Welcome

Welcome to the CARE 66 blog. We are a small non profit whose mission is to create opportunities to end homelessness. We do this by providing support services and a variety of housing opportunities to our clients ranging from transitional housing to permanent housing with support services.

Thursday, December 22, 2011

Come to the Lexington Open House

Lexington Open House

Open House Information

Gallup Journey Column December 2011


November 2011.  Rehab of the Lexington Hotel will be done by the end of this month.  Hopefully before Christmas.  When completed the Lexington Hotel will provide transitional housing for approximately 15 People (men and women), and low-income housing for 21 people.  It will also house our case managers.  If you want a tour please send me an email.

We are planning some community events in early January for the Lexington Hotel.  Please watch for an announcement for the Grand Opening.

            Hooghan Hozho’ is in planning at this time.   We have received a grant award which we will leverage to develop approximately 45 units along with an Early Childhood Development Center, play areas, space for support services, administration offices and maybe even a coffee shop. We are working out the details so that we can begin construction in the Spring of 2012.
 
            In the meantime we are also working on a couple of different projects of which we will share more with you as time goes by.  Budget cuts to HUD the availability of grant funds which we tend to leverage with other grants and debt.  In short the budget cuts are definitely not helping to get people into housing and jobs.

            We have much to be thankful for as this tough year ends.  We are always short of money but we have had enough to scrape by with.  Being short of money has meant that we will not be completing the patio of the Lexington Hotel among other things.

Until next month stay well and do good!  

Gallup Journey Column November 2011


November 2011.  Rehab of the Lexington Hotel has begun.  Our contractors will be working through November to finish it before Christmas.  When completed the Lexington Hotel will provide transitional housing for approximately 15 People (men and women), and low-income housing for 21 people.  It will also house our case managers.  If you want a tour please send me an email.

            Hooghan Hozho’ is in planning at this time.   We are working out the details so that we can begin construction in Spring of 2012.  We are finalizing financing and engineering.

            We will not be doing the downtown Thanksgiving Run officially this year.  If you are interested in an informal run on Thanksgiving Day please let me know.  Also we will have more details about the silent auction later this month.

Until next month stay well and do good! 

Saturday, October 1, 2011

Gallup Journey Column October 2011

October 2011.  Thank you very much for your support for our Second Annual Mother Road Bicycle Classic.  Fourteen riders raised pledges and rode between 9.5 and 62 miles to raise more than $10,500.  We could not have done it without support from this community and local business.


            We have two new events to announce and they are both in November.  The first is a silent auction of power tools, hand tools and construction tools given to us by one of our benefactors.   This silent auction will raise monies toward furnishing the Lexington Hotel.  We would be delighted to receive anything that you would like to donate towards this cause.  Watch this space for a date in next months issue.


            The second event is a Thanksgiving Day 5K Run and 2k Walk.  This will be a downtown run similar to the one we did several years ago for Halloween.  This is a good way to work up an appetite and to have fun with your family.  Make sure that the turkey is in the oven before you show up. We will have prizes for the top three men, women, teens and children.  So put this on your calendar.  Start and finish will be at the Lexington Hotel.


CARE 66 is looking for affordable office space in the downtown area since there is not enough room at the Lexington for our admin staff.  Please call or email me if you have any ideas or leads.


The following local businesses sponsored the Mother Road Bicycle Classic, be sure and thank them for their generosity: Desert Highland Earthships, PiƱo & Associates, Pinnacle Bank, Gurley Motors, Bubany Lumber, Med Star Ambulance, Gallup Limb & Brace, McKinley County EMS, Gallup Firefighter Association, Coal Street Pub, Clay Fultz Insurance, Gallup Independent, Joe Wauford Construction, Nails & Spa, El Sombrero, Rosebrough Law Firm, Fitz Sargent Architect, Gallup Bicycle District, First United Methodist Church, Glens Bakery, City Electric, Century 21 Action Realty of Gallup, Gallup BID, and Armored Electric.


Of course this column would not be possible without the generosity of the one and only Gallup Journey.  Thank you.

Until next month stay well and do good! 


Thursday, September 15, 2011

Monday, September 5, 2011

Mother Road Bicycle Classic Routes

RoutesThere are many choices for distances you might wish to ride.  Below we have listed the following:
Short and Sweet        9.46 miles
Short      20 miles
Medium    26 miles
The Whole Enchilada    62 miles

The above estimates of distances are from the Lexington Hotel, for which we are raising money for renovation.  These distances do not include the parade around the Courthouse Square.

There is another medium long route that is not quite the Whole Enchilada that is about 45 miles long.  You would follow the Whole Enchilada course until you got to Hwy 602.  Instead of turing right (south) towards Bread Springs, you would turn left and follow 602 back into Gallup...602 will become Second Street in Gallup.

Remember to email your registration to granfondo@care66.org

We hope to see you on the morning of the 17th at the Courthouse Square in Gallup.

Short and Sweet (9.46 miles)



Short (20 miles)



Medium (26 miles)



The Whole Enchilada (62 miles)

Thursday, September 1, 2011

Gallup Journey Column September 2011


September 2011.  By the time you read this, the work of renovating the Lexington Hotel will have begun.  We hope to announce a grand opening celebration in next month’s update.
On September 17 CARE 66 will host the second annual Mother Road Bicycle Classic.  There are four rides: Long (approx. 66 miles) Medium (approx. 40 miles), Short (approx. 20 miles) and very short (approx. 12 miles).  Proceeds from this ride will help us finish the renovation of the Lexington Hotel.  You can sign up for $66 and enjoy one of the rides. 
AND you can collect pledges from your friends and family to support this ride.  If you don’t ride you can sponsor a rider.  If you don’t know a rider to sponsor you can sponsor me.  The routes we have selected are very scenic and beautiful.  More information is on our blog (care66.blogspot.com).  We will begin at the Courthouse Square in downtown Gallup and will parade around the Courthouse to begin our rides.  Yes there will be kids program at the Courthouse Square.
If you don’t think you can ride the entirety of your chosen course you can do it as a team (you will need to arrange transportation and pick up yourself).
CARE 66 is looking for affordable office space in the downtown area since there is not enough room at the Lexington for our admin staff.  Please call or email me if you have any ideas or leads.
Until next month stay well and do good! 

Monday, August 22, 2011

Mother Road Bicycle Classic September 17

September 17 2011


Pledges can be as little as $5 or as much as $100,000. You’ll be surprised at how the small ones add up. All gifts are tax deductible. Instructions for collecting pledges are posted below.

GETTING PLEDGES IS EASY!

Ask your friends, coworkers, family members, and anyone else who might be willing to support affordable housing and support services for homeless people in Gallup.

 
INFORMATION

Entry fee is $66 (plus donations) per rider. This can be paid by the rider or raised through pledges. All riders bringing in $150 or more in pledges will receive a coffee mug.


Sign in is at 8:00 am.

All rides will be supported with food and drink stops as well as basic repair supplies such as tubes, tires, air, etc.
Please note: roads will not be closed for this event. You will be responsible for following normal rules of the road and are responsible for your own safety.
Waivers will be distributed for signing prior to the ride.



Instructions for Collecting Pledges
Downloadable Printable Instructions for Collecting Pledges


1.    While you may certainly opt to pay the minimum entry fee ($66) or more yourself, we strongly encourage you to collect pledges.  This helps make more people aware of CARE 66, usually results in a larger donation and helps us help more people.  And at the heart of it, that is what this event is really all about.
2.    Ask as many friends, relatives, co-workers, neighbors, church members, etc to pledge for you as you can.  Even donations of $5 add up.  Do encourage pledgers to make larger donations if they are able.
3.    You can get pledges for each mile you ride (ex: 50c/mile X 100 miles= $50), but it is usually easier to have them pledge a flat amount for the ride—anything from $5 to $100,000 (or more) is acceptable and appreciated.
4.    You can collect the pledges before the ride (and bring the money with you the day of the ride) or after the ride.  Either way, record ALL pledges on the pledge sheet and bring the pledge sheet with you the day of the ride.  We will make a copy and return it to you.  This will enable us to send acknowledgements to all donors (for tax purposes) and to track donations that are mailed to us or made on-line.  Be sure to record names, addresses, amount collected and date collected.
5.    There are three ways a pledger can pay.  We will send receipts to all donors after the payment is received.
·         Cash—collect the cash, record the amount and date on the pledge sheet, and bring it with you on the day of the ride.
·         Checks—made payable to CARE 66.  You can collect and bring these, or the donor can mail them to CARE 66, PO Box 4298, Gallup, NM, 87305.  Ask them to indicate “Mother Road Bicycle Classic” and YOUR NAME on the check memo.
·         Credit Card—this must be done on-line by going to www.care66.org (http://www.care66.org/Donations.asp).  They MUST be sure to designate their donation to Metric Century.    Be sure to record these pledges on the pledge sheet so we know what and who they are for when we receive them.
6.    PLEASE BE SURE TO RECORD ALL PLEDGES COMPLETELY ON THE PLEDGE SHEET AND BRING PLEDGE SHEETS AND DONATIONS COLLECTED SO FAR WITH YOU ON September 17, 2011.
7.    If you have any questions call (505) 722-0066.  Be sure to leave your name and phone number if you get the machine and we will get back to you.

THANK YOU FOR HELPING CREATE OPPORTUNITIES TO END HOMELESSNESS
 AND
HAVE A GREAT RIDE!!

CARE 66 2011 Pledge Sheet
Please record all pledges on this sheet.  Bring this pledge sheet with you when you check in on September 17.  We will make a copy and return it to you.  IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE GET A COPY!  All donations are tax deductible.  We will mail receipts to all donors once the money is received.  Questions?  Call (505) 722-0066.  




CARE 66 Mother Road Bicycle Classic Registration Form:
Please mail your registration by September 13, 2010 to:
Mother Road Bicycle Classic, CARE 66, Box 4298, Gallup, NM 87305.


Monday, August 1, 2011

Gallup Journey August 2011


August 2011.  Peter Tarutis and Carl Smith cooked over 200 hamburgers and hot dogs on July 27th.  More people walked through the facility, looked at the plans and some even wrote checks.  Watch this column for news about the Grand Opening, sometime in October.  We are very grateful to Andrea and David who sponsored the event, and to the Board members, Sr. Rose Marie Cecchini and Jane Ann Polich who welcomed people to the event, and to the staff of CARE 66 who organized the event i.e. Rhonda Berg, Tiffany Jake, Buck Largo, Audrey Carlisle, Theresa Lee, Norton Becenti, Jimmy Harvey, and many others.

The Mother Road Bicycle Classic is scheduled for, Saturday September 17th.  We will also have events for kids at the Courthouse Square.  Ride options are for approximately, 66, 40 and 20 miles.  Start training now!  Collect donations from your friends, co-workers and family so that you can earn a classy CARE 66 coffee mug.  Two options, if you don’t think you can ride the entire course.  First, if you can’t ride the entire distance of the ride you can do it as a team; second, you could sponsor somebody who is doing the ride.
      
  Until next month stay well and do good! 

Friday, July 1, 2011

Gallup Journey Column July 2011

July 2011.  You are cordially invited to the Lexington Rehab Open House on Friday, July 22nd, 2011 from 11:30 to 1:00pm.  A light lunch will be served along with small group tours of construction areas and a presentation of how the facility will be better able to serve homeless men and women.

We will also have a list of things we need for different spaces and what they will cost along with some volunteer opportunities to complete the Lexington.  Bring your check book since we never do an event without providing an opportunity for people to give.

The Mother Road Bicycle Classic formerly known as the CARE 66 Gran Fondo is scheduled for, Saturday September 17th.  We will also have events for kids at the Courthouse Square.  Ride options are for approximately, 66, 40 and 20 miles.  Start training now!  Collect donations from your friends, co-workers and family so that you can earn a classy CARE 66 coffee mug. If you don’t think you can ride the entire distance of the ride you would like to do, you can do it as a team.

          Until next month stay well and do good! 


Friday, June 24, 2011

Lexington Rehab Open House

You are invited to the Lexington Rehab Open House

Friday, July 22, 2011

11:30 to 1:00 pm

405 West Highway 66 (between 4th and 5th street on Route 66)


Lexington Hotel Rehab Flyer

Why:
  • Enjoy the company of fellow CARE 66 supporters
  •  See drawings and plans for the rehab
  • Learn about volunteer opportunities
  • Learn about about what we still need
  • Meet the staff and Board of CARE 66
  • Enjoy green chili burgers and summer salads

OK...we can't do a ground breaking.  Somebody did that in 1931.  Asbestos abatement has been completed and we hope to move our clients and service staff into the Lexington as soon as its completed.  And, yes, we will have a grand opening party too.

If you would like to tell us that you are coming or would like to bring something please call us at (505) 722-0066 and speak to Tiffany or email us at lexington.

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Gallup Journey Column June 2011

June 2011.  Renovations at the Lexington are under way.  Asbestos abatement should be completed sometime in June.  We will probably have some sort of ground breaking ceremony soon after the asbestos abatement is completed.
The CARE 66 Gran Fondo i.e. big ride is scheduled for, Saturday September 17th.  We will also have events for kids at the Courthouse Square.  Ride options are for approximately, 66, 40 and 20 miles.  Start training now!  Collect donations from your friends, co-workers and family so that you can earn a classy CARE 66 coffee mug.
Last week a delegation from the Navajo Nation visited CARE 66.  Mel Begay, Leonard Tsosie, Edmund Yazzie, Charles Damone, and President Ben Shelly’s Deputy Chief of Staff visited CARE 66.  Representative Sandra Jeff also visited with CARE 66.  We had heart to heart conversations about the mission of CARE 66 and how we can help Navajo communities.
We have also had extensive conversations with Aneyva Yazzie, the CEO of Navajo Housing Authority, and have met with the Board of Commissioners of Navajo Housing Authority.
Theresa Lee will be joining us Finance Officer this month.  We are very excited about having her join our management team.  We are also always looking for Board members.
If you are interested please send me an email to set up a meeting and talk.
          Until next month stay well and do good! 
To find out more about CARE 66 go to www.care66.org, we also have a blog at http://care66.blogspot.com which we have been known to update once in a while. Sanjay can be reached at Sanjay@care66.org

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Navajo Council Delegates Visit CARE 66

Mel Begay  (Coyote Canyon, Mexican Spring, Naschitti, Tohatchi, Bshaslaa
                                                      
Leonard Tsosie  ( Littlewater, Pueble Pinado,Baca/Prewitrt, Casamero Lake, Ojo Encio, Counselor and White Horse Lake)

Edmund Yazzie  (Church Rock, Iyanbito, Marinao Lake, Smith Lake, Pinedale and  Thoreau.

Charles Damone (Red Rock, Breadspring, Jones Ranch, Manulieto, Oak Springs,

Leonard Chee  Deputy Chief of Staff for President Ben Shelly.


Sunday, May 1, 2011

Gallup Journey Column May 2011

 
May 2011.  Well the bad news is that we will have to wait a year to begin construction the downtown development project.  CARE 66 was not awarded Low Income Housing Tax Credits.  We are very disappointed.

Our plan B was a HUD Choice Neighborhood grant but we were disqualified for this also.  We will probably reapply for a HUD Choice Neighborhood grant if we can find a project that fits the urban nature of this project. 

          Our plan is to fix the weaknesses identified in the current application and resubmit in 2012.   We are also looking at other financing options but have not found any capital to make those options viable.

          The Lexington begins the first step of renovation this month with asbestos abatement.  Sometime next month, once the asbestos has been cleared out we will begin the process of making it habitable.  Stay tuned for more news.

          In September we will have our second annual bicycle ride to raise money for CARE 66 and awareness about solutions to homelessness. If you would like to participate by riding, helping with logistics, or sponsoring the event please email me or call me.

          Also we are looking for a Chief Financial Officer.  The job is outlined on our website and blog.  Nonprofit accounting and housing experience or its equivalent would be critical components of a qualified candidate’s resume.  We are also always looking for Board members.
If you are interested please send me an email to set up a meeting and talk.

          Until next month stay well and do good! 

Friday, April 1, 2011

Gallup Journey Column April 2011

April 2011.  Well some the waiting is over.  CARE 66 was not selected to participate in the second round for HUD Choice Neighborhoods.  The cities invited to the second round for this proposal are Seattle, San Francisco, Chicago, Boston, Tampa and New Orleans.  There do not seem to be any rural areas invited to this final round.

            On April 8th, we will hear if we have been awarded Low Income Housing Tax Credits to develop Hooghan Hozho’, our downtown housing development project.  Please keep us in your prayers.  We are cautiously optimistic about this award as we are with all our project proposals.  Hooghan Hozho’ will provide housing 43 single, double and three bedroom units along with 18 Single Resident Occupancy rooms.  Along with this the facility will have an Early Childhood Development Center along with support services for parents.

            Sr. Rose Marie Cecchini is our Board Chairperson and Dennis Lorenzo, formerly of NCI, Mark Freeland, and Fitz Sargent have joined our Board.

            We hope to begin asbestos abatement on the Lexington Hotel this month.  We are planning, meeting and making decisions about this project.  Peter Tarutis will be our project manager for this project and we will working closely with the YouthBuild – TAOS program.  After abatement is completed we will schedule a ground breaking ceremony.

            Also we are always looking for Board members. If you are interested please send me an email to set up a meeting and talk.
            Until next month stay well and do good!

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Lexington Prespectives


We have recieved some renderings for the proposed rehabilitation for the Lexington Hotel from our architect.  We have signed a contract for asbestos abatement with a local contractor and work is scheduled to being in late April.

We are planning to work with YouthBuild to conduct the rehab for this project.  Rehab will begin as soon as the abatement work is completed.

We are still awaiting design approval from the State Historic Preservation Office for the addition of an external elevator to the building.  An external elevator is both cost effective and helps us preserve the character of the building.

Chief Financial Officer Needed

Position: Chief Financial Officer
Status:
Salaried. Full Time or Part Time - depending upon candidates qualifications.
Reports to:
Executive Director, Member of Executive Team
Summary:
CARE 66 is a non-profit corporation dedicated to ending homelessness through the provision of affordable housing, and related support services and the creation of employment opportunities as a means to address poverty.
Primary Responsibilities: 
The Chief Financial Officer (CFO) develops and maintains the financial infrastructure of CARE 66 and provides leadership in financial planning to support organizational health and growth.
Examples of Outcomes for which CFO is responsible:
1.  Provision of Financial Reports to the Executive Director that will facilitate the planning and management functions.
2.  Budgets, financial forecasts and cash flow projections for administration, existing programs, and proposed new sites that will enable CARE 66 to meet current and plan for new opportunities and obligations.
3.  Contributing to positive and productive relationships with granting organizations through meeting fiscal contracting requirements.
4.  Excellent contracting and procurement policies and procedures.
5.  Developing and maintaining high standards of internal control, accountability and transparency.
6.  Competence with housing development financing, development and investment of endowment funds, and loan products.
Examples of Specific Activities/Responsibilities of CFO
1.     Review and approve preparation and finalization of monthly and annual financial reporting materials and metrics for CARE 66’s Board of Directors.
2.     Supervise accounting/bookkeeping staff to accomplish regular functions of bookkeeping office such as payroll, accounts payable, accounts receivable, grant drawdowns etc. using QuickBooks.
3.     Coordinate provision of audit.

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Gallup Journey Column March 2011

March 2011.  We are in that wonderful place of waiting.  We are waiting to hear if we will be awarded a Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) Allocation this year, and we are waiting to hear if we will be invited to apply for the second round of the HUD Choice Neighborhood grant program.  Based upon the self-scores posted on the MFA website that we are tied for 4th place for an LIHTC allocation, which means that if our self-scoring is accurate then we will most likely get an award.  For the HUD Choice Neighborhood we are competing again 41 other entities nationwide.  Only 3 or 4 awards will be made.

So while we are waiting let me tell you about some of things we are contemplating as a way of fulfilling our mission, which is to create opportunities to end homelessness.

            We have come to the realization that implementing our mission is an economic development activity.  In other words, we create jobs, bring investment to the community, and increase the tax base every time we do a housing project.  In other words, serving the homeless is good for our whole community.

            We have also learned that a key component in addressing generational poverty, apart from safe, secure and decent homes, is early childhood development services.  Our downtown project includes space for both services to adults and for an early childhood development center.

            In the next few years after Hooghan Hozho’, our LIHTC project, in downtown Gallup we will seek to develop more projects that incorporate these elements.   We have completed initial feasibility for a small sub-development for which we will begin work in 2012.  This project will mean that we will have to find funds to subsidize homeownership for low and moderate income families, and to develop infrastructure.  These challenges excite us because of their possibilities and positive impact.

            Also we are always looking for Board members. If you are interested please send me an email so that we can meet and talk.
            Until next month stay well and do good!