The hOurTime timebank is up to 90 members and continues to grow! To learn more, visit www.da-cu.org.

 

DACU received a grant from NMSU/Fred Hutch Cancer Research Center U54 Partnership for the Advancement of Cancer Research. In collaboration with NMSU sociology professor Julie Rice and the Children, Youth and Families Department, we will enroll biological and foster families in the timebank. We'd love to hear your suggestions for other organizations with whom we might partner.

In December, DACU held our first ever fundraiser/networking event. We auctioned o ff 30 innovative services, built connections between community members, and raised $7,500! Many thanks to our generous DACU members and friends who donated and purchased services, as well as to Paso Del Norte Foundation which provided matching funds through their Challenge Grant program.

We hope to hold another event this summer, so stay tuned. If you'd like to donate a service for it (the more unusual, the better!), please email us at dacukari@gmail.com. 

Our community mapping partners have been an incredible addition to our team! We meet twice a week at St. Luke's Health Care Center and at the Juvenile Citation Program. Separately and together, these groups explore their surrounding neighborhoods, develop recommendations for improvements, and work with the City to begin implementing them. Projects include relocation of bus stops so they are closer to Community of Hope and traffic calming measures, including colorful crosswalks.

We will continue working with St. Luke's and JCP this spring, as well as add The Beloved Community, which plans to map and survey nonformal associations, and NMSU nursing students, who will map and survey information related to extreme heat events.

Our community work intersects with Lisa LaRocque's coordination of an interdepartmental group at the City, which is identifying avenues and mechanisms for implementing more equitable plans, policies, processes, and programs.  Join us as we forge new collaborative models that bring community and local government together!

       

Social Equity Mapper Michael Seamster exploring the JCP neighborhood to indicate problems that need to be addressed.

We would like to recognize timebank member  Susan Ansara for her outstanding contributions. Since joining in November, she has provided numerous services to other members and is willing to help in any way she can. She also volunteered at last month's fundraiser and is passionate about creating a stronger time banking community. 

Thank you so much for your support, Susan!