Galisteo is a generous and supportive community that looks out for its residents, its infrastructure, and its environment. In addition to volunteers who assist the Galisteo Volunteer Fire and Rescue (GVFR) and the popular Galisteo Studio Tour, Galisteo groups and boards are establishing new opportunities for community support. The Galisteo Community Association Board has created volunteer guilds to support the following needs in the village. Galisteo residents who would like to volunteer in a guild or in another capacity should email Volunteer Chair Bonnie Bufkin at GalisteoVolunteer@gmail.com or GCA Board President Jennifer Martin at GalisteoVillage@gmail.com for more information and participation levels for volunteering.
Annual Volunteer Appreciation Lunch and Recruitment Event
In planning stages is the first annual luncheon to celebrate the community’s volunteers and a recruitment event to provide guild information to potential new volunteers. People are needed to assist with both events. Contact Volunteer Chair Bonnie Bufkin at GalisteoVolunteer@gmail.com for more information.
Volunteer Guilds
Special Events and Fundraising Guild
This guild supports the community’s popular annual special events such as the Margarita and Chile Fest, the Galisteo Volunteer Fire and Rescue Annual Breakfast, and music concerts as well as other one-time special and fundraising events. Coordinators will vary, depending on the event. Volunteers are needed to plan, decorate, cook, set up and clean-up, collect donations, and other party-throwing tasks.
Community Breakfasts Guild
Whether a potluck or a breakfast sponsored and cooked by individuals or a group, these monthly breakfasts are a popular Galisteo tradition. Volunteers are needed to help set up and clean up the Community Center, where breakfasts are held. People who would like to coordinate with others to put on the breakfast are encouraged to set up a date. Check this website’s calendar on the front page, in our community emails, and on the village bulletin board behind the church for dates of upcoming breakfasts.
Help-a-Neighbor Guild
At times some residents experience hardship, illness, or other stresses. The Help-a-Neighbor Guild offers and helps with errands in town, rides, meals, small repairs, or other assistance. Kindness, willingness, and discretion are the foundation of this guild. Contact Volunteer Chair Bonnie Bufkin at GalisteoVolunteer@gmail.com for more information on how to help. And, if you are in need, please let Bonnie know.
Medical Equipment. There are wheelchairs, walkers, shower chairs, scooters, oxygen machines, etc., that are available for loan. Contact Bonnie Bufkin at GalisteoVolunteer@gmail.com to see what is available and how to get on the waiting list of available items.
Community Clean-up Guild
Galisteo has always stepped up with its semi-annual clean-up days, ensuring the village highway sections, roads, and the Galisteo Creek’s bosque are free of litter. This effort takes some organization and sponsorship. Coordinator Anna Cardenas is working with Santa Fe County’s Adopt-a-Road program for future assistance and safety supplies for clean-up volunteers. Guild may help make breakfast items for the clean-up volunteers before they head out in and around the village. This website’s monthly calendar, community emails, and the village bulletin board will announce upcoming clean-up events.
Highway 41 Guild
This guild evolved from the GCA Board’s Highway 41 Subcommittee, which focused on the highway construction impacts on Galisteo. Ongoing issues and projects now include highway signage, traffic speed, and preparation for the next construction phase through the village. The guild has also submitted plans for entry signs on the north and south of the village that would funded by the State of New Mexico. More information and progress will be announced in community emails and on the village bulletin board.
Welcome Guild
The aim of this guild is to meet and welcome new Galisteo residents shortly after they move in, answer any questions they may have about the village or the area, and leave them with an informational packet that includes the Galisteo phone book, history booklets, and GVFR materials. Kim Gilbreath at 1kimgilbreath@gmail.com and Liz Rose at galisteoliz@gmail.com are co-coordinators of this guild, and volunteers are welcome to help provide these friendly conversations.
Bosque Maintenance Guild
The Bosque Maintenance Guild, aka “the Green Team”, maintains the trails and health of the Galisteo Creek’s bosque. Margaret Wrinkle and Ann Nye are coordinating the guild’s activities, which may include trail cleaning, vegetation clearing, Russian Olive tree and other debris removal as well as research on and potential grant writing to assist with these efforts. Contact Margaret Wrinkle at mwrinkle@earthlink.net or Ann Nye at annnye@q.com for more information.
Community Center Garden Guild
This guild monitors and maintains the grounds immediately surrounding the Galisteo Community Center, including tidying garden beds, sweeping the patio, picking up litter, and stacking brush for pickup. Mowing and watering are primary. Coordinators Alex Finlayson and Steve Riemer welcome volunteers. No experience is necessary, and volunteers can work on their own time. Contact Volunteer Chair Bonnie Bufkin at GalisteoVolunteer@gmail.com for more information.