Doña  Ana Communities United

January 2019  Newsletter

Happy new year to all our friends and supporters! We are entering 2019 energized and engaged, and with optimism to create a more equitable world. 

In this newsletter, you'll read about how we're kicking off the year: electing a new cohort to the timebank steering committee, attending the legislative session with ACLU, and hosting friends from the New Mexico Health Equity Partnership (NMHEP). You'll also read about our latest team meeting, and of course hear about this month's guests on Kari's weekly radio show, Just Community.

Many thanks for all you do to make our work--and our world--wonderful!

In good health,
Kari, Mairead, and Enrique

Director 
 Outreach Coordinator Mapping Coordinator
Kari Bachman Mairead McCarthy Enrique Solis
dacukari@gmail.com dacumairead@gmail.com
 dacuenrique@gmail.com
575-496-4330
 575-323-0730
 575-201-3855



Upcoming DACU Events

Timebank Orientation
February 12, 5:30-7 PM

Timebank Game Day
February 16, 1-3 PM

All events are held at the DACU office:
151 S Walnut Street, Unit B13.
You'll find directions at the bottom of this newsletter.

Timebank Updates

Elections:
The timebank is electing members to serve on the timebank steering committee (TBSC), and voting is open now! If you are a timebank member and have not yet voted, please click here to do so, or visit the DACU office to vote in person. Voting is open until 7 PM on February 4th. If you need accommodations to participate in the election, please email Mairead or call her at  575-323-0730.

The TBSC is an elected group of five to nine active timebank members that meets monthly to work collaboratively with DACU staff to strengthen and grow the timebank. Members serve two-year terms.

You can vote for all the candidates you believe would make good steering committee members. Candidates who are approved by at least 50% of the members who cast ballots will be elected.

Voting for the TBSC kicked off at our January potluck.

International Timebank Call:
A monthly call has been initiated for timebankers around the world! Participants have the chance to share timebank experiences and connect to the wider timebank movement.  We hope you'll join in the fun!

The Timebank Members Around the World (TMAW) calls are held on the third Wednesday of each month, from 12 to 1:30 PM. The next call will be on February 20th, and we will let you know how to participate on the timebank announcement page and on the timebank Facebook page.

Upcoming Timebank Orientation:
If you'd like to join the timebank or learn more about it, we invite you to attend our next orientation on February 12th from 5:30 to 7 PM at the DACU office.

Trip to the Legislature with ACLU

We always welcome opportunities for our community members to share their experiences and educate decision makers. In late January, seven DACU members traveled to Santa Fe to participate in the Immigrant Day of Action at the 2019 New Mexico legislative session. DACU members spoke with elected officials about challenges faced by immigrants and got to meet residents from across the state.

Another group of DACU members will join Strong Families NM and the NM Coalition to End Homelessness at the legislature in early February. Look for the story in next month's newsletter!

DACU members Jorge and Zack participate in a rally outside the Roundhouse.
DACU Hosts a Visit by NMHEP

DACU was happy to host Jessi Jensen and JoJo Fernandez from the New Mexico Health Equity Partnership (NMHEP) during a recent trip to Las Cruces. While interning with  NMHEP, JoJo collected stories of New Mexicans' experiences with healthcare, and DACU members were happy to share their experiences. The pair also visited with many DACU groups to learn about our projects, including Gallagher Park, Finding Our Voice, the Nevada Neighborhood, and the Community of Hope.
 
Photos by Jessi Jensen   
Jessi and JoJo meet up with Shana and John (not pictured) at Gallagher Park.
DACU mappers show our visitors around the Community of Hope.


DACU Team Meeting

DACU team meetings happen once every two months and are a great chance to catch up on our work.  January's meeting provided an opportunity to learn about urban planning and tactical urbanism from Brian Byrd, formerly a planner at the City of Las Cruces. (We will miss you, Brian, and wish you well!) In addition, members of The Beloved Community performed a newspaper theatre piece to raise awareness about what it feels like to wait for years to receive services under the Developmental Disabilities Waiver.

The next DACU team meeting will take place on March 21st from 11 AM to 1 PM at the  DACU office, and all are invited to attend. We hope you'll make plans to join us!

Photos by Robert Yee
Brian shares examples of tactical urbanism projects from around the globe.
The Beloved Community acts out what it feels like to have services taken away.
Just Community Radio Show

Kari continues to broadcast her radio show Just Community on KTAL-LP every Thursday morning from 8 to 9 AM. (Locally, tune your dial to 101.5 FM, or listen to the show  online from anywhere in the world .)  The show focuses on social equity and features voices not often heard in our community. These guests and topics were featured in January:
  • Mairead McCarthy (on two shows: income inequalities at boarding school; living with student debt)
  • David Medina (recovering from a traumatic brain injury)
  • RoseAnn Hernandez (working as a corrections educator)
  • Raúl Esparza (connecting across cultural divides after incarceration)
If you'd like to listen to archived shows or know someone who would be an interesting guest, please  contact Kari.


Mairead and David in the station lobby.

Raúl
Raúl and Kari after their interview.

Directions to Our Office
151 South Walnut Street, Unit B13  map

You'll find DACU at the corner of Walnut and Griggs in the Walnut Business Park.  Please call before you come by as we may be out and about in the community!

 

We are just a few blocks away from several bus routes: Route 6 (stops 16 and 17), Route 7 (stop 20), and Route 8 (stop 5).  For more information, visit the  Roadrunner Transit webpage.

visionmission
Vision:

Mission:
Doña Ana Communities United (DACU) creates welcoming spaces for all people, especially those whose voices and stories go unheard. We build genuine relationships, carry out uplifting projects, and engage with local government.

DACU conducts two main projects. (1) Social equity mapping: Undervalued community members explore their neighborhoods and work with local decision makers to develop policies that advance health equity. Current efforts focus on the Community of Hope, Gallagher Park, the Nevada Neighborhood, and Lisa Drive in Chaparral. (2) hOurTime timebank: Members build social cohesion and practice an equitable form of alternative economics by exchanging  services.