Darlene Elias

Darlene’s professional career spans 32 years from working on youth leadership development programs with the United Way, runaway youth and their families for RAP, then a program of the YWCA, a s a social worker for Holyoke DCF, a crisis worker for Mount Tom, a clinician, a Juvenile Probation Officer, and now she works to mediate civil petitions in Family Court, and also by helping individuals with their recovery journey from substances and trauma. Darlene has been known to be on the frontline leading Black Lives Matter marches, advocating for housing, education, and immigrant rights, fighting for labor rights as a union Stewart, also for diversity equity and inclusion in the workplace, she has run for political office both as a city councilor and vice president of the United States with the Green Party. She is currently the treasure for Alianza DV services, a cause that is near and dear to her heart as a survivor. She is now embarking upon a career as an author, as her passion is writing and poetry. She is the 2025 Strawdog Emerging Writer Fellow, and recipient of the Valley Creates Assets 4 Artists Building Capacity grant. She has a bachelor’s degree in political science from Mount Holyoke College, and a master’s in social work from Springfield College. Her first loves are her children, and grandchildren. She proudly boasts about the Writing Sisters, a collective of BiPOC and LGBTQ writing women who convene regularly to write, share their work, grow as literary artist and make a difference in the community, which she helped co-found. She currently is working on her memoir and a poetry collection, and her family, friends, and writing sisters serve as her daily inspiration as she feels very loved and supported by them. Her favorite saying is “love heals all wounds, so love as much as you can.” Darlene lives in Holyoke with her partner, and their two dogs Bella and Daisy.