CARE 66

2011-12-23T12:18:00.001-07:00

Come to the Lexington Open House

2011-12-22T16:10:00.003-07:00

Gallup Journey Column December 2011

2011-12-22T15:52:00.005-07:00

November 2011. Rehab of the Lexington Hotel will be done bythe end of this month. Hopefully beforeChristmas. When completed the LexingtonHotel will provide transitional housing for approximately 15 People (men andwomen), 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 communityevents in early January for the Lexington Hotel. Please watch for an announcement for theGrand Opening.

HooghanHozho’ is in planning at this time. Wehave received a grant award which we will leverage to develop approximately 45units along with an Early Childhood Development Center, play areas, space forsupport services, administration offices and maybe even a coffee shop. We areworking out the details so that we can begin construction in the Spring of2012.

In themeantime we are also working on a couple of different projects of which we willshare more with you as time goes by. Budget cuts to HUD the availability of grant funds which we tend toleverage with other grants and debt. Inshort the budget cuts are definitely not helping to get people into housing andjobs.

We have muchto be thankful for as this tough year ends. We are always short of money but we have had enough to scrape bywith. Being short of money has meantthat we will not be completing the patio of the Lexington Hotel among otherthings.

Untilnext month stay well and do good!

Gallup Journey Column November 2011

2011-12-22T15:51:00.002-07:00

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

HooghanHozho’ is in planning at this time. Weare working out the details so that we can begin construction in Spring of2012. We are finalizing financing andengineering.

We will notbe doing the downtown Thanksgiving Run officially this year. If you are interested in an informal run onThanksgiving Day please let me know. Also we will have more details about the silent auction later thismonth.

Untilnext month stay well and do good!

Gallup Journey Column October 2011

2011-10-01T10:30:00.002-06:00

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, Piño & 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!

Mother Road Bicycle Classic (Downloadable Registration and Pledge Documents)

2011-09-15T08:40:00.001-06:00

Attached is a link to downloadable Registration and Pledge Forms for the Mother Road Bicycle Classic

Downloadable Registration and Pledge Forms

I hope to see you at the ride

Mother Road Bicycle Classic Routes

2011-09-05T00:01:00.003-06:00

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)
&lt;p&gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://classic.mapmyride.com/ride/united-states/nm/gallup/643131516683759106"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Mother Road Bicycle Classic Very Short&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br /&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt; &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://classic.mapmyride.com/find-ride/united-states/nm/gallup"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Find more Bike Rides in Gallup, New Mexico&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&lt;/p&gt;

Short (20 miles)
&lt;p&gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://classic.mapmyride.com/ride/united-states/nm/gallup/863131475435548503"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Mother Road Bicycle Classic Short Route&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br /&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt; &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://classic.mapmyride.com/find-ride/united-states/nm/gallup"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Find more Bike Rides in Gallup, New Mexico&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&lt;/p&gt;

Medium (26 miles)
&lt;p&gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://classic.mapmyride.com/ride/united-states/nm/gallup/759131525894037652"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Mother Road Bicycle Classic Medium Course&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br /&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt; &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://classic.mapmyride.com/find-ride/united-states/nm/gallup"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Find more Bike Rides in Gallup, New Mexico&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&lt;/p&gt;

The Whole Enchilada (62 miles)
&lt;p&gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://classic.mapmyride.com/ride/united-states/nm/gallup/132131509595966807"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Mother Road Bicycle Classic the whole thing&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br /&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt; &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://classic.mapmyride.com/find-ride/united-states/nm/gallup"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Find more Bike Rides in Gallup, New Mexico&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&lt;/p&gt;

Gallup Journey Column September 2011

2011-09-01T10:07:00.000-06:00

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!

Mother Road Bicycle Classic September 17

2011-08-22T10:43:00.001-06:00

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

Form to Record Pledges

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:

2011 Mother Road Bicycle Registration Form

Please mail your registration by September 13, 2010 to:

Mother Road Bicycle Classic, CARE 66, Box 4298, Gallup, NM 87305.

Gallup Journey August 2011

2011-08-01T10:04:00.003-06:00

August 2011. Peter Tarutis and Carl Smith cooked over 200 hamburgers and hot dogs on July 27^th. 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 17^th. 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!

Gallup Journey Column July 2011

2011-07-01T00:00:00.002-06:00

July 2011. You are cordially invited to the Lexington Rehab Open House on Friday, July 22^nd, 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 17^th. 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!

Lexington Rehab Open House

2011-06-24T15:00:00.002-06:00

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.

Gallup Journey Column June 2011

2011-06-01T00:00:00.003-06:00

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 17^th. 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

Navajo Council Delegates Visit CARE 66

2011-05-10T16:39:00.000-06:00

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.

Gallup Journey Column May 2011

2011-05-01T16:32:00.000-06:00

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!

Gallup Journey Column April 2011

2011-04-01T11:56:00.000-06:00

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 8^th, 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!

Lexington Prespectives

2011-03-30T12:14:00.002-06:00

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

2011-03-30T11:58:00.003-06:00

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.

Gallup Journey Column March 2011

2011-03-01T11:55:00.000-07:00

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 4^th 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!

Gallup Journey Column February 2011

2011-02-01T11:54:00.000-07:00

February 2011. We have submitted an application of Low Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC) for Hooghan Hozho’ (Harmony House) which is now the official name for what we have been calling Chuska 2. LIHTC’s are the primary funder for affordable housing for low income families in the country. They work by giving the applicant tax credits, which are sold to investors. Investors then are able to get a credit against their taxes dollar for dollar.

Preparing an LIHTC application can take a long time. In our case it has been almost two years. With the application we are required to submit scale drawings developed by our architects. As you can imagine these are very competitive and only four or five awards are made each year in New Mexico. We will report the good news as soon as we know.

These applications have many moving parts and we could not have even applied for a tax credit allocation without the work and support of our many collaborators, contractors, consultants and citizens. We thank you in advance for what we believe will be a successful application.

We are also busy submitting grant proposals to support this project since LIHTC’s do not entirely support the development of affordable housing.

We are also beginning to look past the development of Hooghan Hozho’ to other housing projects needed in this city and county. No plans have been developed yet.

Until next month stay well and do good!

Gallup Journey Column January 2011

2011-01-01T11:52:00.000-07:00

January 2011. This is a busy month for us. We are busy working on a Low Income Housing Tax Credit application which due at the end of the month. This will pay for the Chuska 2 housing development downtown.

This year we can again celebrate the success of our clients in achieving permanent housing, getting jobs and getting their lives together.

The Lexington Hotel is running is at close to full occupancy as is Frances Opportunity Center. Many thanks are due to people in the CARE 66 Management Team: Carl Smith, Rhonda Berg and Donna Sam who overseen and implemented policies and procedures to ensure smooth operations. I would also like to thank the members of the Board of Directors who have diligently given their time, money and talent.

We are also grateful for the encouragement and assistance we have received from the City, from Mayor Mendoza, and Councilors Azua, Enfield, Landavazo, and Wall. We are also grateful for the work of City Manager, Dave Pederson and his staff who given us advice and grant writing assistance to develop affordable housing.

We are also grateful for the many hours of volunteer services and meal brought in by community members. In particular, I would like to thank the Holy Spirit Episcopal Church for the wonderful feasts they provide on a monthly basis to our clients.

Thank you again for your support in this endeavor of bringing prosperity to this area and making hope possible.

Until next month stay well and do good!

Gallup Journey Column December 2010

2010-12-01T00:21:00.002-07:00

December 2010. This year has been an eventful year for CARE 66. I want to thank some of the people who have made CARE 66 what it is. I had the opportunity to meet our former Chief Operating Officer Tim Kelley at the Ecumenical Thanksgiving Service at First United Methodist Church. It was good to see him in good health.
Carl Smith has been Chief Operating Officer for about six months now. He has implemented a whole series of changes like regular staff training, implementing Evidence Based Practices, and ensuring that we are able to deliver the services our clients need. Carl oversees all of the service delivery staff at CARE 66. Rhonda Berg has been serving as our Director of Housing Development. She makes sure that we are in compliance with grant regulations while working with architects and contractors to ensure that our projects are making progress. They both provide wisdom and insight from years of experience that guides our decision making. I am truly grateful for their hard work to ensure that we fulfill our mission. Please thank them if you meet them. I also want to thank all CARE 66 staff and Board members, past and present, for your hard work that has contributed to the success of our client s.
I would also like to thank our Board who has worked quietly in the background to steer our path. As usual we are also looking for Board members, so if you would like to help us, please send me an email or give me a call.
We have learned that high quality early childhood interventions that include developmental components are good to get people out of poverty. We hope to include an Early Childhood Development Center in the Chuska 2 project in the downtown area.
Thank you again for your support in this endeavor of bringing prosperity to this area and making hope possible.
Until next month stay well and do good!

Thanksgiving 2010

2010-11-24T00:01:00.002-07:00

Thanks and gratitude expand my heart.

We would not be here today were it not for everyone coming together to make CARE 66 happen.

Contained in the list below are stories - of frustration, hopelessness, depression, anger, and also of success, hope, sanity, homes, jobs, and fullness. You will find yourself in the lists below, not by name, but, by what you have done for people who are homeless with no one to help them.

I have not mentioned you by name only because there are so many of you. Today we give you thanks for your generosity of spirit, wallet and time.

Many thanks, gratitude and blessings:

To the staff, past and present, of CARE 66 whose hard work, dedication and commitment have brought us this far.
To the past and present Board members who have worked tirelessly to give direction and build support for CARE 66.
To City Councils, past and present, and to Mayors, past and present, and to City staff for their help and assistance.
To County Commissioners, past and present, and to County staff, for the insight and assistance they have given us.
To the community that is Gallup - a wonderful town because of the wonderful people who live here, for nurturing and supporting CARE 66.
To our donors who give generously of their money and resources.
To our partners, collaborators, funders for making things happen.
To our clients for working so hard to get your life back together.
To Bethany Christian Reformed Church, the Episcopal Church of the Holy Spirit, First United Methodist Church, Sacred Heart Cathedral, and Rehoboth Church for your support, volunteers, and donations.
To the volunteers who come in and make a feast for our clients every month.
To the volunteers who help with the odds and ends of work, cabinets, IT, painting, repairs etc.
To the Gallup Journey and the Gallup Independent for encouragement and forcing us to tell our stories.
To everybody who has not been thanked in the list above for everything you have done and will do for CARE 66.

Gallup Journey Column November 2010

2010-11-01T12:20:00.000-06:00

November 2010. We are busy. Working on grants and complying with grant agreements. That is we are providing services and seeking to expand services and the affordable housing supply in Gallup.
Last month the architects for our downtown project gave us a model of the new apartments we are hoping to build in downtown Gallup. Come by and take a look.

In October we submitted a grant proposal to HUD Choice Neighborhoods for this project. We owe a debt of gratitude to the Mayor and City Council along Kevin and Pete for their help. Now we are working on another proposal to use Low Income Housing Tax Credits to develop this project. We are also working the New Mexico Coalition to End Homelessness on a grant that will help fund services for homeless people in Gallup. Hopefully we will have the problem of being awarded all the monies we request. This is not a common problem and is one that we have never had in the past but it never hurts to hope or ask.

Construction documents for the Lexington are being prepared and we are excited about renovations that will begin soon. Keep your eyes out for an announcement about an open house in the next month or two.

Its Thanksgiving this month so be sure to enjoy yourself with family and friends. Give a brief thought to those in homeless shelters or far from home.

Thank you again for your support in this endeavor of bringing prosperity to this area and making hope possible.

Until next month stay well and do good!

Gallup Journey Column October 2010

2010-10-01T12:20:00.000-06:00

October 2010. Last Month 14 riders raised over $2750 for CARE 66 by riding between 23 and 66 miles. It was a beautiful day and we rode in the beautiful county side around Gallup. Thank you very much to the following riders for doing this for us: Amber Abuch, Jessica Benally, Timothy Pikaart, Don Tamminga, Barbara Kamps, Victor Martinez, Kris Pikaart, Jaylyn Gough, Pete Kelly, Sanjay Choudhrie, Tom Gifford Dirk Hollebeek, and Bruce Schuurmann.
Naturally we couldn’t have done it without our Board members: Sr. Rose Marie Cecchini, Patrick Keptner and Jane Ann Polich. Our Chief Operating Officer, Carl Smith and his daughter Ashley, also drove a support vehicle and made sure that we have water and food. Our Board Chair, Pete Kelly, rode 40 plus miles… a first for him. Congratulations Pete and thank you to all who helped make this a success. Our corporate sponsor was the Coal Street Pub. Please say thank you for Ramon and eat a meal there.
Stay tuned for more events!

Last month I attended a Board retreat for the New Mexico Coalition to End Homelessness. It was both energizing and tiring. The Coalition as it’s called, helped us complete Chuska Apartments and is working with us on the Lexington Hotel. They also provided a lot of guidance to CARE 66 when we first started up.

We have been deeply concerned about the fact the New Mexico Mortgage Finance Authority (which is the state housing agency) does not consider that there is a need for affordable housing in McKinley County because our population growth rate is lower than that of the state. We hope to work with them to identify indicators that provide a truer definition of housing need than population growth.

Thank you again for your support in this endeavor of bringing prosperity to this area and making hope possible.

Until next month stay well and do good!

Gallup Journey Column September 2010

2010-09-01T12:19:00.000-06:00

September 2010. Last month Senator Jeff Bingaman and Lt. Governor Diane Denish visited the Lexington Hotel. They looked at our plans for renovating the facility and asked good questions. It was a pleasure to see staff and people from the community at this event.

Last month we found out that we did not receive a grant for the renovation of the Lexington Hotel. We know that grants are not guaranteed. So now we are exploring a phased approach to renovating the Lexington in partnership with Tohatchi Area Opportunity and Service (TAOS). We will need to recruit volunteers to help with construction, painting and all the myriad of tasks that go with renovating a facility. We believe that construction documents will be completed by the end of the year. These documents will be enable us to determine what needs to be contracted and what can be done with volunteer labor. Look for news in next years editions of the Journey for volunteer opportunities.

On September 18 will be hosting a fun ride 66 mile bicycle ride. There will be shorter options too for those who cannot ride the entire 66 miles. Riders will pay a registration fee of $66. Those who collect pledges of more than $150 will get a beautiful coffee mug. Its easy to sign up. Ask your friends to support your ride by making a donation to CARE 66. All donations are tax deductible. More information can be found at http://www.care66.org/UpcomingEvents.asp.

Thank you again for your support in this endeavor of bringing prosperity to this area and making hope possible.

Until next month stay well and do good!

Gallup Journey Column August 2010

2010-08-01T12:19:00.000-06:00

August 2010. Last month we had a free concert at Chuska Apartments. Mary McBride performed for us and it was beautiful. It appeared that most of the people at the concert had not experienced one before and so they were shy and engaged at the same time.

We now have a leadership team in place. Carolyn Stansberry is our new Chief Financial Officer. She has been restructuring our financial management system. We are very grateful for the dedication and experience that she brings to the job. Rhonda Berg has been our Housing Development Director for a few months now. She is getting up to speed with all our grants and plans. Carl Smith, our Chief Operating Officer has been working very hard these few months. Please thank them for their work if you happen to meet them.

In July our Board met for a half day retreat and confirmed our commitment to rehabbing the Lexington and the Liberty Hotel and developing a housing development in downtown Gallup. All we have to do is find money to complete these projects.

We have the peculiar problem of being almost full to capacity. Our clients seem to be motivated to find work and put their lives together.

Thank you again for your support in this endeavor of bringing prosperity to this area and making hope possible.

Until next month stay well and do good!

Gallup Journey Column July 2010

2010-07-01T12:18:00.000-06:00

Its July already…. We have finished tying the odds and ends of the grant we were awarded through SAMHSA to provide services to people suffering from a dual diagnosis i.e. mental health and substance abuse issues. All that remains for us to do is begin the program and start drawing down some monies. This grant will pay for services for the next five years and we are very grateful to everybody who encourages us. One my first day on the job – way back in 2005 – Jim Harlin (the Executive Director of the Community Pantry) said, “Now you need to get a grant from SAMHSA”. It took us five years of applying every year get this grant award.

This month we will be having a ‘free’ concert – free as in bring your check book to put some money in the collection plate at Chuska Apartments on Saturday, July 17.

Also look for news for a bike ride fund raiser tentatively scheduled for September 18. It will be a 66 mile ‘metric’ century (it's only a few miles more than a true metric century). There will be shorter options too. Riders collect pledges and it helps us tremendously. I plan to ride the whole metric nine yards. Please let me know if you want to pledge to support this ride.

We are busy working on two or three grants for the next month or so. We hope these grants will give us the money needed to complete renovations on the Lexington and maybe even some money for the Liberty Hotel.

Thank you again for your support in this endeavor of bringing prosperity to this area and making hope possible.

Until next month stay well and do good!

Gallup Journey Column June 2010

2010-06-01T13:18:00.001-06:00

Its June…Remember last month I mentioned a surprise phone call from a funding agency. Well we visited Washington last month in connection with a grant to provide support services to formerly homeless clients. We are busy putting the program together and sorting out all the odds and ends.

We are growing and struggling to grow. Our biggest challenge is the availability of a regular source of funds. For CARE 66 we need 100 people to give us at least $100 per month. We have five people doing this right now. You can help us. And it doesn’t have to be $100 it can be $20. Regular income, is something we need. Its like an endowment that those big fancy schools have. $20 per month is equal to an endowment of at least $2000 and a $100 per month is equivalent to $10,000 of endowment, assuming that it earns an income of 5% which is a conservative assumption.

We are finalizing details with the architect for the Lexington. Our hope is to have construction documents completed by the end of July so that we can go out to bid and begin construction quickly. Meanwhile we have a bunch of money to raise.

Thank you again for your support in this endeavor of bringing prosperity to this area and making hope possible.

Until next month stay well and do good!

Gallup Journey Column May 2010

2010-05-01T12:17:00.000-06:00

It’s May already. Following the City Councils decision to invest in affordable housing CARE 66 has submitted several grant proposals to leverage these monies. One of our proposals is looking at future affordable housing projects through 2014. In a few months we hope to be able to report on how these proposals fared.

Good news comes with bad news. At least two private foundations have denied us grants and others have reduced their giving substantially. This makes our life more difficult. The economic realities of this recession continue to limit us by slowing down projects.

We are grateful to all of you who continue to support our work with your donations. No gift is too small. A few weeks ago I received a surprise phone call from a funding agency asking if we still wanted the grant that we had been denied. I will let you know how this turns out when, and if, we receive the paperwork.

Thank you again for your support in this endeavor of bringing prosperity to this area and making hope possible.

Until next month stay well and do good!

Gallup Journey Column April 2010

2010-04-01T12:17:00.001-06:00

Its April and I want to share some very good news with you. The Mayor and City Council of Gallup voted to invest in CARE 66’s housing projects. This is a welcome investment in the work of that we do. It will enable us to leverage funds, i.e. bring in more monies because of the investment by the City.

I want to thank Councilor Bryan Wall for his persistent support for our work. I am also very grateful to councilors Allan Landavazo, Mike Enfield and Jay Azua who unanimously voted to support our work. Mayor Mendoza is to be commended for his leadership and for making this investment possible.

I also want to thank the acting City Manager Dave Pederson, the Chief Financial Officer for the city Judy Starkovich and the Economic Development Director Pete Kelly. It is common to forget the work and efforts of the staff who have done a great job in finding the resources that City Council needed to invest. We are grateful to all who helped make this possible.

This is a big step forward for the city. I will be working very hard to ensure that we all profit from this partnership.
Thank you again for your support in this endeavor of bringing prosperity to this area and making hope possible.

Until next month stay well and do good!

Gallup Journey Column March 2010

2010-03-01T12:16:00.000-07:00

March 2010.

Liberty Hotel aka ‘Carl’s Radio and TV’: The first draft of construction drawings has been completed. We will need to make minor changes and add detail but we are well along the way. Funding applications should go in this month and I will let you know the good news when it comes.

Lexington Hotel: This month we will commission construction drawings and submit funding applications to complete renovations.

Chuska 3 (for want of an official name): Preliminary drawings have been completed. The building will have more than 40 units of low income housing and parking. This project is going to be wonderful addition to the downtown area and is very creative in its approach to solving housing issues like privacy, personal space and security. We hope to see renderings soon.

Meanwhile, we continue to work hard to provide transitional housing to homeless men and veterans. We passed both a Veterans Administration and a New Mexico Mortgage Finance Authority inspection of our facility.

Foundations are suffering the loss of endowment income which has affect some of our grants. We hope that the economy picks soon.

Thank you again for your support in this endeavor of bringing prosperity to this area and making hope possible.

Until next month stay well and do good!

Gallup Journey Column February 2010

2010-02-01T12:15:00.000-07:00

February 2010. We have almost completed applications requests to fund the rehabilitation of the Lexington Hotel and the Liberty Hotel. Hopefully these requests will be successful and we will be able to complete these projects this year.

We are also in the process of finalizing plans for a housing development on Coal and Puerco - we eager to see what our architects have come up with this. More on this next month.

We are at the beginning of another year. As usual we will be looking for opportunities to promote affordable housing in Gallup. The City of Gallup has received a proposal from CARE 66 to help with the costs of putting these projects together. We hope that they will give it the consideration it deserves and the support we need.

We are looking forward to a successful year but we are also aware that we still have to recover from the struggles for 2009. This is going to take hard work, discipline and vision and together we can make success happen.

We are very grateful to those of you who sent year end donations to us. Every little bit helps. It helps to make hope possible despite the many obstacles we face. Thank you.

Until next month stay well and do good!

Gallup Journey Column January 2010

2010-01-01T12:14:00.000-07:00

It’s the beginning of a New Year. Welcome 2010! Hopefully the trials of 2009 are over and we can move forward with deliberate speed.

Here’s what we have on our plate for 2010.

1. Lexington Hotel – get the remaining funding to complete renovations this year. Schematic design has been completed, detail drawings are under way. When complete this facility will provide an innovative mix of affordable housing and transitional housing for low income individuals, along with the services they need.

2. Liberty Hotel formerly known as Carl’s Radio and TV. Again we hope to get the remaining funds we need to complete renovations. This facility will provide transitional housing for homeless veterans.

3. Chuska Three (for want of a better name) submit applications to fund different components of the project once we have a clearer sense of the feasibility of the project. By this I mean how many apartments, what kind of apartments, parking, how much rental office space, etc.

4. Improve our success rate from 40% to 50% for getting clients into permanent housing and jobs.

I am very grateful for the support you have given us this past year and hope that you will continue to support our work. Thank you. As usual every little bit helps. We are going to explore a few different ideas for fundraising events this year.

Until next month stay well and do good!

We couldn't have done it without you! Thank You!

2009-12-20T16:40:00.001-07:00

Click on the picture below to read our year end thank you letter.

We are closing down the salsa factory

2009-12-04T08:59:00.003-07:00

At our November Board meeting we voted to close down the salsa factory because we are losing money on the project. We were unable to compete with commercial producers, partly, we think because our process is more labor intensive.

We will continue to explore possibilities for job creation and revenue generation but will exercise far more restraint when we consider entering markets that do not fit directly with our mission of developing affordable housing.

News for December 2009

2009-12-01T16:36:00.000-07:00

It’s December and we are thankful for resources that enable us to operate and push forward with our plans. We are grateful for the Gallup Journey that faithfully publishes this column every month. Thank you Nate and Heather.

Particularly, we are grateful for:
• Volunteers who faithfully come in and help us.
• For the support of churches like Holy Spirit Episcopal, Sacred Heart Cathedral, Bethany Christian Reformed, Rehoboth Christian Reformed, First United Methodist among others.
• The support we receive from the Board of Commissioners of McKinley County – Dave Dallago, Ernest Becenti, and Billy Moore and the staff particularly Tom Trujillo and Doug Decker.
• The City of Gallup, particularly Mayor Mendoza and Council Members Mike Enfield, Bryan Wall, Jay Azua, Allan Landavazo and city staff particularly, Gerry Herrera, Dave Pederson and Pete Kelly.
• For individuals (you) who give to us from the little that they have and earn.
• For the foundations that support us such as the Daniels Fund and many foundations who receive our grant requests.
• For our clients who strive to succeed despite the many challenges they face finding work and homes to put their lives together.
• For a Board of Directors who diligently give their time and money to help us succeed. And. They will be calling you to ask for a year end gift to support our work.

Thank you!

If you happen to meet them please thank them for their support for the work of CARE 66.

Drawings for the Liberty Hotel project which will provide transitional housing to homeless veterans and renovation plans for the Lexington have been completed. We will be submitting grant applications for gain the remaining funds we need to begin construction.

Until next month stay well and do good!

News for November 2009

2009-11-01T16:34:00.001-07:00

November is here. This is the month we celebrate Thanksgiving. We are grateful that people help each other in times of trouble. CARE 66 is grateful for your generous and kind support over the years. We could not have done it without your help. With your help we have helped over a 1000 people in the last few years. Many of them have got jobs, found a home and become productive citizens.

We have developed housing for thirty families. And we are planning and designing our next projects. These include a rehab of the Lexington Hotel, a rehab of Carl’s TV and the development of another low-income housing project. To do these we will need your help.

This month our Board will be calling those of you who have given us money in the past as part of year end campaign. We want you to know that every little bit helps. If you would like to support our work and have not been able to in the past, you can do so by sending us a check or using our website (www.care66.org) to make a donation through PayPal.

Meanwhile our work continues of finding resources and leveraging them to increase their impact. This year we have not been as successful in the past with grant applications in national competitions. Hopefully, next year will be a better year for us. Thank you again for everything you do to help us.

Until next month stay well and do good!

News for October 2009

2009-10-01T16:31:00.000-06:00

Well the good news is that end of the year is in sight. The recession has bottomed out, meaning that we soon be able to look back on this time with lessons learned.

At CARE 66 we have learned that non profits suffer early in a recession with declining donations because the people who support our work are most affected by the current recession.

In the next few weeks we hope to be able to announce that we completed negotiations with architects for the re-development of Carl’s TV and the development of the adjacent vacant lot.

We are also awaiting news of whether or not we will have a bulk purchaser of our Mother Road salsa. I was hoping to announce that we have found a funder to assist with the redevelopment of the Lexington Hotel, however, that news will have to wait until next month.

Out of the 46 people who have been through our transitional housing program 19 have moved into permanent housing. This year we have received 774 dinners for our clients from you. Thank you.

Until next month stay well and do good!

News for September 2009

2009-09-01T16:37:00.000-06:00

This year’s Indian Ceremonial was again a big success for Gallup. CARE 66 assisted with setting up tents, the exhibition hall, the pow-wow area, painting the performers rooms and taking it all down at the end. More than 25 people worked hard every day. Buck Largo, headed up our efforts to provide labor. Buck helps people get jobs, gets them resume’s and helps them fill in job applications. Buck also oversees any work that our Handy Man services provide to the community. If you need any work done please give Buck a call.

Next month we hope to announce a new program that will provide rent and utility assistance to people facing eviction and to families who find themselves homeless. This program coordinated by the Gallup Housing Authority is the shape of homeless assistance programs to come.

This week we met with Albertson’s to see if they would distribute our Mother Road salsa in the region. Please continue to buy our salsa off the shelves Albertson’s.

I thank each and every one of you for providing us with the support and encouragement we need to do the work getting people into homes and providing the services necessary for people get into homes and keeping them there.

Until next month stay well and do good!

August 2009

2009-07-22T09:52:00.005-06:00

Mother Road Salsa is available in Albertsons, La Montanita Coop, and at the Makeshift Gallery downtown. This salsa made by our clients under the supervision of a former client who is certified by USDA. Please be sure to buy our salsa from these places.

I am sure that you have heard about the economy. It’s bad. Individual donations are down about 25% compared to last year. This is a huge loss of revenue for us.

Meanwhile, despite the doom and gloom of the economy, we are persisting with our efforts to develop Carl’s TV and the adjoining lot and seeking funds to rehab the Lexington Hotel. We hope to be well positioned to take advantage of any opportunities that should arise in the future.

The latest report about homelessness is out. According to this report there are 3015 homeless people on any given night in New Mexico. Of this number 58% are in rural areas like Gallup.

Several non profits came together under the leadership of Danny Garcia, Executive Director of Gallup Housing Authority, to apply for a grant to provide assistance to people facing homelessness because of eviction. The collaborative, which includes non profits from both McKinley and Cibola County, was given an award. The grant will pay for financial literacy, case management, rental and utility assistance. Stay tuned for further details.

Until next month stay well and do good!

The column above appears in the Gallup Journey (http://www.gallupjourney.com/)every month.

July 2009

2009-07-01T09:55:00.003-06:00

I stand corrected. My statement last month about stimulus monies was wrong because I spoke to soon. Apparently some is coming to Gallup. We will find out what it is when it arrive.

We have begun putting together grant proposals so that we can renovate the Lexington. Tim Kelley is leaving us, which will be a great loss to us. Please thank him for his many years of service to CARE 66. He was one of the first people to join the staff of CARE 66. We wish him well on his future journey and hope that our paths cross again.

Work is progressing on Carl’s TV. We are still waiting to see how we finance it. We have been denied grants by at least three foundations in the last month, all of whom have laid off staff and closed offices.

We are waiting to hear about whether or not Albertsons will carry our salsa in the region. They carry it in the store at Gallup. Please look for Mother Road Salsa over there and buy it.

Until next month stay well and do good!

The column above appears in the Gallup Journey (http://www.gallupjourney.com/)every month.

June 2009

2009-06-01T10:03:00.000-06:00

I have spent the last six months looking for Stimulus monies, American Reinvestment monies and seem to come up with nothing. I can’t find any stimulus. And so as usual we are left to our own devices – to sink or swim. As we always have been, it seems.

CARE 66 is in the process of negotiating with architects to breathe life into the former Liberty Hotel aka Carl’s TV. A second phase of this project will be to build affordable housing on the empty lot just west of it. We are waiting to find out if the Veterans Administration will be willing to fund a portion of this project.

This is going to be a big project. And its our first big project. The beginning of many more, hopefully. Like all beginnings it comes after having been working on housing and related issues for the last four years.

This week we received a grant to help with the renovation of the Lexington from BNSF. It came at just the right time. We will be able to put in new kitchen appliances upstairs and fix some leaking plumbing. Thank you Burlington Northern Santa Fe!

The number of people needing affordable, decent and safe homes continues to grow regardless of the mortgage crisis. Did you know that more people work in Gallup than live here. In other cities the number of people working is generally closer to half the population of the city.

Until next month stay well and do good!

The column above appears in the Gallup Journey (http://www.gallupjourney.com/)every month.

CARE 66 Salsa in Albertsons

2009-03-30T16:21:00.004-06:00

As of March 31, 2009, Albertsons in Gallup will be carrying our Mother Road Salsa. Please make sure to go and buy it there.

Mother Road Salsa is also available from the Makeshift Gallery and La Montanita Coop on Coal Street in downtown Gallup.

CARE 66 Purchases the Liberty Hotel

2009-03-29T13:50:00.000-06:00

Safe haven for vets
Old Carl’s TV building in downtown Gallup sold to CARE 66

Tim Kelly of Care 66 locks the front door to the old Carl's TV building on Monday. Care 66 recently purchased the building and is planning to turn it into a veterans transitional housing facility. — © 2009 Gallup Independent / Brian Leddy

GALLUP — It is a classic building, built by a Gallup builder around 1928, using Gallup bricks.

But like many old buildings, it has seen better days. It was originally constructed as the Liberty Hotel, then it was Carl’s TV.

Now it has been purchased by CARE 66, to be used for homeless veterans’ transitional housing.

“We bought it for less than the appraised value,” CARE 66 Executive Director Sanjay Choudhrie said in an interview Monday, and he explained the money came from the Department of Housing and Urban Development. The renovation money will mostly come from the Department of Veteran’s Affairs, he said, and imagines the renovation costs to be somewhere between $2 million and $2.5 million to house about 15 vets.

The decaying structure will be fully rehabilitated for the purpose of providing supportive housing to area homeless veterans, male or female.

“That’s awesome,” said Vietnam vet Dave Cuellar. “President Obama was just talking last night about how homeless veterans are a national problem. I know most of these homeless people around here are veterans. I see them walk around and I just know there are vets and many of them are Natives. Our group that meets every other Friday at Don Diego’s used to take up a collection to help the down and out vets. It wasn’t that we wanted to do because it’s out of our pocket but somebody has to help them. This is great.”

Cassandra Morgan, a former Marine, and vice president of the Collegiate Veterans Association at UNM-Gallup said it was good people were thinking about women vets also. “But a lot of these women vets have dependents. They’re single moms. Would dependents be allowed to stay there? A lot of these ladies won’t utilize this because dependents won’t be included. But it is great.”

CARE 66 just closed on the building with former owner Steve Garcia and also just closed on the deal in buying the downtown Lexington Hotel at 408 West Highway 66. In addition, the organization houses about 16 people in the Frances House on Boyd Avenue in Gallup.

The old Carl’s TV building at 108 S. Strong needs some serious renovation. It is a two-story building, and the second story caught fire about 10 years ago, charring many of the main roof supports. The floor and walls have some fire damage, but the building looks sound. Because it is an old building, the group must consult with the state Historic Preservation Office and make sure the facade and windows help preserve the historic architecture.

“Historical preservation puts a lot of regulatory burden attached to grants,” Tim Kelley, Chief Operating Officer of CARE 66 said. “I’m not complaining. It’s challenging.”

The plans include renovation of the 13 rooms upstairs, a kitchenette, lounge area, common bathrooms, a lounge in the front. The organization is in the process of selecting an architect for the project and is scheduling construction to begin in September-October of this year.

“We will get contractors who do this work and ask them to give our clients a shot. If they don’t work out, that’s OK,” Choudhrie said. “But we haven’t gotten to that stage yet.”

Closing on the Lexington

2009-03-13T13:08:00.000-06:00

John and Pat Rosendall the former owners of the Lexington Hotel watch as documents are signed. John and Pat renovated the Lexington, which was a dump, when they first acquired it. It has been a labor of love for them and we hope to continue their good work. We thank them for investing their sweat, blood and tears. Thank you Pat and John.

Joseph Esparza and Jane Ann Polich sign closing documents on the Lexington Hotel on March 13 with Veronica Williams. CARE 66 now has the capacity to provide low income housing to 27 individuals. After renovations, estimated at $635,000 we will be able to provide transitional housing to homeless men and women including veterans. Renovations will increase capacity by about 25.

CARE 66 is Requesting Qualifications from Architects

2009-03-02T13:53:00.002-07:00

REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS (RFQ)

The Liberty project Phases 1 and 2 (the “Project”)

Date Advertised: February 25, 2009

http://www.care66.org/ArchitectRFQ.asp

(You can download a printable pdf file by following the link above)

Community Area Resource Enterprise, Inc. (CARE 66), as developer, owner, and property manager are pursuing projects on parcels located at 108Strong Drive and the Northeast corner of Puerco Drive and Coal Avenue in Gallup, New Mexico for a two-phase development project. The first phase is the rehabilitation of an abandoned hotel into Dorm and SRO rental housing to serve formerly homeless veterans. The second phase is the development of new construction of multifamily housing to serve low income individuals and families that will include ground floor commercial office space. CARE 66 is requesting Statements of Qualifications from qualified Architects to provide full architectural services for the Project. For the purposes of this RFQ assume the following time frames.

Phase I: Design and Construction period of 12 months

Phase 2: Design and Construction period of 24 months

CARE 66 Gala Event in the News

2009-02-10T15:42:00.000-07:00

GALLUP — Nationally known comedian Jeffrey Jena will be the featured entertainer for CARE 66’s annual Gala Event in March.

CARE 66 — Community Area Resource Enterprise, Inc. — Gallup’s nonprofit organization that offers transitional housing and services to local homeless people, is hosting the 2009 Gala Event from 6 p.m. to midnight on March 7, at the Red Rock Park Banquet Hall. The evening will feature dinner, dancing, and comedy by Jena. Tickets are $75 per person, and corporate sponsorship of tables is available.

CARE 66 Gala Event

2009-02-05T10:12:00.007-07:00

CARE 66 will host is annual celebration on March 7, 2009 at Red Rock State Park. The Event will begin at 6pm and go till midnight.

There will be comedy, dinner and dancing.

Click on the header for more information.

Please join us!

Care 66 hopes for increased awareness

2009-01-05T10:03:00.002-07:00

GALLUP — Last year brought a number of good things to CARE 66, but perhaps one of the best was increased public awareness of CARE 66’s existence.

Although CARE 66 was established several years ago, many community members haven’t apparently gotten the message that it exists, CARE 66 volunteer coordinator Geri Moore said. The nonprofit organization — officially Community Area Resource Enterprise Inc. — offers Gallup’s homeless men the chance to get off the street and turn their lives around.

Christmas Newsletter 2008

2008-12-24T12:19:00.005-07:00

Christmas 2008

Dear Friends,

Tom Paine said about the beginnings of the American Revolution, "These are the times that try men's souls." And like him we could say the same about the beginnings of CARE 66. I am writing to you to celebrate our achievements of this past year and to look forward to some of the challenges we will face in the coming years.

All is not doom and gloom. This year we have helped 293 people. Our clients have worked 12521 paid hours in this community. Thirty one veterans have lived with us in transitional housing. And ten formerly homeless families live in Chuska Apartments.

These times are trying for us because resources are scarce and perceptions of economic conditions and wellbeing are suffering overall. These are times for bold measures to create opportunities and to lay the foundation for success. What tries our souls is the need to meet the challenges of today while preparing for a future in which we thrive together.

The challenges of today are meeting our obligations, housing people, getting jobs and providing or connecting our people with the services they need. Our primary costs are for services. Included in the challenges for today is the need to make our salsa factory profitable.

Our challenges for the future including planning and raising money for our next housing development - which will focus on providing transitional housing to veterans - purchasing and rehabbing the Lexington Hotel, and working towards developing our next low income housing project so that we can help people have homes.

I want to celebrate with you a few of the people who make this possible. People without whom we would not be able to achieve the impossible! You might know some of these people, and if you happen to meet them, please thank them for their dedication, commitment, persistence and wisdom.

Miranda Yazzie manages our housing programs. She ensures that CARE 66 provides the necessary support services our client's need, schedules staff, fills in when no one is available, compiles reports for our many funding sources and maintains our client's services data.

Dorson Mahooty is responsible for the development of our housing projects. And even though he is an engineer by training, he is the person we seek counsel from when we have questions about how to comply with the myriad rules and regulations that different funding sources require of us. He is working on plans for both the Lexington and our veteran's transitional housing development.

Tim Kelley has been with us from the first day we opened Frances 1 Opportunity Center. Tim is the Chief Operating Officer, which means that he does and oversees everything that is service related. Tim makes things happen. And he achieves the impossible on a daily basis. Miracles take him a couple of extra days. Tim is a key factor in our client's success.

Mickey Chapman is our volunteer extraordinaire. She was Volunteer of the Year in 2007. Despite her training as a nurse she functions as our Chief Financial officer, bookkeeper, and yard sale expert. Mickey puts in many many hours to make sure that our books are in order. Sadly, Mickey will be leaving us early next year to work in another impoverished part of the country.

Buck Largo oversees our job placement and Handy Man Services. He put our clients to work after finding jobs for them. He put our clients to work during the Indian Ceremonial in Gallup and is very good at finding work for our clients.

Geri Moore: is our Volunteer Coordinator who was responsible for the series of stories in the Independent last month (you can find these stories online at our blog http://care66.blogspot.com/). She is extremely energetic and good at bringing volunteer opportunities to your attention. If you want to volunteer please do give her call. She will find something for you to do.

There is not enough space for me to describe the other wonderful people who make our work possible. The following is a list of people who work at CARE 66: Casey Arviso, Melissa Ashley, Ritanna Benally, Charlotte Billy, Myrrh Bright, Mickey Chapman, Ben Frederiksen, Tim Kelley, Pete Kelly, James 'Buck' Largo, Louise Livingstone, Dorson Mahooty, Arnold Mitchell, Geri Moore, Roxanne Muskett, Surphina Oyebi, Caroline Shay, and Miranda Yazzie. We are also blessed with regular volunteers from First United Methodist who faithfully come in two days a week to staff an office.

Central to our success is the support we receive from you. Your donation of time, money and goodwill keep us going. Our Board of Directors volunteers countless hours setting direction, asking for money, and overseeing our work. We are truly blessed. You are our lifeblood and give us the hope we need to succeed.

We have been blessed with a good relationship with our Mayor and the City Council, the City Attorney Dave Pederson, the County Commission - particularly Dave Dallago and County Manager Tom Trujillo. We have also been blessed by dedicated support in form of volunteers, money and prayers from our local churches including First United Methodist Church, Sacred Heart Cathedral, Bethany Christian Reformed Church, Rehoboth Christian Reformed Church and Joshua Generation for Jesus among others.

On March 7, 2009, we will hold our annual Gala Event at Red Rock State Park. Please plan to attend. This is an opportunity for you to come and celebrate our successes. Winston Churchill once said that, "success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm." And so despite these trying times we continue to move forward with enthusiasm despite the failures and challenges that come our way.

As we end this year and begin a new year I encourage you to give us what you can. No donation is too small to help. We have a monthly giving program you can sign up for. Your support enables us to provide services, create jobs and bring housing to this community. Your support is invaluable to us.

We thank you again for everything that you have done to support encourage and keep us going. We are truly grateful. Together with you we look forward to a new year full of challenge, hope, and success.

Sincerely,

Sanjay Choudhrie

Board of Directors: Carol Bremer-Bennett, Richard 'Dickie' Chavez, Sr. Rose Marie Cecchini, Joseph Esparza, Lawrence John, Patrick Keptner, Don Peterson, Jane Ann Polich, Lanalle Smith, Peter Tempest and Randy Whitsitt.

Foundations & Funding: This year CARE 66 has received grants from the William Knox Holt Foundation, the South West Indian Foundation, the McCune Foundation, and the Daniels Fund. We have also received grants from the NM Mortgage Finance Authority, the Navajo Housing Authority, US Department of Housing and Urban Development, the New Mexico Legislature and the Veterans Administration.

And we are grateful for every single cent you have given us. We have been blessed by your generosity. Thank you!

No place like home Alcoholism a common malady of homelessness (Part 3)

2008-11-23T08:45:00.002-07:00

No place like home
Alcoholism a common malady of homelessnessHomeless veteran Bill Ward tells stories over coffee and cigarettes on the back porch of Care 66 France House Monday, November 10. — © 2008 Gallup Independent / Cable Hoover

No place like home Inside the inside at Care 66 means counseling, support, responsibility (Part 2)

2008-11-23T08:41:00.001-07:00

Inside the inside at Care 66 means counseling, support, responsibilityRecovering alcoholic Doug Hamilestewa works on a crossword puzzle in the dining hall of Care 66 Frances House Tuesday, November 18. Hamilestewa has been staying at Care 66 since July of this year. — © 2008 Gallup Independent / Cable Hoover

No Place Like Home Photo Page

2008-11-23T08:39:00.000-07:00

No place like home (Part 1)

2008-11-23T08:37:00.001-07:00

This is the first in a three-part series responding to National Hunger and Homelessness Week, Nov. 16 through 22. Staff Writer Phil Stake tells about his experience taking the homeless challenge Nov. 10 and 11, sponsored by Care 66's Frances House, an all-men transitional housing unit in Gallup. For one day and one night, he lived at the Frances House and shadowed one of its residents.Kenny Grissom, a 31-year-old homeless man staying at Care 66 Frances House, poses for a portrait Tuesday. — © 2008 Gallup Independent / Cable Hoover

Homeless Awareness Week

2008-11-17T21:01:00.001-07:00

PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Geri Moore,Volunteer Coordinator
CARE 66, Gallup, NM
722-0066
geri@care66.org

MAYOR OF GALLUP SIGNS NATIONAL HUNGER AND HOMELESSNESS
AWARENESS WEEK PROCLAMATION

(GALLUP) November 14 Gallup Mayor Harry Mendoza signed a proclamation today acknowledging November 16 -22, 2008 as National Hunger & Homelessness Awareness Week in Gallup.

The purpose of the proclamation is to educate the public about the many reasons people are hungry and homeless including the shortage of affordable housing in Gallup,NM for low income residents; and to encourage support for homeless assistance service providers as well as community service opportunities for individuals, groups, businesses and schools of Gallup.

Community Area Resource Enterprise (CARE 66), a local transitional and low income housing non-profit agency, is sponsoring this important effort in Gallup. The mission of CARE 66 is to create opportunities to end homelessness. This is the first time Gallup has participated in this national endeavor by promoting awareness events. National Hunger and Homelessness Week was originally proclaimed in l986 by Ronald Reagan, 40th President of The United States.

CARE 66 encourages local businesses, spiritual centers, schools, restaurants, media, civic and youth groups to participate in awareness programs by making a commitment of time and service to either CARE 66 or other local social service agencies that assist with hunger and homelessness. The proclamation partnered with: Battered Families, Inc (BFI), Veterans Administrations Shelter (VA), Tohatchi Area of Opportunity & Service (TAOS), Community Pantry and Na'Nizhoozhi Center (NCI).

Gallup residents are also encouraged to remember homeless animals and encouraged to collect blankets, bedding, food, water and toys for St. Francis Animal Sanctuary and Gallup Humane Society.

CARE 66 is seeking individuals and groups for the following events:

Candidate Homeless Challenge - a local, state, county or tribal political leader to live homeless for 24 hours; accompanied by a resident of CARE 66 as guide.
Skip A Meal Day - go without lunch and/or coffee for a day and donate monies not spent to local hunger and homelessness agencies.
Homelessness Lesson Plans - teachers, homeschoolers, youth group leaders can use prepared lesson plans for K-2, 3-5, 6-8 and high school on homelessness issues.
Winter Wear Apparel Drive - conduct a clothing drive collecting winter coats, jackets, gloves, thermal wear, scarves, hoodies, boots, and socks. Also remember the homeless animals at Gallup Humane Society Shelter and St. Francis Animal Sanctuary with bedding, blankets, housing crates, chew toys and pet food.
Faces Of Homeless Speakers Panel - invite residents of CARE 66 to speak at your organization, church or school to see and hear the experiences of currently homeless people.
Community Service Day - your group or business employees can take a day to donate their time to work at CARE 66 or other hunger and homeless agencies. Help organize a winter sale, sort clothes, prepare a meal or join residents at shelters for social hour.
Dinner Program - Purchase gift certificates from local restaurants for homeless to "dine out" in Gallup; or local restaurants "comp a meal" to homeless during November 16-22, 2008.

The following organizations and groups have signed up to be involved in The National Hunger & Homelessness Awareness Week: The Gallup Independent, The Gallup Journey, Chief Manuelito Middle School, Tohatchi High School, Gallup High School, Twin Lakes Elementary School, Grace Bible Church, Faith Christian Fellowship, Rehoboth Christian Reform Church, Rehoboth Middle School, Burrago Pass High School, First United Methodist Church, Holy Spirit Episcopal Church, Tohatchi Area of Opportunity & Service (TAOS), Love Your Neighbor (LYN) Youth Group, Students Against Destructive Decision (SADD), UNM-Gallup Nursing School, First Baptist Church, Navajo Technical College, and The Enjean Family.

Call Geri Moore, Volunteer Coordinator, CARE 66, 1-505-722-0066; geri@care66.org to participate in National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness events in Gallup. To learn more see: www.nationalhomeless.org or www.care66.org.

Homeless hound

2008-11-17T20:59:00.000-07:00

GALLUP — Life continues to be a pretty bumpy ride for Frances the dog.

A few months ago, the heeler/shepherd mix was dumped outside the fence at CARE 66, the local nonprofit program that offers homeless men in Gallup the chance to get their life back on track. But after a couple happy months of being adopted by the residents at CARE 66, Frances is now homeless herself.

Mickey from Togo

2008-10-31T12:52:00.000-06:00

Mickey is our volunteer Book keeper and do all extra ordinaire. The costume is from Togo.

Enterprise Green Communities Publishes Project Profile

2008-10-29T09:56:00.002-06:00

Governor Richardson

2008-10-24T19:07:00.002-06:00

Governor Richardson came to Gallup today. I was able to talk with him very briefly about getting our grant monies released. Hopefully something will happen soon.

Full Text of Statement from Congressman Udall

2008-09-29T09:28:00.001-06:00

Udall Statement at Chuska Apartments
Gallup, New Mexico
September 26, 2008

Thank you for inviting me to be with you today. I’m sorry I could not be with you in person, but I am with you in spirit as you dedicate these apartments that have long been a dream of this community.

Most Americans have seen the consequences of homelessness. We have seen a family sleeping on the street or passed by a shelter in the winter. But, as you know, homelessness is more than meets the eye.

First, not having a home is only part of homelessness. The battery of misfortunes that homeless people face every day goes far beyond simply not having a roof over their heads. America’s homeless are more likely to face mental illness. They are more likely to need additional healthcare services. They face high barriers to employment, high crime rates and low levels of education. If we want to stop homelessness, we must do more than provide homes; we must provide the services that will help the homeless tackle the other problems they face.

Additionally, the homeless are often not who we think they are. Americans know that homelessness can be the product of long-term unemployment or extreme poverty. We do not always see the men who held steady jobs only to see an unexpected illness rob them of the stable lives they once took for granted. We do not see the women and children forced into homelessness by abusive husbands and fathers. And we do not see the brave veterans living on the street because battlefield trauma has shaken their minds and our government has not provided the help they deserve.

Finally, Americans tend to think of homelessness as an individual problem. We feel sorry for the people we see on the street, but we do not look at them and feel sorry for ourselves. We should.

A society that does nothing about homelessness will have more crime, more fear and more waste. A homeless person who is not given shelter is more likely to wind up in jail. In some areas, that means that we will spend more money on admitting somebody to jail than it would cost to keep them in a shelter for months.

A homeless person who has no access to healthcare is more likely to use the emergency room as their primary physician. That means the community will spend five times as much money, and that person will still live a shorter life, filled with more suffering.

But fighting homelessness is about more than saving money on other social services. We fight for the homeless because we acknowledge one simple fact: we are our brother’s keepers; we are our sisters’ keepers. It matters to me that a child sleeps on the street in my city tonight, even if it is not my child. It matters to me that a veteran is turned away from the local shelter, even if I do not know him.

CARE 66—and the other community groups and businesses that made today possible—have looked at homelessness and seen it as it is. They are providing services to those they house, because they know that we can only end homelessness if we address the other problems that go with it. They are serving our veterans, because they know that veterans face higher rates of homelessness and need higher levels of care. And they are working with the community, because they know that homelessness affects all of us, and we all must play a part in ending it.

I will continue fighting in Congress to eliminate homelessness. I have cosponsored legislation to provide a home for every veteran, and I have supported initiatives to ensure that every man, woman and child sleeping on the street has an opportunity to put a roof over their head.

But I will not end homelessness in McKinley County. You will.

Only when community members work together to protect their fellow citizens do we have progress. I will walk with you every step of the way, but this is ultimately your journey. Today you have taken another step in the right direction.

Thank you and good luck.

Respectfully,
Tom Udall
Member of Congress

Let the Ribbon Cutting Begin

2008-09-26T16:59:00.000-06:00

Let the celebrations begin. Mark Allison (Developer for Chuska and Executive Director of the Supportive Housing Coalition for New Mexico) and Hank Hughes (Project Director and Executive Director of the New Mexico Coalition to End Homelessness.

City Attorney Dave Pederson came to represent Mayor Harry Mendoza and the City of Gallup.

Joseph Montoya, Deputy Director, New Mexico Mortgage Finance Authority, the major funder of Chuska Apartments celebrates the fact that we had eight funders.

These people helped make Chuska possible.

2008-09-26T16:05:00.001-06:00

Dave Pederson hefts the scissors. Ed Rosenthal and Mark Allison look on.

Cal Curley (in the pink shirt) reads a very nice statement from Congressman Tom Udall.

Marcella Franklin (center) and Pat Keptner (right) of Tohatchi Area Resource and Enterprise.

Dave Pederson and Tom Richtsmeier cut the ribbon.

2008-09-26T15:31:00.000-06:00

Jane Ann Polich and Dickie Chavez are CARE 66 Board Members.

This is Joseph Esparza, Chairperson and President of the CARE 66 Board of Directors. He is the Program Director for the South West Indian Foundation.

Espy Holguin of HUD came all the way from Las Cruces.

Pat Magnuson of Enterprise came all the way from New York.

2008-09-26T15:30:00.000-06:00

Mark Allison talks about Chuska Apartments. Mark is the Executive Director of the Supportive Housing Coalition and the Developer of Chuska Apartments.

From left: one of the youngist residents of Chuska Apartments, his dad and Cal Curley.

Alexi Dzurec of Autotroph was the lead architect on this project.

Jayita Sahni, was the on-site architect and project manager.

More Speakers at the Ribbon Cutting

2008-09-26T15:29:00.003-06:00

Ed Rosenthal from Enterprise talks about the vision and goals of Enterprise. Ed has been a big supporter of this project.

Mark Allison, Hank Hughes, Alexi Dzurec recieving an award from Trish of Enterprise.

Sanjay Choudhrie, talking about CARE 66 and what we are about.

Tom Richtsmeier, former President of the Board of CARE 66, reminding us that we have set an example by comng together to make hope possible.

More Ribbon Cutting Pictures

2008-09-26T15:29:00.002-06:00

Marlene Lightburn from HUD.

The Arviso Brothers who were the general contractors for this project.

Joseph is hanging out with the men from Enterprise. Ed Rosenthal and Russel Kaney, Senior Program Director, National Rural & Native American Initiative.

Hank Hughes was the Master of Ceremonies. Too his left is Joan from Enterprise and Sanjay holding his little girl Elysia.

My Home Town

2008-09-26T15:28:00.000-06:00

Tim Kelley, Chief Operating Officer for CARE 66 reading a poem (My Home Town) from a local news magazine called the Gallup Journey.

Chuska Apartment Drawing and Layout

2008-09-25T23:51:00.000-06:00

An example of a two and three bedroom apartment.

South facing building are able to use the suns heat to stimulate airflow and promote ventilation

A village within a small town.

More Drawings of Chuska Apartments

2008-09-25T23:50:00.000-06:00

More views of the apartments.

A brief description of some of its features.

Pinwheels for Peace

2008-09-24T23:39:00.000-06:00

On September 24, 2008 Freshmen Terra Tohe and Candace Sam put up signs and pinwheels at Tohatchi High School on Monday as part of the Pinwheels for Peace project.

Miss Navajo Visits CARE 66

2008-07-19T17:31:00.000-06:00

Miss Navajo Nation signs an autograph for Alrit Halote at Care 66 on Wednesday evening. Miss Navajo Nation offered words of hope and encouragement to residents at the mens facility.

July 19, 2008

CARE 66 Board Chair Retires

2008-05-12T16:15:00.001-06:00

Farewell Party for Tom Richtsmeier

By Elizabeth Hardin-Burrola
Staff writer

GALLUP — Dr. Tom Richtsmeier has left impressive footprints for others to follow.

And according to the many people who attended a recent going-away gathering at CARE 66, Richtsmeier has left a particularly impressive legacy of compassion and caring in Gallup.