Help Hive, help community

The decision by the seemingly non-local McLean Family LTD Partnership to leave The Hive without a space to operate shows once again that people are not the priority in this community. Whether it’s unhoused people, low-income families or children looking for safe and healthy outlets, prioritizing people continues to move further down the list.

The Hive offers a safe space for kids to partake in age-appropriate activities as well as connect with other youths who often find themselves feeling alone or outcast. It also offers a space for adults to enjoy these same benefits, hosting programs for local nonprofits like In the Weeds, among others. When children and adults are allowed to seek refuge in these kinds of spaces, they are less likely to find themselves in situations that lead to things like substance abuse, homelessness and other taboos that many in the community self-righteously cast shame over. 

If we are serious about making our community a place with more people who “contribute,” then one obvious step is for those of us with means to step in and help when an organization like The Hive is in need. It’s easy, and common, to judge those in the community who are struggling to survive and get themselves on solid footing; early intervention is a huge step in ameliorating these situations. The Hive provides a place for people to find healthy outlets and a robust sense of self-worth that helps to prevent the aforementioned conditions from taking hold.

Durango desperately needs more organizations like The Hive. If you are in a position to help, please do so, and know that you’re not just helping one organization; you’re helping a large swath of community members who might not find that help anywhere else.

– Jeff Dunn, Durango