Today’s meeting was a chance to get updates on COVID response from members of the community in Las Cruces.

    The biggest challenges that we identified were the issues of mental health and access to broadband. As more people have come to rely on the internet this year, the lack of access has hit even harder. The mental health system was also strained before the pandemic, but has become even more so now; asylum seekers have to go through a two-week quarantine before they qualify for services, which has put a greater burden on the infrastructure. Community members are working with local groups to make sure that there are options for socialization; Kids Can is helping children become entrepreneurs and making sure that children are able to become effective advocates for social change.

    The New Mexico Aging and Long Term Services Department is also working on a project to make sure that those in long-term care facilities and nursing homes are able to get holiday cards! In Doña Ana County, the sheriff’s department is assisting with letter collection and delivery. If you are interested, you can drop off letters in person, or send them to Ferrales-Narvaez at Doña Ana County Sheriff’s Office, 845 N. Motel Blvd., Las Cruces, New Mexico 88007.

    For our next meeting, we’ll be discussing how to recover after the pandemic; rural communities like Las Cruces haven’t gotten a seat at the table in the past, and it’s more important than ever to make sure that solutions for recovery help all New Mexicans. Let’s think about what recovery looks like beyond reopening!