward. 

You can learn more about Dulce & the Children of Smithfield at: https://www.facebook.com/ChildrenOfSmithfield/ 

Join us for Episode 19 of Quest for Fire, the Podcast!