Santa Fe Event Builds on Momentum from To Catch a Dollar Screening

On Monday, April 18, RESULTS-Santa Fe and our local Whole Foods hosted a post-To Catch a Dollar gathering at the Whole Foods Community Room.  Lunch was provided by Whole Foods.  24 people attended including representives from local and global microcredit organizations, Santa Fe’s Mayor, staff from our U.S. Senators offices, potential microcredit borrowers and funders, League of Women Voters, Prosperity Works and other organizations and individuals involved with building assets and ending poverty advocacy.  Seven RESULTS partners/activists were among the group. 

We used the meeting to get acquainted with each other’s work, spread the word about the national poverty awareness campaign following the To Catch a Dollar screenings, including the upcoming RESULTS webinars, and to begin discussion of advocacy needed in Santa Fe and our state/nation to transform how poverty is seen and addressed.  It was great that the day of our meeting was also the day of protests in Santa Fe at Bank of America and Verizon against these companies not paying their taxes. 

Our RESULTS-Santa Fe group is following up this gathering with a meeting next week with the Mayor to have further discussion about what the city is doing to end poverty and how RESULTS and others can participate.  RESULTS-Santa Fe will also commuicate with the nearly 50 organizations and individuals on our contact list for the April 18 gathering about activities, events, and opportunities for action relevant to assets building and microcredit.  We hope to hold another gathering in the summer to discuss advocacy opportunities at the national level and in our 2012 state legislative session.

We want very much to have at least one more showing of To Catch a Dollar in Santa Fe when the film becomes available.  About 115 people saw the film at the Center for Contemporary Arts theater (almost full!) on April 1.  RESULTS-Santa Fe and 5 microcredit organizations had tables.  Great response to the film and great conversation at the tables.

For more about RESULTS participation in the To Catch a Dollar campaign, see RESULTS press release. blog post and To Catch a Dollar Resources page.