I hope this warm weather and plentiful sunshine is creating more outdoor time and lightening moods for you and your loved ones. There is nothing quite like hearing the birds when they return or seeing the turkey vultures who love to hang out in the tall trees around Cottonwood Park.

MVR is starting our year out cautiously with a smaller scale fundraising event and perhaps the return of our online auction but its still up in the air. We could still use your support!

There is a nationwide movement happening called Share the Stimulus where people are donating their stimulus checks to charities in need. If you’re fortunate enough to have been working steadily, have an emergency fund in place and feel generous, MVR or any of its 15 projects would be very appreciative of your generosity.

Here is a recap of our projects and their missions:

THE BELONGING PROJECT
The Belonging Project is committed to loving our neighbor and supporting our common humanity.  Belonging provides educational opportunities and dialogue to increase the experience and knowledge of creating a diverse and inclusive community.

CHICKEN CREEK NORDIC TRAILS
For winter recreation, CCNT creates and grooms more than 20 kilometers of track for classic- and skate-style Nordic skiing on U.S. Forest Service land near Mancos. During summer, they maintain the same trails for hiking and horseback riding.

DEEP CREEK RANCH
This organization inspires regenerative relationships with the natural world, community and food systems. They strive to share their 200 acre multi-generational family ranch and farm in Mancos with community through events, farmstays and collaborative programming.

FOUR CORNERS SOCIAL JUSTICE COLLABORATIVE
The goal of the Four Corners Social Justice Collaborative is to mobilize communities throughout the region to address the root causes of inequity and health disparities by providing accessible opportunities for social justice education, relationship and network building, and leadership development.

THE GIVING TREE
For over 23 years, The Giving Tree has provided gifts, food, and utilities vouchers for residents in the Mancos Valley during the holiday season from Thanksgiving through Christmas.

MLK JR BREAKFAST
Started in 2009, this project is a community celebration of the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and the ramifications of his work. It also brings the community together to kick off the New Year. This free event hosted 80-90 community members in 2020.

MANCOS FOODSHARE
Mancos FoodShare is dedicated to comprehensively addressing hunger and food security in the Mancos Valley by supporting healthy and local food access, education, production and distribution.

MANCOS FARMERS’ MARKET
The Mancos Farmers’ Market strives to provide affordable, locally grown, seasonally available produce as well as other locally sourced and crafted products to the residents of the Mancos Valley.

MANCOS TRAILS GROUP
This organization seeks to promote trail stewardship and etiquette for all trail users in the Mancos Valley. Its volunteers are actively involved in various Forest Service Projects (the Mancos Spur and the Chicken Creek/Millwood Area Trails), BLM Projects (the Aqueduct Area), and Town of Mancos Projects (Paths to Mesa Verde and the Mancos River Trail).

MANCOS VALLEY CHORUS 
A nonprofit organization operating under the MVR umbrella since 1998, Mancos Valley Chorus participants are mostly Mancos Valley residents but not limited to Mancos. The chorus offers two semiannual concert series performing at four different venues in Mancos, Cortez, and Durango.

MANCOS YOUTH SPORTS
Mancos Youth Sports is dedicated to providing the youngest of Mancos’ athletes the opportunity to participate in wrestling and football. They teach fundamental athletic skills athletes will use as they grow. The coaches use sports as an opportunity to teach life lessons and mentor young athletes to become leaders in the classroom and community.

MT. LOOKOUT GRANGE
The goals of the Mt. Lookout Grange are to nurture community and fellowship by maintaining an affordable and accessible gathering place, to promote and facilitate educational activities, to encourage intergenerational connections, and to support local agriculture.

MONTEZUMA YOUTH ALLIANCE
Montezuma Youth Alliance’s vision is to improve the lives of youth by creating opportunities for empowerment; building pride and self-awareness through community service. We envision a place where all youth belong, joining with trusting adults who can support and mentor as our youth discover their potential & grow into powerful leaders of Montezuma County.

PAINTED TURTLE STUDIO 
Painted Turtle provides a community arts center where people of all ages and demographics can come and learn different forms of art. It also provides a safe place for artists to teach, create and sell their work.

THE PAY IT FORWARD FUND 
PIFF is a fund established to support Mancos Valley residents who are in need of financial support as a result of unexpected medical situations or personal hardships such as loss of employment due to COVID-19.

If you are looking for a way to give back during this time, there is no better way than supporting your local community. Consider sharing your stimulus check and help those less fortunate right here at home.

Best,

Kim Cox
MVR Administrator

Welcome to our New Project!

                          Mancos Youth Sports 
Mancos Youth Sports is dedicated to providing the youngest of Mancos’ athletes the opportunity to participate in wrestling and football. They teach fundamental athletic skills athletes will use as they grow into our middle and high school programs and beyond. The coaches use sports as an opportunity to teach life lessons and mentor young athletes to become leaders in the classroom and community. For more information contact Genevieve at 970-258-2547 or mancosyouthsports@gmail.com.