- An Alliance For Community Action
- (970) 256-7650
- info@WesternColoradoAlliance.org
What we’ve heard in our deep listening
On June 1, 2022, Western Colorado Alliance’s organizing team held our first public Deep Listening training not knowing what the summer had in store. We were excited to take a step into the unknown. Our team taught interested Alliance members the art of hearing different viewpoints while asking questions to truly understand communities who typically aren’t heard.
No one has engaged in this type of work on the Western Slope before, and few organizations across the nation have truly deeply listened in their communities.
Four months later, our team knocked over 1,000 doors across Mesa, Montrose, and Garfield Counties, engaging over 200 people in conversation. We have been blown away by the positive responses from people who are willing to share their stories with us.
MONTROSE AND OLATHE
Over the summer, in the cities of Montrose and Olathe, we heard repeated concerns about issues like addiction and substance abuse, affordable housing, neighborhood safety, lack of activities, and diminished community connection.
Montrose County has undergone a huge growth spurt the last ten years, and the county is definitely feeling the growing pains. One-on-one conversations are already underway with residents who are interested in our neighborhood meetings. We are ready to work with these passionate community members who want to see a Montrose that works for everybody.
MESA COUNTY
In Mesa County, we have talked to people in cities from Orchard Mesa to Palisade. Some of the issues that concern our community are affordable housing, low wages, mental health, and community safety. The stories we have heard are inspiring — and heartbreaking.
For instance, we heard this from a man identifying as part of the LGBTQA+ community:
“[You wouldn’t know] by looking at me because I am a white male, who looks fairly ‘normal,’ but I fear that we have no safety within our community.” He told us about his friend from China who was insulted and threatened at gunpoint, and expressed that the safety of our community is in danger, and that gun violence needs to be prioritized. He stated, “I want to get involved but don’t know where to do that.” And we exclaimed, “That’s us! You can get involved and volunteer with us to do more!” He was grateful we came to his door, appreciating that we spoke to him. His willingness to share and get involved is what truly inspires this work.
RIFLE
Residents of Rifle have opened up about their financial struggles and the challenges presented by a rapidly increasing cost of living, shortage of affordable housing, and being forced to commute for jobs that pay a living wage. Additionally, the community is concerned about limited resources for youth, including childcare, K-12 education, and programs outside of school to ensure youth are engaged and supported. Community members express a strong desire to come together and address these issues, but worry that their long hours working, commuting, and parenting will present an insurmountable hurdle to organizing. However, our Alliance is committed to accommodating the needs of our neighbors so we can work together for a better future.
Deep listening has humbled us and we are grateful for those who have shared their personal stories with us. The deeper understanding of the issues that impact our communities locally and the relationships we’ve built through this process are invaluable to our mission of building healthy, just, and self-reliant communities across the Western Slope. And this is only the beginning!
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!
Hanna worked as a geologist in the environmental industry for a decade before shifting her professional focus to community organizing. A huge fan of hiking and camping, she is always happiest outdoors. Her love of nature led to her studies and career in Earth science, but more recently she decided that she could better serve broad environmental interests, such as extractive industry practices, renewable energy, water conservation, and sustainable agriculture, by getting involved with her local community. She is excited for the opportunity to connect with people in Garfield County and help bring the various voices of the community together to create change that benefits all residents and preserves the beautiful Western Slope. In her free time she loves exploring new trails, gardening, and chasing around her two young children.
María Luiza Peréz Chavéz (who sometimes goes by Mary) works closely with the Western Colorado Alliance of Mesa County affiliate group. María is fluent in both English and Spanish and sometimes works as a skilled interpreter. But her love for language goes beyond just English and Spanish; currently, she is also studying French and Japanese! One day, she hopes to attend law school as an avenue to help those in need. Even with her busy schedule, María’s priority is her family. As the eldest of seven children, she has always felt the need to support her parents in any way she can. And somehow, she still finds time to read, swim, listen to music, watch movies, draw, play video games, and hang out with friends!