As the weather cools, the changing sights, sounds, and smells of fall surround us. The natural world shifts into a period of rest. It is a season of beautiful change here on the Western Slope, and we come together to welcome the transition with celebrations, traditions, festivals, and a sense of gratitude.

Here at the Western Colorado Alliance, this season is a busy one, but one that gives us tremendous gratitude for the opportunities to connect with our members and broader communities.

Moving into the fall, we are grateful to celebrate our deep listening and deep canvassing initiatives that started this summer. In this first year, alliance members have stepped out to listen to our neighbors and to build relationships with people we’ve never connected with. We’ve strived to identify and build on what connects us in a time when so many feel divided. While the deep listening hit its stride across our Western Slope communities this summer, we’re looking forward to continuing to listen as we transition the work to community meetings that bring people together for collective solution-finding.

One tradition that our Alliance looks forward to is the opportunity to participate in fall elections. Candidates and issues that will impact our lives, our communities, and the world around us are on the ballot across the Western Slope. We deeply value the opportunity and responsibility to make our communities more healthy, just, and self-reliant with our vote. While our alliance will be deeply involved with get out the vote (GOTV) efforts across the state, it doesn’t start or end there. Members and organizers have been working throughout the year to hold elected officials accountable lobbying at the
state legislature, organizing local and statewide initiatives, and participating in opportunities for public comment.

Fall is also the time we share in festivals and other opportunities to come together to share our gratitude for the abundance that surrounds us. One of my personal favorites is our Alliance’s annual MountainFilm on Tour – this year on Sunday, November 13 at the Avalon Theater in Grand Junction. This annual film festival brings us together to share in films that inspire and uplift us.

This year’s film collection centers around ‘the indominable spirit,’ and while we’ll certainly feel impacted and inspired by the power of storytelling through the films, we’ll be reminded of the impact of our own work and the indominable spirit of our own members and communities as we connect in solidarity and reflect on our shared efforts over the last year.