After the recession and housing crisis hit San Francisco, California in 2008, Sarah Silva found herself and her family back in her home state of New Mexico and in the very county she grew up in – Doña Ana. Her beliefs and convictions within her faith prompted her to want to help people in her community, and she did so through her efforts in campus ministry.
Sarah envisioned and hoped to one day begin community organizing in her home state of New Mexico. That very opportunity came when Faith in Action (formerly PICO National Network) offered Sarah the opportunity to do so. Through her organizing expertise, faith leaders such as Bishop Ricardo Ramirez, from the Las Cruces Catholic Diocese, Rev. Nancy Anderson from the Unitarian Universalist Church, Rev. Linda Mervine from First Christian Church, and Fr. Andres from St. Anthony Parish became the founding members of NM Comunidades en Acción y de Fe (CAFe).
In 2010, NM CAFe worked on their first organizing campaign through St. Anthony Parish in Anthony, NM. This first organizing opportunity was helping residents incorporate the city of Anthony. The people of Anthony had their first action with a ballot initiative to incorporate Anthony into a city, because residents wanted to be able to make decisions for themselves. Through coordinated efforts between organizing and civic engagement the municipality of Anthony, NM was approved by voters and formed in 2010.
NM CAFe focused their organizing efforts and building relationships with residents who were facing home foreclosure and supported efforts to create the designation of the Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks as a national monument. CAFe was instrumental in organizing efforts in the city of Las Cruces for the raising of the minimum wage in three phases to $10.10 per hour by 2017. In addition to these organizing efforts, this included a partnership and internship program with the School of Social Work at New Mexico State University.
The immigration advocacy work that leaders of CAFe began is what elevated the profile of NM CAFe in southern New Mexico and the southern border. The overwhelming fear from residents in the cities of Anthony and Chaparral prompted NM CAFe, Bishop Ramirez, and community leaders to advocate and push for action to protect the most vulnerable. The organizing movement on immigration became a priority for Faith in Action to be involved in, and prompted the network to recognize that residents living on the border would determine what actions and organizing efforts on immigration would be at the national level.
Since then, NM CAFe has gone on to: advocate and push for Las Cruces, NM to be a “Welcoming City” for all regardless of immigration status, race, gender, etc., help pass a Paid Sick Leave bill in the 60 day New Mexico State Legislative session in 2021, expand our community organizing work and partnerships in on climate justice issues with Power4NM and New Mexico Prospera, push and pass a version of the “Peoples Map” for redistricting at the end of 2021 with the People’s Power, People’s Map coalition, and establish a sister organization 501c4, CAFe Acción.
