Santa Fe mayor proclaims Feb. 11 in honor of Chaplain Joe Dunziak
February 23, 2026 | Santa Fe, Santa Fe County, New Mexico
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Santa Fe Mayor Michael J. Garcia on Thursday read a proclamation naming Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026, in honor of Chaplain Joe Dunziak, lauding his years of volunteer work and community advocacy for people experiencing homelessness.
The proclamation, read aloud during a ceremony in Santa Fe, described Dunziak as “a powerful advocate for the most vulnerable populations of the Santa Fe community,” noting he was born in Los Alamos in 1959, served in the United States Air Force (including two years stationed in Germany), worked for many years in instruction and later spent nearly two decades as a code compliance officer. It said he volunteered beginning in 2009 at the Interfaith Community Shelter at Pete’s Place and founded Chapel Joe Street Outreach in 2019 to provide supplies and support to unsheltered individuals. The proclamation also records that Dunziak died on Oct. 27, 2025, after a long battle with cancer.
John Saino, who identified himself as a member of the board of directors of Chapel Joe Street Outreach, spoke after the proclamation and thanked attendees for honoring Dunziak. “Joe was a very extraordinary man. I’ve known him back in 1973,” Saino said, and said that as of the ceremony the outreach group had “possibly given out about 500” care packages across the city and part of the county. He said the board is “continuing keeping his mission going.”
The mayor’s remarks and the proclamation asked the city and community partners to continue supporting the outreach work. Mayor Garcia invited those present to tell the city how it could remain a partner in those efforts.
Notes on record accuracy: the transcript of the ceremony records several variant spellings of the honoree’s surname (including Dunziak, Ditsiak and Devsiacke). This article uses the spelling that first appears in the recorded proclamation; the inconsistent spellings are reflected in the meeting record and clarified in the article’s supporting details.
No formal vote or ordinance accompanied the proclamation; it was read and declared by the mayor as a ceremonial recognition.
The proclamation, read aloud during a ceremony in Santa Fe, described Dunziak as “a powerful advocate for the most vulnerable populations of the Santa Fe community,” noting he was born in Los Alamos in 1959, served in the United States Air Force (including two years stationed in Germany), worked for many years in instruction and later spent nearly two decades as a code compliance officer. It said he volunteered beginning in 2009 at the Interfaith Community Shelter at Pete’s Place and founded Chapel Joe Street Outreach in 2019 to provide supplies and support to unsheltered individuals. The proclamation also records that Dunziak died on Oct. 27, 2025, after a long battle with cancer.
John Saino, who identified himself as a member of the board of directors of Chapel Joe Street Outreach, spoke after the proclamation and thanked attendees for honoring Dunziak. “Joe was a very extraordinary man. I’ve known him back in 1973,” Saino said, and said that as of the ceremony the outreach group had “possibly given out about 500” care packages across the city and part of the county. He said the board is “continuing keeping his mission going.”
The mayor’s remarks and the proclamation asked the city and community partners to continue supporting the outreach work. Mayor Garcia invited those present to tell the city how it could remain a partner in those efforts.
Notes on record accuracy: the transcript of the ceremony records several variant spellings of the honoree’s surname (including Dunziak, Ditsiak and Devsiacke). This article uses the spelling that first appears in the recorded proclamation; the inconsistent spellings are reflected in the meeting record and clarified in the article’s supporting details.
No formal vote or ordinance accompanied the proclamation; it was read and declared by the mayor as a ceremonial recognition.
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