No one likes waiting. Not in the doctor’s office, for a ride, or for funding to come through to help solve a community problem. So when Questa locals want to solve a problem today, LOR is here to help. We work with Questa residents to move quickly on locally led projects that can have an immediate impact.
Take a recent LOR-supported project at VFW Post 9516 in Cerro. The VFW had acquired new equipment to create a commercial kitchen for the Questa community. But the kitchen lacked a fire suppression system, a requirement for state certification. In January, VFW members approached LOR Questa community officer Maria Gonzalez with a plan to purchase and install that system, outlining how a new commercial kitchen would benefit many Questa residents. Within days, a check from LOR was in the mail for the amount needed for the project.
“We work quickly because we know Questa locals have great ideas that can immediately benefit our community,” Gonzalez says. “While other grants might take weeks, months, or even years, we try to get you the funding you need to start your community project as soon as possible, often within days.”
In fact, in 2024, 45 percent of LOR grants in Questa went from an idea to a check in the mail within seven days. And if you’re not quite out of the starting blocks with your idea yet, Gonzalez can still help. She’s happy to work with those who have ideas but who are, well, still lacing up their shoes. Maybe your project needs volunteers or long-term funding and you don’t know where to look. Or maybe you have a great idea but you’re not sure what you’ll need to get your project off the ground. Gonzalez can serve as a resource, helping you work through your idea, connecting you with other Questa locals, or working to find support beyond LOR.
“You’re never wasting my time,” Gonzalez says. “We help our Questa champions work through their ideas and projects because we know great ideas can take time and support.”
A number of Questa locals have been reaching out to Gonzalez with ideas for beautification projects around the community. Do you have a beautification project in mind? If so, Gonzalez would love to hear it! She’s also interested in ideas that would support local veterans, elderly residents, or farmers and ranchers. Have an idea that would improve water quality or soil health? A project that would expand health care access, including telehealth? Or, a project that would help with local workforce training? Contact Gonzalez at maria@lorfoundation.org or (575) 665-2001 to share your idea and learn how LOR can help.
LOR works with rural communities in the Mountain West to enhance livability and prosperity while preserving the character that makes each community unique.
