Gerard's House
A labor of love
When Gerard’s House grief support groups were in-person, they were centered around a shared experience of grief, using modalities such as play, talking circles and art. On virtual platforms, the felt sense of connection in grief support groups is sometimes more difficult to create, attention spans are shorter and, perhaps most challenging of all, privacy is often limited (with people walking around in the background on one group member’s screen while another group member is sharing about their person who died, for example).
One solution to all of these problems has been partnering with arts organizations and other collaborative partners to create activity packets that we deliver to our families’ homes. In groups, we do activities together using the delivered supplies.
In the above photo, two kiddos in GriefConnections support groups are enjoying donated quilts from activity bags thatGerard’s House staff delivered to their homes in Espanola in November 2020.Their mom shared that she didn’t know what was going to be in the bags we dropped off, but: “Thank you, they’re so excited! You truly made their day! My sons are in the group because both their grandma and their dad passed away, a month apart. Grandma was a seamstress who made them a blanket every Christmas! Their eyes lit up when they saw they each had their own homemade blanket!”
During their online groups, kids snuggle in quilts lovingly handmade uniquely for them by the New Mexico Quilters Guild. Coordinating donated items for activity bags, putting bags together and delivering them to families across northern New Mexico has been a labor of love for Gerard's House staff, interns and volunteers. This is just one story to illustrate the healing effect of these deliveries for grieving kids and families.
River Source
River Source supports people advancing watershed stewardship to create significant community engagement and long-lasting impacts for intergenerational learning and ecological restoration. We provide science and policy education and the building of watershed and climate resilience in New Mexico. Our goal is to be weavers, bringing together elders, youth, and land managers to spark action for caring for our water, forests, and land and leveraging the full potential of people working together.
The Art of Generosity: Bienvenidos Outreach
The Art of Generosity — our new editorial series with Table Magazine — shines light on the people and organizations strengthening communities across New Mexico. In this first story, we meet Susan Tarver of Bienvenidos Outreach, whose work reflects how compassion, connection, and everyday acts of generosity can help neighbors meet basic needs and build lasting support systems.
La Clínica del Pueblo de Río Arriba
La Clínica del Pueblo de Río Arriba has been a trusted healthcare provider in northern New Mexico for more than 50 years, ensuring families in rural and remote communities can access quality, culturally responsive care close to home. Serving as a primary source of care for infants, toddlers, and caregivers in Rio Arriba County, the clinic recently launched La Clínica Baby Essentials — a new “baby bank” offering essential supplies, parenting education, and infant health screenings.
