Creating Connections in Eagle County

Vision

An inclusive community where the Hispanic population in Eagle County is empowered.

Mission

Neighborhood Navigator of Eagle County improve the well-being of individuals and families based on community-driven needs.

Navigators Coordinator and Navigator for Dotsero: Norma Gurrola

Norma grew up in Durango, Mexico; and have lived in Colorado for 18 years now. She is a 2004 graduate from Battle Mountain High School and she became a DREAMER, then. She started working and studying an Associate in Early Childhood Education at Colorado Mountain College. Norma works at Edwards Elementary School as a preschool Specialist. My passion started to become true when I was invited to volunteer for a nonprofit organization that was building different paths on how to better support the community. I started to work with Neighborhood Navigators because I know how hard is to succeed when you don’t have the resources or when the language could be a barrier. My best memory of accomplishment was helping the community to have a bus route back to Dotsero after seven years. Following, the building of a playground in Dotsero Mobile Home Park with different nonprofit organizations: KABOOM, Eagle County Public Health, and Recreation Mountain (formally WECMRD). "One day, I promised to my self to help others and be always there for our communities".

Navigator for Eagle: Carolina Guzmán

Carolina is from Guadalajara, Mexico; married for 15 years with three children. Carolina lived in Eagle County for 15 years and works as Preschool Teacher Assistant for Eagle County School District. Carolina is an active leader in the community from President of preschool Policy Council, volunteering in classrooms with mentoring program, president of PTA, and more. She took nutrition classes, received personal health care certificate, 2017 Family Leadership Training Institute and 2018 Leadership on the Ground from The Colorado Health Foundation graduate. Carolina became a Neighborhood Navigator in June 2017 due to her passion in working with the community: "I like to help families and work with children because I am convinced that positive changes in children are possible".

Family Art and Crafts Program Instructor: Luz Parra

Luz is a Interior Designer and artist from Juarez City, Mexico; married and Mother of one. She started her own company after serving as volunteer in different programs: in classrooms with Parent Mentor Program Youth Power 365, art and crafts for Integreat Summer Lunch, designed interior of Mobile Resource Center -MIRA-and now at an art gallery. “I’m part of neighborhood navigators since august 2018. I like that they allow me to offer free family programs and in spanish which makes it easier for everyone including the hispanic community.”


Volunteers: Sharoll Abrego- Certified Zumba Instructor.

Sharoll is originally from Mexico City, she is married and has two kids, 16 and 22 years old. Sharoll took Zumba classes for 5 years and in January 2018 she decided to become a Certified Zumba Instructor. Sharoll said: "I like to teach Zumba with Neighborhood Navigators first of all because they gave me the opportunity to teach and help my community by showing what I know. Second, because I exercise with other women who attend my class, we sweat, we laugh, and we de-stress together without costing us anything".

Community Engagement Coordinator: Maria Julieta Cavallo

Ma. Julieta is from Argentina and has lived in Eagle County for the past 17 years. She has a degree in Teaching and Education Psychology. She works at Edwards Elementary School as a Spanish Lead and Interventionist. Years before she was a Kindergarten Teacher and Second Grade Teacher. She really enjoys the life on the mountains and she is passionate to work with the community. “My big passion is the diversity of cultures”.

What We Do

NNOEC has a history of success in advocacy and local leadership. In 2017, NNOEC led an initiative to renew ECO bus route to Dotsero, that now benefits hundreds of residents. We collaborated to promote neighborhood clean-up days in severely underserved mobile home communities and successfully advocated for two new building a new playgrounds in those neighborhoods. Regularly, NNOEC brings Spanish-language education programs directly into neighborhoods. Recently, NNOEC has been asked by local municipalities and other organizations to aid in elevating the voices of the Hispanic community and to help in fostering communication and engagement with hard- to- reach populations.

Neighborhood Navigators empower people living in their neighborhoods so they can advocate for themselves. We engage in activities that foster relationship-building between organizations, communities and individuals living in Eagle County.

Why We Do It

Our passion drives Navigators to believe that every person living in Eagle County deserve opportunities to develop their best. We know every person is an asset to our community no matter their origin, their language, their skin color, or their religion.

Contact Information

Neighborhood Navigator from Dotsero and Coordinator: Norma Gurrola (970)331-1070

Neighborhood Navigator from Eagle: Carolina Guzmán (970)306-9466

Neighborhood Navigator Community Engagement Coordinator: Maria Julieta Cavallo, m.julieta.cavallo@gmail.com

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