Gallup Journey Column July 2011

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

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.

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 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

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

          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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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!