Mutual Aid Partners

06/05/2026

06/03/2026

❤One of MAP's priorities is centering the voices and lived experiences of our community members, especially about decisions that impact them directly.

🤝MAP hosts regular CommUNITY Meetings, in addition to facilitating the People with Lived Experience Advisory Board, which is part of the Unhoused Strategy & Implementation Plan, providing multiple avenues for our neighbors to share their experiences and expertise.

Over the past few years there have been several policy decisions made that have disproportionately impacted our unhoused community negatively: from the abrupt closure of Whitman Park to the premature closure of the Resource Center, to camping bans and more.

Here are some of the statements we've collected over the years. These are mothers, fathers, children, brothers, sisters, friends, and OUR NEIGHBORS. We hope that decision makers will take their voices into account. 🫶

06/03/2026

🗣️Speaking out on issues that impact you is an effective way to share information & insights with your elected leaders. Here’s a quick how-to-guide on making public comment during city council meetings!

06/01/2026

📣CHECK OUT what's happening with Mutual Aid Partners in GJ this week!

Join us on Tuesdays at the DISTRO as we build community with our neighbors in the heart of downtown GJ!   ❣️ Have questions? Email: [email protected] Looking to volunteer? Please fill out our general volunteer form here.

06/01/2026

📣This Wednesday, the Grand Junction City Council will be voting on amendments to 2 city ordinances regarding camping on public property/public places.

👉🏾As they are worded now, these city ordinances prevent the enforcement of trespassing when no shelter is available. To view our city ordinances: https://ecode360.com/44691068 #44714053

📣Mesa County’s unhoused rate is ABOVE the state of Colorado average, with an estimated 2,400+ people experiencing houselessness in our community.

👉🏾Shelter beds, transitional and permanent supportive housing operated by nonprofits, only cover around 18% of the demand.

📣In 2020, the U.S. Government Accountability Office found that for every $100 increase in rent, homelessness rises about 9% nationwide. In Grand Junction, that rate is significantly HIGHER, at almost 15%.

👉🏾In Mesa County, nearly 2,973 households (about 5,999 individuals) are on the waiting list to receive a housing voucher. The current wait time for most types of housing vouchers is estimated at 3-4 years due to limited housing options and funding.

📣Until we have more housing/shelter options that are accessible, we will continue to see neighbors who have no other choice than to sleep outside. Please make your voice heard!

Folks are encouraged to share their thoughts respectfully via email and voicemail before noon on Wednesday or PREFERABLY in person at the regular City Council meeting ON:

📍6/3 at 5:30 pm - 250 N 5th Street (City Hall entrance off 5th Street)

CALL: 970.244.1504 or email:
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]

06/01/2026

📢PSA: Peak times for Excel energy customers means 3X higher rates between 5PM & 9PM.😱

Aviso importante: Para los clientes de energía de Excel, las horas punta implican tarifas tres veces más altas entre las 5:00 p. m. y las 9:00 p. m.

From June 1 through September 30, electricity will cost more during peak hours (5–9 p.m. on weekdays) for Xcel Energy electric customers, but small changes can help lower your bill:

✅ Shift electricity usage to off-peak hours when possible
✅ Turn off the A/C when you’re away
✅ Close curtains during the day
✅ Use fans when possible

Learn more and explore your options on Xcel Energy’s website: https://na2.hubs.ly/H05QL8Q0

06/01/2026

😎Find TJ at the MAP Food Distribution & Resource event every Tuesday!
Thank you Counseling and Education Center - CEC for your continued partnership 🫶

Meet TJ.

TJ is a Licensed Professional Counselor Candidate and Certified Addiction Counselor with more than a decade of experience helping people move toward stability, recovery, and real personal growth. He has been doing this work since 2012, primarily in residential treatment and outpatient settings, walking alongside people navigating substance use and everything that comes with it.

TJ works from the belief that every person's story is unique and that healing requires support built around you, not a one-size-fits-all model. He focuses on practical skill-building and client empowerment, helping people develop the tools they need to move through life with resilience and confidence.

TJ completed his internship right here at CEC, and we are thrilled to welcome him back as a clinician.

Learn more about TJ here: https://www.cecwecare.org/therapists/t-j-gallegos/

06/01/2026

Have you heard of Oasis Clubhouse?

06/01/2026

Many people experiencing homelessness intentionally drink less water when restroom access is uncertain or unavailable.

During the summer heat, that creates even greater health risks.

Infrastructure quietly shapes daily health decisions more than most people realize.