- An Alliance For Community Action
- (970) 256-7650
- info@WesternColoradoAlliance.org
Our Alliance continues to grow in Montrose!
Our Alliance continues to grow in Montrose!
What a summer it’s been đŸŒ» Our members in the Uncompahgre Valley Alliance (UVA) have been doing incredible work, so let’s get into it!
Campaigns, fundraising, and trainings, oh my!
Once a year, we send members to the Principles of Community Organizing (POCO) training so they can come back with skills to be the leaders who transform our communities into more healthy, just, and self-reliant places. We had the honor of sending a six-member delegation from our Alliance, with two members representing Uncompahgre Valley Alliance. After a coffee meeting with one of our newer members from Delta County, I knew this training would be an amazing opportunity for her. Let’s hear about Rylee Lopez’s experience!
→ What motivated you to participate in POCO?
I was ultimately motivated to learn how organizing tools are used to build campaigns and how they are used to involve their members and the community at large when working on issues.
→ What was your favorite lesson or learning?
One of the sessions during POCO had to do with storytelling. When talking about the work of our organization, I learned that when someone asks “what do you do,” to instead try answering with “why” we do it and use examples from our community to introduce our work.
→ What would you say to someone who would consider attending POCO?
I would say you only have things to gain! This is a great opportunity to learn from those experienced as well as those new to organizing, but all working on similar issues in their own communities. I could really sense that POCO leaders and facilitators were passing on knowledge through their own experience of community organizing.
Thank you, Rylee, for representing our Alliance and continuing your education as a dedicated member. If you or someone you know would be interested in POCO next year, let’s chat!
Future Abundance
This past Wednesday, we had the honor of hosting the first-ever in-person Seeds of Community Action event at the Montrose Recreation Center. Over 20 people attended, and all had a great time answering Uncompahgre Valley-based trivia questions, eating chili, learning about our program areas, and spending relational time together. It’s proof that we are building power together. Truly an exciting time!
Organizing Committee Update
For those who are new or may have missed it, I have been working with a committee of seven member-leaders charged with the mission of revitalizing Uncompahgre Valley Alliance. Over the summer, we have been focused on wrapping up deep listening, planning events, and tabling so we can get our name out there. All in all, we have engaged over 180 people in deep listening over the past year and a half, and are about to enter the research action phase of the organizing model we use, which gets us closer to picking our issue-based campaign! Which brings me to a big announcement…
We are planning a community conversation in December! An RSVP form is coming soon, but I wanted to make sure you all had this information. We look forward to seeing you there — we need your input!
I hope you all had a great summer! Share this newsletter with a friend to spread the word about our work. Thank you for reading and supporting our Alliance.
Bianca Diaz hails from northeast Florida, and brings a background in volunteer management, activism, and community building. She worked in the procurement world for a few years before making the big leap to move out west. She landed a position as an AmeriCorps VISTA with Colorado Canyons Association and the Bureau of Land Management to connect youth and families to the three National Conservation Areas here on the Western Slope. During her year of service, she realized that helping people and working to solve the root causes of our most pressing social issues was her true passion. Off the clock, she loves reading random Wikipedia articles, listening to music, taking care of her worm compost bins, walking her dog, and stargazing!