Laughter, warmth, and the irresistible aroma of scrumptious food filled the room at our recent volunteer engagement event. It was a heartening evening dedicated to honoring the incredible neighbors who give their time and energy to Pagosa Springs. Between sharing delicious plates, attendees swapped meaningful stories of community service. The event was a vivid reminder of what makes our community so special, a shared commitment to taking care of one another.
Did you know that Pagosa Springs has numerous ways to get involved and give back? We often read about these needs in the paper, see them online, or hear about them at local churches. If you’ve been looking for a way to roll up your sleeves, here are several wonderful opportunities to make a real difference right in our backyard:
Vista Lake Community Garden
Located near Vista Lake and the PLPOA administrative office, this vibrant space features two distinct garden areas. One garden is dedicated entirely to growing food for the charitable food system. The newer garden space includes a few beds dedicated to growing food for donation and a handful of young fruit trees needing tender love and care. The Vista Lake Community Garden committee regularly seeks volunteers to work the soil. They also host free community events, including children’s outdoor activities, and festive fall harvesting events.
Pagosa Springs Community Garden (Downtown)
Tucked peacefully along the San Juan River Walk, this charming garden provides free, seasonal raised beds for locals to grow vegetables, herbs, flowers, and garlic. The garden coordinator organizes watering, weeding, planting, and harvesting schedules, along with hosting free community-wide gatherings.
Hydroponic Growing
Hydroponic growing is increases local access to fresh, practically year-round produce. Healthy Archuleta currently maintains several vertical growing towers dedicated to producing fresh lettuce, leafy greens, and herbs for the local charitable food system. Under the guidance of Healthy Archuleta’s growing team member, volunteers assist with tower maintenance, planting, harvesting, and cleaning. The towers operate September through July, because greens do not like the heat. The towers take a break during the hottest part of the year. Although we have just shut down the towers for this season, September will be here soon enough. Reach out to Healthy Archuleta if you are interested in this opportunity.
Family Support
This Summer and Fall we have the opportunity to offer support to our families with young children. The Kids in the Mountain Education program ( KIMGE) is a 4 week hands-on garden education experience designed to learn, create, explore, eat and have fun in the garden. Healthy Archuleta welcomes volunteers to join KIMGE to spend positive time outdoors learning practical skills, and support neighbors with young families.
Health Fair
Healthy Archuleta along with our partners in the Rural Health Network are thrilled to present the 4th annual Archuleta Health Fair & Expo! The Health Fair, which will be held on October 24, 2026 this year, brings together healthcare providers, local organizations, nonprofits, businesses, and volunteers to help community members learn about and connect with services that support their health and well-being. In addition the fair also offers low cost labs, adult vaccinations, health care screening, primary care support and more.
Registration is now open. Reserve your spot early and watch for additional information about wellness labs and available screenings. Become a vendor: organizations, healthcare providers, nonprofits, businesses, and community programs are invited to share resources and services with attendees. Sponsors help make affordable health services, education, and community connections possible for local residents. Sponsorship opportunities are available for businesses, organizations, and individuals. Whether you have volunteered in the past or you are new to the health fair, we would love your support in offering this amazing resource to our community There are diverse volunteer opportunities, our sign- up will be posted soon, please check back for the sign-up link.
Ready to Join the Team? While you’re out enjoying the great outdoors in Pagosa Springs, consider spending a few hours supporting your community getting your hands dirty in a community garden, learning about hydroponics, or helping out at a community event. To learn more about how you can support your community visit www.foodcoalition4archuleta.org to fill out our quick volunteer interest form or send us an email at fsfearchuleta@gmail.com.