Our vision: DACU aspires to a vibrant Doña Ana County where all human beings are valued and everyone works together as equals to realize our full potential for individual and collective wellbeing.
Our mission: 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 implement policies and projects that advance health equity. Efforts have included the Community of Hope, Gallagher Park, and the Nevada Neighborhood in Las Cruces; Elks Drive in Doña Ana; and Lisa Drive in Chaparral. (2) Mesilla Valley 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. (4) Participatory budgeting: The goal is for directly impacted community members to decide how public funds are spent.