Gallup Journey Column January 2010

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!

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

We are closing down the salsa factory

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Copyright © 2009
Gallup Independent
By Gaye Brown de Alvarez
Staff writer

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

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

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

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

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

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

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)

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)

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