Doña  Ana Communities United

April 2019  Newsletter

It's been a great April and we are excited to share what we've been doing!

In this newsletter, you'll read about our reunion with former coordinators Meredith Severtson and Parisa Shirazi, our successful Human Kind United fundraising campaign, updates on member-led projects, and of course the guests who appeared on Kari's weekly radio show, Just Community,   this month.

Many thanks for all you do to make our work--and our world--wonderful! It is a joy building community with all of you.

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
May 4, 10:30 AM-Noon (DACU office)
June 12, 6-7:30 PM (DACU office)

DACU/Timebank Picnic
May 10, 5:30-8 PM (Young Park)
Help us celebrate our renewed funding!  Please RSVP to  Mairead.
Feel free to bring a yard game, dessert, or alcohol-free drink.

DACU Team Meeting
May 30, 11 AM-1 PM (DACU office)

Click here for full details.
You'll find directions to the DACU office at the bottom of this newsletter.

DACU Reunion!

This month we were overjoyed to welcome home former timebank coordinators Meredith Severtson and Parisa Shirazi.  They braved blizzard conditions, arriving safely and on time for a busy weekend of catching up with timebank friends and DACU staff. 

It was more than just a fun visit. Current DACU staff were so appreciative to have Meredith and Parisa with us as we thought through the future of our organization at our yearly retreat. Their reflection, honesty, and care for DACU is so important to us. Thank you, Meredith and Parisa, for continuing to be involved in our work and community!


Timebank member Steve Harris created two new portraits for Enrique and Mairead!

"Auto Susan" in action.
Parisa enjoying the potluck activities.

Member-Led Projects

Check out some of the work that DACU members have been leading!

Policymakers Graduates
Shana Bachus, Shelly Nichols-Shaw, and Austin Dingle recently completed the Partners in Policymaking Program of New Mexico which aims to build future advocates and leaders for New Mexico in the area of disabilities. We are so proud of them, and grateful that they are putting their knowledge into action!



McClure Accessibility Walk
Members of The Beloved Community and Finding Our Voice worked with DACU mappers to host an Accessibility Walk down McClure road on April 29th. Participants traversed a stretch with wheelchairs and walkers, noting that traffic speed and volume are particularly concerning. Residents are excited to come together in the future to try out some tactical urbanism on this busy road!

Integrated Pest Management
Join us at the City Council work session at 1 PM on Monday May 20th to provide input into the City's fledgling Integrated Pest Management (IPM) policy! We also encourage your presence at the vote, which will take place at the following week's meeting. Our Gallagher Park project members are excited to see the City take this next step to adopt safer and more sustainable pest practices.

Fundraising Success!

We are gratified to announce that we surpassed our Human Kind United fundraising goal by raising  $6,385! Thanks to all of you who donated to our campaign to extend the timebank to incarcerated folks and their families. We are now eligible to receive additional funds from the USA Today Network and should know more in June.

The project will include  a print newsletter to inmates and pen pal pairs on the inside and outside. We hope  to hold our first pen pal orientation in a month or two. If you're interested in becoming a pen pal, contact Mairead.
We'd love for all of you to be involved!

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 April:
  • Eugenia Bunt (the mental health system and life as a young mom)
  • Linda Morina (being black in small-town West Texas)
  • Haley Plucheck (building community)
  • Michael Combs (a back-to-the-land musician)
You can listen to archived shows here. If you know someone who would be an interesting guest, please  contact Kari. 
 
Michael just celebrated his birthday!
Linda shares at the team meeting.

Eugenia and baby Elijah are ready!
Fare well, Haley!

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
Our Vision:

Our 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.

Our Initiatives:
(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.  (3) Just Community radio show: Residents with lived experience of social inequities share their insights into how we can work together to advance equity in our county.