Mickey from Togo

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

Enterprise Green Communities Publishes Project Profile

Governor Richardson

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

More views of the apartments.

A brief description of some of its features.

Pinwheels for Peace

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

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

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.