Tag Archives: RCAC

RCAC Bolsters Canjilon’s Push for Water Security

Posted on by

The small Rio Arriba County village of Canjilon is a living testament to the deep-rooted heritage of its community. Home to nearly 300 residents, Canjilon’s roots stretch thousands of years, during which the Pueblo, Apache, and Navajo peoples have called the surrounding lands home.

Water scarcity has always been a defining challenge in high desert communities, with sparse population density and modest financial resources compounding the problem. However, in recent years, prolonged drought and unpredictable climate shifts have nudged the village’s already vulnerable water supply and vital infrastructure toward a tipping point.

Continue reading →

RCAC Still Offering Pandemic Assistance

Posted on by

Small businesses that continue to recover from the pandemic still have relief options. Among them is the RELieF loan offered by Rural Community Assistance Corporation (RCAC) which provides up to $25,000 to help eligible rural businesses in New Mexico emerge from the pandemic.

Continue reading →

RCAC Boosts Food Truck “Over the Moon”

Posted on by

Melinda Arquero’s dream of owning a food truck business came true in 2019. Spurred by childhood memories of selling frybread from a roadside tent alongside her mother, the Cochiti Pueblo native purchased a truck to maintain the Pueblo frybread tradition and honor the dream she shared with the mother she lost to cancer 10 years earlier. Her plan was to serve frybread to Cochiti Pueblo residents and visitors at tribal events.

And then the pandemic hit. Pueblo communities were placed on lockdown prohibiting visitors from entering tribal lands where they could pass the virus to Native Americans – a population that suffered virus deaths at one of the highest rates of any race or ethnicity. Arquero’s new Over The Moon food truck was forced to sit idle.

A Chance Meeting

Arquero, known by family and friends as Moon, learned about the nonprofit lender Rural Community Assistance Corporation (RCAC) by chance soon after pandemic health regulations loosened. She was invited to bring Over The Moon to a regional housing meeting at the Cochiti Housing Department. Hosted by RCAC, the meeting focused on RCAC housing and development programs, but conversations revealed RCAC’s work with rural small businesses. Subsequent conversations resulted in a loan and a relationship that has put the business on solid footing and given it more opportunities than Arquero originally envisioned.

Continue reading →

Gallup Community Central to Music-Store Owner

Posted on by

Rhonda and Ryan Quintana connected over music. Born and raised in Gallup, both were active in the local music scene — Rhonda as a singer and Ryan playing guitar while pursuing a music degree.

It was no surprise, then, when Rhonda and Ryan opened Quintana’s Music Center in 2017 on Gallup’s Coal Avenue in the heart of the city’s revitalized downtown. The store sells musical instruments and band equipment, and the Quintanas work with schools to help students get the instruments they need.

Rhonda said dedication to community is central to what they do. Before the pandemic, Rhonda served on various boards, led fundraising efforts for local charities, and provided management and logistics for community-energizing local events through the business.

“We try really hard to be ingrained in our community,” Rhonda said.

Continue reading →