Meet the Committee Members Behind Southside Collaborative: Guadalupe and Miguel

Building a Better South Side, One Step at a Time.

When Guadalupe Campos and Miguel Padilla moved to San Antonio’s South Side nearly two decades ago, they brought with them a quiet strength — the kind that’s grown from years of grassroots advocacy. Originally from California, they were already deeply involved in their community back then, though they didn’t have a name for what they were doing.

“We were always advocating for the community,” Guadalupe recalled. “But we didn’t know then that what we were doing was community health work.”

It wasn’t until settling in Texas that they learned about the role of a Community Health Worker — and realized it had been their path all along.

“When we came to San Antonio, we started learning about the career of becoming a community health worker,” Guadalupe said. “And then we started getting more involved with the community.”

For the last 12 years, the couple has continued to serve their neighbors — offering support, resources and a patient ear to anyone who needs it. “We’ve been working with the communities, advocating for them, guiding them to better health,” Guadalupe shared.

But working with the community also meant recognizing just how much the South Side lacks.

“On the Southside, we don’t have many resources,” Guadalupe said. “We have one clinic… the little convenience stores around, but nothing else.” Access to healthy food, pharmacies, or nearby hospitals is rare. Sidewalks and public transportation are just as scarce.

Miguel put it simply: “We don’t have a place to walk in this area. We don’t have sidewalks.”

Transportation, in particular, has been a major hurdle. Guadalupe recently tried to help a neighbor find an affordable ride to a doctor’s appointment. She found a local company offering transportation for $5 each way — but when she called, they told her the service stopped at Loop 1604. “After 1604, they don’t do the service,” she explained.

Still, they remain hopeful — and proactive. Both Guadalupe and Miguel are now involved with the Southside Collaborative, and for them, it’s opened the door to renewed energy and a deeper sense of purpose.

“I’m so happy that they invited us to participate with this coalition,” Guadalupe said. “Because I know we’ll be involved in what’s happening in the community.”

She’s especially excited that they’ll now be able to share information with their Spanish-speaking neighbors. “We have a lot of people interested to come, but they speak Spanish,” she said. “But I think we can bring the information to them.”

In partnership with coalition members, Guadalupe and Miguel hope to help make the meetings and materials more inclusive — whether that means translating handouts or interpreting discussions. “Maybe we can sit with them and try to, you know, translate,” Guadalupe offered.

Looking to the future, both Guadalupe and Miguel see opportunity — if the community can stay connected and committed to progress.

“In five years,” Guadalupe said, “I would love to see a better place… green spaces for the people, more involvement with the community.” She’s encouraged by signs of change, like the reopening of El Carmen Center and the presence of education programs at the Southside Education & Training Center. “Now we have more accessibility for people around here — they can come here and take ESL and other classes.”

Miguel is focused on the growing population and what it will mean for the neighborhood. “More houses, more traffic… we need more schools,” he said. “For the seniors, we don’t have a lot of things here. They need transportation. They need medical assistance.”

Despite the challenges, they believe the Southside is headed in the right direction. “I’m happy because now we are getting together and trying to resolve issues,” Guadalupe said. Providing “more access for our residents to go wherever they want to go. That would be a big help.”

They know that real change doesn’t come easily — but also that it doesn’t happen unless people show up.

“If we don’t get together and get involved trying to make better things,” Guadalupe said, “nothing is going to change. You have to fight for it.”