Here's how Rural New Mexicans have been dealing with COVID-19
We're excited to share the results of the Rural Voices for COVID Recovery Project with you! At the start of the pandemic, we recognized that rural communities were facing unique challenges that wouldn't be addressed by the traditional relief process. With 1 in 3 New Mexicans living in rural areas, this is a significant lack of representation. To remedy this, we at Health Action convened monthly virtual meetings with members of several communities around the state, from Socorro and Truth or Consequences, Las Cruces, the Colonias, Alamagordo, Roswell, to Clovis and Española. In these meetings we heard from some incredible community leaders - mayors, farmers, sheriffs, students, food bank volunteers, and grandparents. The insights that these communities provided were astounding! While it's easy to see the policy process on paper, hearing how people are affected by those changes offers a different perspective on many issues with relief and rebuilding after the pandemic. Throughout this process, we wanted to make sure that their voices were uplifted, so that policymakers and people outside of rural New Mexico could understand the unique struggles and solutions that have faced 1/3 of our state.