HEART of Saguache hosts BBQ for new SLV AmeriCorps Volunteers

On Sunday August 6, 2023 HEART of Saguache hosted a community BBQ to welcome new AmeriCorps members to the Valley, in partnership with Alpine Achievers. These young teachers will be living in communities in the Valley and providing support to all ages of students at our schools. This important program has enriched education in the Valley for many years, and it is with gratitude for these individuals and administrators that HEART celebrates a new year of the program by bringing community members together to meet the volunteers.

HEYA Convening in Alamosa in Summer 2023

From July 24th to August 4th. 2023 HEART of Saguache facilitated the Health Equity Youth Alliance Convening in Alamosa in partnership with Move Mountains, Antonito Together, Transformative Alliances, Shooting Stars Cultural and Leadership Center, The Colorado Health Foundation, and Alpine Achievers. Young people from Saguache, San Luis, and Antonito came together every day for two weeks to learn tenets of health equity, build relationships, and discuss issues of importance to youth in the Valley. Many thanks to the participants, trainers, funders, and adult facilitators for their commitment to this program's first phases. Looking forward, the HEYA will spend fall meeting with decision makers throughout the San Luis Valley and learn about policy and advocacy work in their communities.

Cornerstones Community Partners Returns to Saguache for Adobe Wall Building

On August 2-3, 2023 Cornerstones Community Partners returned to Saguache for a second session of the Saguache Adobe Workshop, in partnership with the Town of Saguache Historic Preservation Commission and HEART of Saguache. Participants built a short wall at the front of Floyd Smith Kids Park in Downtown Saguache and performed a repair of a wall at the Saguache Community Building. Despite summer rains, the building projects were a great success. Thank you to Dr.Lindsey Flewelling, Saguache’s Certified Local Government Preservation Planner at History Colorado for helping the Town of Saguache organize and fund the Saguache Adobe Workshop. Thank you to the National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior for History Colorado, and to the Saguache County Commissioners for funding through a CLG Grant and a Saguache County Sales Tax Grant. Thank you to Patrick Cale and Lukas Lucero for pouring the wall foundation. Thank you to Kenny Lovato for consultation. Thank you to Riley Heater, Neil Fenton, and Bill Hazard for helping move the adobes to the worksite. Thank you to the all workshop participants for your help in bringing this new community feature into being. Thank you to the Casa Milagro Acting Troupe from the American Indian Academy for joining the project. Thank you to the Saguache Town Administration and the Board of Trustees for supporting the program needs. Thank you to Saguache Town Market and The Village Pub for lunches. Thank you to Michael Pacheco for documentation - we look forward to sharing instructional videos with the community soon.