Our area of focus is the Pine River Valley in southwest Colorado from Vallecito to Arboles. Our watershed, the wetter side of La Plata County, encompasses roughly 725 square miles and is home to about 13,000 citizens.

Our people are a relatively diverse group. Leading ethnicities include Caucasian, Hispanic and Native American. People of all ages live here, from retirees to the roughly 125 babies born each year. Many residents have been here all their lives while many have come from out of state, choosing to make this lovely, friendly valley their home.

We are fortunate to live in an area of tremendous beauty, plentiful resources and many other assets, including warm, supportive neighbors. At the same time, our communities face several challenges including one our state and country wrestles with: income inequality. Today in the U.S., more than 80% of the wealth is in the hands of 20% of the people. In Colorado, one in four working families struggles to feed its members.

At Pine River Shares, we have nothing but optimism for the future. We have witnessed what community leaders and volunteers can accomplish by working to understand our assets and issues, and developing programs that enhance life for everyone in the Pine River Valley. We know that local citizens are proud to take care of their own and eager to take advantage of new opportunities to make life even better here.