What’s the first thing you think of when you hear the word “grant?” Is it bureaucracy? A lengthy application? Jumping through hoops and hurdles? How many times has your first thought ever been “easy?” We know even the simplest grants can be challenging. That’s why at LOR we work differently, making grants both accessible and uncomplicated for Questa residents. In many cases, all that’s required to kick-start a project is a simple conversation with Questa Community Officer Maria Gonzalez.
One such conversation happened last November when Gonzalez met with a member of the Latir Volunteer Fire Department. During the meeting, the firefighter shared his concerns that the fire department lacked winter protection for its tanker trucks and UTVs. Exposed to the elements, hoses and other hardware could freeze and break, hampering the department’s response to local wildfires the rest of the year. The firefighter asked Gonzalez for funding for the department’s most pressing request, a storage shed. But as Gonzalez helped him troubleshoot the project, they talked through another need: a heater and new propane line for the building. LOR’s funding is now helping the Latir Volunteer Fire Department purchase and install both a new steel building and a heating system to keep Questa’s wildland firefighters ready to protect the community.
“So many people in our community have great ideas, but they can’t access the funding to support those ideas,” Gonzalez says. “We believe that grants should be open and easy for anyone in Questa who has a community solution and the passion to see it through.”
LOR has no formal application for grants. Instead they take it one step further by working directly with Questa residents to guide them through the grant process. One recent example began during a community conversation in 2024. One member of the Cerro Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post 9516 spoke with Gonzalez about a few older veterans who were unable to drive to their medical appointments; she pitched her idea to Gonzalez to create a telehealth space for Questa’s elderly veterans. Though the timing wasn’t right initially for the group, Gonzalez continued to stay in touch and offer her support. In March, after a quick text, the two connected, ironing out the details and submitting the funding request in short order. With LOR’s support, the VFW’s telehealth room will be complete with a computer, webcam, and other supplies, allowing Questa veterans to visit their providers without traveling to Taos or Albuquerque.
“I’m here to be a sounding board and guide,” Gonzalez says. “You don’t have to have a final project or have ever applied for a grant before. All you have to have is a desire to make your community solution a reality.”
One area where Gonzalez is especially eager to see fresh thinking is around transportation and housing. Have you thought of a simple way to help neighbors get groceries or figured out how to weatherize homes more affordably? Maybe you’ve identified a small fix that could make a big difference—like creating a tool library. If so, Gonzalez wants to hear from you! You can contact her at maria@lorfoundation.org or (575) 665-2001 to learn how easy working with LOR can be.
LOR works with rural communities in the Mountain West to enhance livability and prosperity while preserving the character that makes each community unique.
