Healthy Archuleta Inc

A nonprofit organization
Fundraise

$1,401 raised by 16 donors

14% complete

$10,000 Goal

Dear friends and partners of Healthy Archuleta,

As another year ends, we look to you to support the work of Healthy Archuleta that has been a vital resource for our community members who are most in need, providing access to healthy foods, primary preventive healthcare, and overall equity. 

  1. Please know that we rely on your help and support to continue our mission. 
  2. The cost per participant for the programs that we provide is significant, and we rely on the generosity of others such as yourself to keep it going.  
  3. By donating to our appeal, you can help us continue to listen to the concerns of the community and innovate solutions. 
  4. Our organization fills gaps for those most affected by food and health insecurity in our community.  
  5. By supporting Healthy Archuleta, you are helping to build the foundation of our society.
  6. In addition to many of our efforts, we provide opportunities for young individuals to volunteer, engage in food and health-equity focused work, and contribute meaningfully to their communities. 
  7. Every donation counts, and together we can make a difference in the lives of those who need it most.


Join us in supporting these many efforts:  

  1. Advancing health and nutrition for all: At Healthy Archuleta, we are more than just an organization; we are a community hub dedicated to bringing the best health and wellness solutions to the people of Archuleta county. Our outreach programs connect us to community members educating us about their unique needs. Whether it's through cooking classes with youth, healthy food options for neighbors at food pantries, or insurance literacy for those without access to care, we are looking for ways to support our community.
  2. Youth Engagement and Empowerment: We respond to the ongoing need for education and resources around growing food, cooking, nutrition, and waste reduction for our youth in an effort to build a more sustainable future. Our work with local youth helps gives them valuable experience and skills that will help them enter the workforce.
  3. Building community through growing and sharing: Our  commitment to addressing food insecurity in our community starts with our partnership with the 7 local food pantries to provide them with fresh, locally-sourced meat and produce. We've gone a step further and created a local system for backyard growers and community garden members to donate their excess produce to our Food Distribution Center, where it is then distributed to our neighbors through these food pantries. And that's not all! We've invested in a hydroponic tower that can grow 288 heads of lettuce from seed to table. We're proud to say that every lettuce head is given to food pantries and community members in Archuleta County, ensuring that everyone has access to fresh, healthy greens.
  4. Archuleta Health Fair & Expo: And now, we are excited to announce our latest endeavor - the launch of the annual Health Fair & Expo in partnership with our new Archuleta County Public Health Department, the Pagosa Chamber of Commerce, as well as many other community and local health organizations. This community-led initiative is designed to promote healthy living and wellness for all residents.
  5. Inclusivity and Collaboration: As an organization, we lead by example in identifying and addressing barriers to creating a thriving environment for ALL.

Our Archuleta County community is stronger and more resilient because of the work led by Healthy Archuleta.  Healthy Archuleta is grounded by outreach and coalition-building that leverages local resources for the greatest impact.  Healthy Archuleta builds coalitions to address real and immediate needs for food and, at the same time, expand opportunities for local growers. Healthy Archuleta is also working to identify impediments to good health - education, transportation, access to care among others - so that resources can be targeted to actions that will deliver the best outcomes. Healthy Archuleta delivers because Healthy Archuleta listens and seeks to understand. Your gift will greatly impact our community!

Please give what you can to support OUR community in partnership with Healthy Archuleta.  And please let your friends and neighbors know about Healthy Archuleta.


Our thanks in this season of giving from the Healthy Archuleta Board Members

Lisa Scott, Valarie Groves, Josh Sanchez, Kim Barnes, and Glory Lark

Mission

Healthy Archuleta is dedicated to advancing food production, health and community wellness through food/nutrition resource assistance, educational programs, advocacy, systems work, and promoting community-driven solutions that lead to a healthier Archuleta.

Background Statement

In Archuleta County, 8.2% of families and 11.6% of residents fell below the poverty line in 2017. During that time, an informal group of community members representing different agencies came together to understand the food system with the aim of advancing food equity in our community. For the next two years, this group (Food System|Food Equity Coalition) met and learned about each other’s work as it relates to the residents of Archuleta County. In 2019, through a planning grant from the Colorado Health Foundation (CHF), the Food System|Food Equity Coalition (Coalition), as a project of a fiscal agent (Community United Method Church), conducted a participatory-based community food assessment, developed an implementation plan, and strengthened its Coalition with community member involvement beyond partner agencies. In 2020 with the stay-at-home order resulting from the Pandemic, the Coalition was asked by the Archuleta County Director of the Department of Human Services to work on emergency food work since it had established connections in the community. One of the first activities of the Coalition was to bring the food pantries in the county together to form a network and to work on access to food. It also brought the growers together remotely to encourage and support them to grow food for the food pantry clients. From the Fall of 2019 to the Fall of 2021, the Coalition engaged numerous community members to support food access during the pandemic while working on the implementation plan that was submitted to CHF. The Coalition applied for several grants to support the community with food access and engaged community members as contractors and volunteers to support the work. Activities conducted during this time included a participatory budgeting project that supported community member’s ideas, garden education, cooking demos at food pantries, a pilot mobile food pantry effort, restaurant vouchers for food for community members, procurement and distribution of food through the food pantries and partner organizations, among others.

On September 10, 2021, Healthy Archuleta, Inc. dba: FSFE - Food Coalition was established as a non-profit corporation in the State of Colorado with the mission of being dedicated to advancing food production, health and community wellness through food/nutrition resource assistance, educational programs, advocacy, systems work, and promoting community-driven solutions that lead to a healthier Archuleta. Since then, it has continued to advance its work in line with the outcomes it achieves and in concert with its mission.

Today, Healthy Archuleta is focused on three primary areas of action and learning, which include Health Equity, Nutrition Security, and Community Cohesion. Healthy Archuleta recognizes that at the heart of its work is community engagement and capacity building related to the local food and health system. Toward this end, the current efforts are focused on the following ten areas: 1) Nutrition Security|Health Equity Assessment, 2) Increasing access & utilization of primary & preventive health care, 3) Increasing local food production/supply, 4) Increasing food access & security, 5) Advancing learning about the food system & health promotion/wellness, 6) Language equity, 7) Volunteer engagement, 8) Youth engagement, 9) Community building, and 10) Supporting and strengthening HA’s operation toward sustainability.

At Healthy Archuleta, we strongly believe that access to nutritious food and quality healthcare are fundamental rights that should be available to everyone.

Organization Data

Summary

Organization name

Healthy Archuleta Inc

Year Established

2021

Tax id (EIN)

87-2588549

Category

Food, Agriculture & Nutrition, Health Care, Community Improvement & Capacity Building

Organization Size

Medium Organization

Address

434 LEWIS STREET
PAGOSA SPRINGS, CO 81147

Service areas

Archuleta County, CO, US

Phone

401-206-4579

Email

fsfearchuleta@gmail.com

Website

https://www.foodcoalition4archuleta.org/

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