Welcome to Gunnison: A community modeling rural belonging
Surrounded by mountains and sage brush landscapes, Gunnison, Colorado may look like other rural mountain towns: quiet, remote, perfect for connecting with nature, and a hub for seasonal workers.
Look closer, though. Among local organizations and leaders, growing efforts for connection and belonging are in bloom.
Despite its small population of 16,000 residents, Gunnison County is home to people from all over the world. Over 10% of the local population comes from Central and South America, including the N'ayeri people — an Indigenous community from Mexico — and newcomers from Mexico, Colombia, Venezuela, and Ecuador. At least 43 languages are spoken in the Gunnison Valley, according to the Gunnison Valley Community Foundation.
“One of the strengths of Gunnison is being a smaller community,” says Ricardo Esqueda, Community and Policy Liaison at the City of Gunnison. “[We are] able to rely on each other more, and collaboration impacts how we work together.”
The result? A coalition and plan that turn good intentions into real action, making Gunnison a place where everyone can feel at home.
How Gunnison built its welcoming coalition
Welcoming work began at the grassroots in the early 2000s. Local leaders, nonprofits, and the library stepped up to fill gaps. They saw needs and met them, one person at a time.
Then, in 2021, the City created something new: the Community Outreach Liaison role. This marked a shift in local government operations.
The role bridges the local government and immigrant communities. According to Esqueda, “there were areas with gaps” before he started. The City joined Welcoming America’s Rural Welcoming Initiative, encouraging them to think more intentionally about partnerships. Who else needed to be at the table? What voices were missing?
For one, Hispanic Affairs Project, a nonprofit serving immigrants in Western Colorado, brought long-time community leaders to the table.
“After years of great collaboration, we came with the specific goal to explore opportunities to become a welcoming city,” shares Ricardo Perez, Executive Director of Hispanic Affairs Project.
“We started presenting the idea to key community leaders and requested the support of the Community Foundation of the Gunnison Valley as a very respected organization. We were able to plant the seed within the City and County to make this happen.”
Connections like this ultimately led to the formation of the Gunnison Cultural Connection (GCC) — a coalition that represents different sectors leading inclusion efforts across Gunnison Valley. The coalition includes immigrant neighbors, a local elected official, several staff from the city and county governments, representatives from a nonprofit, and the region’s community foundation.
Over seven months, the GCC worked together to review which policies and programs already exist in Gunnison. They used Welcoming America’s Welcoming Standard as their guide. They listened to feedback from the immigrant community early and often, and are continuing to hold listening sessions through the end of 2025.
What emerged from all that work? The framework for a draft immigrant inclusion plan.
“The idea is that we have a living document that we can refer back to for the next three to five years to give us all direction and goals to serve the community,” says Erica Boucher, the City Clerk of Gunnison.
Investing in relationships and community
The Community and Policy Liaison role has grown since 2021. Esqueda now works with City departments and partner agencies across the valley. Because of the City’s involvement, more nonprofits and the County government have stepped up too.
The City is actively connecting with immigrant community leaders who are already doing the work. “They can be a direct link between local government and what's happening within their neighborhoods,” Boucher shares.
Esqueda’s advice for other communities who want to do this work? Start with the right people.
“Gathering the group of stakeholders that you need at the table is the most important first step. Then, establish partnerships and trust, and lay down a vision of the goals that you have for your community.”
Trust takes time
Change moves at the speed of trust. In Gunnison, partnerships have been slowly growing for decades.
Hispanic Affairs Project is one of the key organizations that’s been working in Gunnison for years — since 2006 to be exact.
“We are very intentional when collaborating. We are looking for collaboration that gives us impact,” Perez says. “We have only five staff people, including myself, trying to advance leadership development, advocacy, and direct services and we know that collaboration is key.”
Hispanic Affairs Project’s collaboration with the city is a testament to the potential impact of the Gunnison Cultural Connection and the development of a draft immigrant inclusion plan. It’s one of a select few partnerships that the organization has recently invested in.
Working together brought new challenges and opportunities. Everyone in the community has a unique perspective about what welcoming means and how to achieve it. For some, Gunnison already seemed like a welcoming community, but this didn't represent the lived experience of all community members. Listening to every voice was important for understanding the group’s goals and individual roles within Gunnison, and providing a constructive way to resolve concerns.
“It took us over a year to set the foundation for a united coalition because people had come from different backgrounds, different experiences,” says Boucher. “There was a learning curve in order to make sure that everybody's voices, experiences, and abilities were heard.”
Rising to the challenge
With anti-immigrant rhetoric on the rise, communities like Gunnison have to stay nimble and responsive.
When fears about immigration enforcement surfaced, the city council and police department acted quickly. They stepped up to provide facts and reassure members of the community and reminded them of their rights, protected by the Constitution and state and local laws.
Education sessions are helping the community build trust with law enforcement. The City wants residents to feel comfortable calling 911, reporting a crime, or asking a police officer for assistance — especially if they’ve had negative experiences in other communities they’ve lived in, whether in the U.S. or abroad.
“In the past, there were some negative experiences [with law enforcement] for some people that created distrust,” Esqueda shares. “We're still trying to build those bridges.”
The school district joined the effort too. They’ve been advancing cultural and linguistic inclusion for years. After conversations with the GCC, the school district joined the Welcoming Network. Now, they educate others on their policies — including what happens if immigration enforcement shows up at schools.
The road ahead
Transparent and proactive communication and engagement is building trust and strengthening relationships across Gunnison. More nonprofits are joining the coalition. Community resilience is growing stronger. Neighbors understand each other better.
Esqueda sees the people of Gunnison as the driving force. The draft immigrant inclusion plan is just their roadmap.
“Uniting people is the most important thing we can do,” Esqueda reflects. “Regardless of what plays out in Gunnison, we will continue to have a plan in place of how we want to do things as a community.”
Perez adds, “The [draft] plan presents many good ideas, comments, and solutions. But the success of this plan now depends on the ways that the city and other agencies embrace and collaborate with immigrants.”
For other small towns watching Gunnison's work, the message is simple: Start where you are. Build trust. Listen to your community. Most importantly, belonging doesn’t happen by accident. It's something we create, one relationship at a time.
Learn how to bring this work to your community
Communities interested in starting their own welcoming work can join the Welcoming Network — a growing movement of 300+ nonprofits and local governments — working to build more inclusive and welcoming communities in the United States.
By joining as a member, you receive tools, resources, technical assistance, and a global community of practice to help your community become a more welcoming place.
