It's here again!  CARE 66 announces its costume “Boo Run for Your Life” to be held on Saturday October 26th at the Lexington Hotel located at 407 W. Historic Highway 66. All proceeds go to CARE 66 in support of our mission to create opportunities to help end homelessness right here in Gallup.

When: Registration starts at 2:00 PM and ends at 2:45 PM.

Where: 407 W. Historic Highway 66.

Registration:  Adults $10 | Youth (12 & under) $5 | Family $20

How:  Please visit the following link to fill out registration and to pay: CARE 66 Event Registration

Prizes will be awarded in male and female youth and adult categories.

Rain or shine event, no refunds please.

For more information, call Marlon at (505) 722-0066 or visit www.care66.org or email events@care66.org. We look forward to seeing all the fun and wonderful costumes!

Dear Friends,

I am writing to you a few weeks before the 4th Annual Mother Road Bicycle Classic.  We hope that your and/or your friends will take the time to ride in this event.  This year’s event is raising tax-deductible gifts for CARE 66.  We hope to use this year’s event to raise money for Hooghan Hózhó, a 44-unit downtown affordable housing project that will be completed next year. Due to funding constraints, we have had to remove the Early Childhood Development Center from the project.  The building is as originally envisioned with patios, open spaces and sunlight.  Our intention is that this will be a space where working families will find a home and the support they need to thrive.

If it is not possible for you to ride in this event please consider sponsoring a rider.  You can sponsor by the mile or as a lump sum.   Or you can just make a donation to CARE 66.  This year we are adding a BBQ in the evening following the ride for riders and their families.  Next year we will do the ride during the Gallup Indian Ceremonial weekend.  

We are excited about this event.  We have Board members and volunteers who help support riders with water, food, and emergency repair supplies.  It has been a great way to spend the day in and around Gallup.

Sincerely,

Sanjay Choudhrie, Executive Director 

Please read our Fall Newsletter after the jump:

4th Annual CARE 66 MOTHER ROAD BICYCLE CLASSIC

Please visit our "Upcoming Events" section on our blog (http://tinyurl.com/mnjtxsf) or the "Upcoming Events" section of our website (http://tinyurl.com/kaqgxlb) to get registration and pledge information.

We look forward to seeing you on the "Mother Road!"

Invitation to Attend CARE 66 Film Premier at Native Film Series

Dear Friends of CARE 66,

Please join CARE 66 as we screen our film, Together We Can, at the Native Film Series in Gallup, NM.

This short documentary film explores some of the struggles of and solutions to homelessness in the Gallup, NM area. film tells the history of CARE 66 and the efforts of community building and restoring humanity—of how “Together We Can.”

The film will be screened at the 7 PM show time at El Morro Theater on Friday August 9^th.  Tickets are $3 at the door. Youth, 12 and under, are free, as well as Veterans.  For more information on purchasing tickets, please visit our Facebook page and the Gallup Chamber of Commerce event listing here.

We look forward to sharing our story with you.

Community Celebrates Hooghan Hózhó Groundbreaking

PRESS: NHA commits $6 million for downtown Gallup supportive housing development

From the Navajo Housing Authority Website:

Sanjay Choudhrie CARE 66 Executive Director presents an artist’s rendering of the proposed 44-unit Hooghan Hozho supportive housing development during grand opening event luncheon held at Sammy C’s in Gallup. 

GALLUP, New Mexico — With a $6 million commitment from Navajo Housing Authority (NHA), the Community Area Resource Enterprise (CARE 66) held a groundbreaking ceremony for a 44-unit, multi-family, mixed-income supportive housing rental development in downtown Gallup, on East Coal Avenue on May 29.

The 44-unit, three-level, Hooghan Hozho housing project is scheduled for completion next April and will include resident facilities, offices, and incorporate several outdoor courtyards.

Sanjay Choudhrie, executive director of CARE 66, expressed appreciation for the project and its partners.

“The groundbreaking represents a wonderful breakthrough because from this point forward we are now going to figure how to construct the building as oppose to how are we going to get enough partners and finances for the project,” said Choudhrie. “We have come to this place because of the faith that the NHA Board of Commissioners and executive team at NHA has placed on us and we are very grateful for the opportunity and look forward to working on other projects with NHA.”

On Jan. 26, 2011, the NHA board of commissioners passed Resolution NHA-4146-2011, by a vote of 6-0-0, authorizing the issuance of a Letter of Commitment for $6 million to CARE 66. Funding would come from the 2011 Indian Housing Plan funded by the Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Act of 1996 (NAHASDA) Indian Housing Block Grant Funding.

“NHA understands that a lot of our Navajo people live in the border towns of the Navajo Nation,” said NHA Board Chairman Edward T. Begay. “Our partnership with CARE 66 is an opportunity to help our Navajo people in Gallup who often times find them selves in desperate need of housing.”

Other funding sources for the project came from Bonneville Capital, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the City of Gallup and McKinley County.

“About 50 percent of the people that live in Gallup are Navajo,” said Rhonda Berg, CARE 66 Housing Development Director. “It’s a wonderful partnership that NHA is getting started for the benefit of Native Americans.”

“Of the 44 units, 30 units are to be housed by Navajo families according to the provisions of NAHASDA,” Berg added. “Construction is set to take place in July on this year and will take about 10 – 12 months to complete.”

In March 2012, CARE 66 also opened a 21-unit supportive housing complex that provides transitional and affordable housing in the former Lexington Hotel in downtown Gallup, New Mexico. The NHA provided $1 million NAHASDA funding to CARE 66 for the rehab and renovation of the Lexington Hotel. CARE 66 said of the 21 rooms, 10 rooms are set aside to assist Native Americans.

According to CARE 66’s website, the median income for a household in McKinley County was $25,005, and the median income for a family was $26,806. The per capita income for the county was $9,872. About 31.90% of families and 36.10% of the population were below the poverty line, including 42.30% of those under age 18 and 31.50% of those ages 65 or over. The county's per-capita income makes it one of the poorest counties in the United States.

Care 66 is a nonprofit Community Housing Development Organization (CHDO) based in Gallup, New Mexico with the mission to create opportunities to end homelessness. CARE 66 is the minority partner in Chuska Apartments, a green Low Income Housing Tax Credit affordable housing development, which provides thirty units of affordable housing to low-income families including ten homeless families. Besides developing affordable housing, CARE 66 provides support services, transitional housing and permanent supportive housing for homeless individuals. CARE 66 is supported units work by Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Veterans Administration, Navajo Housing Authority, the City of Gallup, McKinley County, New Mexico Mortgage Finance Authority, private citizens and foundations according to CARE 66 ‘s website.

For more information about this story and the Navajo Housing Authority, please visit their website: http://www.hooghan.org/.

Hooghan Hózhó Groundbreaking Ceremony: May 29th at 10 AM

You are cordially invited to the

Hooghan Hózhó Groundbreaking Ceremony

May 29, 2013  |  10:00 AM  |  200 Block of East Coal Ave

BETWEEN PUERCO AND STRONG DR.

Hooghan Hózhó is a 44-unit multi-family development that features green design and cost-efficiency. New construction is on historic downtown Gallup, NM.

Partners

• Navajo Housing Authority                                      

• City of Gallup         

• McKinley County                                                    

• Rural Community Assistance Corporation

• Bonneville Capital                                                   

• New Mexico Environment Department

• New Mexico MFA                                                    

• U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

• NW NM Council of Governments: Region 6 Brownfields Coalition

Architect                                                                     Contractor

• Thomas Gifford, AIA                                              • Pavilion Construction

Property Management

• JL Gray, Inc.

R.S.V.P. to CARE 66 ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICES

230 S. 2nd Street, Gallup, NM 87301

505.722.0066

Email: marlon@care66.org

3rd Annual Mother Road Bicycle Classic

September 15, 2012

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.

Instructions for collecting pledges click here
Pledge Sheet click here

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.

We are working on getting T-Shirts for everybody who signs up to ride.

Brochure click here
Registration Form click here

Mother Road Bike Route Maps 

*The Whole Enchilada click here
*Medium Well click here
*Short click here
*Shortest and Sweetest click here

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.
Rider Waiver click here


Become a sponsor of the Mother Road Bicycle Classic

Sponsorship Information click here

For information email Lanalle

Gallup Journey Column July 2012

July 2012.  We have been meeting with Navajo Housing Authority to see if there is a possibility to renew our support services grant.  We met with them in late June and are happy to report that we will eventually receive funds to support social services.

Our annual Mother Road Bicycle Classic is scheduled for, Saturday, September 15^th.  If you are interested in doing the medium length ride as a way of to develop confidence and endurance, please email me and we can set up a ride or two.

We are also looking into the idea of several small community gatherings/tours to talk about our vision for this community and the surrounding communities.

Until next month stay well and do good!

Gallup Journey Column June 2012

June 2012. Last month an operating grant for services to homeless people was completed. As yet, we have not been able to get a continuing grant. We were forced to lay off several staff members because of the revenue shortage. Carl’s TV caught fire and we are still waiting to determine the cause.

These crises have caused us to fast track other projects, imagine new ones including a senior citizens project, and develop partnerships.

Hooghan Hozho’ is the final stretch of engineering. The Lexington is doing well.  

Our annual Mother Road Bicycle Classic is scheduled for, Saturday, September 15^th.  If you are interested in doing the medium length ride as a way of to develop confidence and endurance, please email me and we can set up a ride or two.

We are also looking into the idea of several small community gatherings/tours to talk about our vision for this community and the surrounding communities.

Until next month stay well and do good!

Gallup Journey Column May 2012

May 2012.  We are busy.  Hooghan Hozho’ is being engineered as we speak.  We are awaiting approval for second phase funding and from other grants that we have applied for.

Theresa Lee has been promoted to Chief Financial Officer of CARE 66.  She has done stellar job since she came to work for us last year.  She has led us through two audits successfully and has been a very welcome addition to the leadership team at CARE 66.

Fitz Sargent is designing a gate for the Lexington Hotel courtyard.  I have seen some preliminary sketches and they look very good.

Yours truly has been nominated as Non-Profit Leader of 2012 by the New Mexico Coalition to End Homelessness to recognize people and projects that have gone above and beyond the call of duty to help homeless people in New Mexico.

As usual, with ground breaking for one project imminent, we are planning and imagining other projects that will provide housing, address poverty, provide children and their parents with opportunities to succeed while helping make this town even better for everybody. 

Until next month stay well and do good!  

Gallup Journey Column April 2012

April 2012.  Onward and upward!  We are busy.  The finishing touches for the Lexington are being or have been done.  We are working on the next project and the one after it.

The next project is Hooghan Hozho’.  It has many components.  There is a new building with about 45 units – mostly two bedrooms.  The new building also includes a café/restaurant, an Early Childhood Development Center, office spaces for support services and administration, play spaces, open areas, parking, etc etc. 

The other phase for which we are currently seeking monies is the rehab of Carl’s Radio and TV aka the Liberty Hotel which will contain efficiency or SRO apartments.  We are trying to build these projects as green as possible.  By green we mean energy efficient - which means that we are looking at the possibility of generating electricity or heating water, - and if we don’t have enough money, to wire/plumb the building for when we do have money.

I want to thank all of you for your kindness and generosity in helping get the remodel of the Lexington Hotel done.  As is the case for the any project like this, we are indebted to far more people than it is possible to name, for kindnesses both large and small that helped us to move along.

Until next month stay well and do good!  

Gallup Journey Column March 2012

It’s official.  We have moved into the Lexington Hotel.  We are slowly settling in and discovering the wonders and joys of living in an almost new building.

            Work on Hooghan Hozho’ is next phase of the dream after the Lexington Hotel.  This project will be a mixed-income i.e. it will provide market-rate apartments and affordable apartments for low to moderate income families.  It will also provide space for a coffee shop, an Early Childhood Development Center, support services and CARE 66 administration, if all goes according to plan.

            We are confronting the nitty gritty details that all projects have in abundance while we study the city code, our building plans and beg for money. 

Until next month stay well and do good!  

Gallup Journey Column February 2012

It’s official.  We have moved into the Lexington Hotel.  We have moved people living on our Transitional Shelter at Frances Opportunity Center to the ground floor of the Lexington Hotel.  And, former residents of the Lexington Hotel have been moved back to their place of residence.

            CARE 66 administration offices have moved to the basement of the GJU building.  We will be there for the next 18 months until our new offices, which will be part of the Hooghan Hozho’ development, are completed on Strong Drive, which we hope will be sooner.

            The Lexington Hotel is a labor of love and we could not have done it without your support.  Together with locally raised funds we leveraged monies from the State Legislature, HUD, ARRA, Navajo Housing Authority, and private foundations.  We are very grateful to each of these funders and we look forward to working with them on future projects.

           Rhonda Berg, Peter Tarutis and Carl Smith have worked very hard to complete this project.  Please congratulate them when you see them.

           Many years ago it was our dream to provide a place where people could transition from homelessness to a home of their own while still having access to support services.  We now move onto the next phase of this dream.  Naturally, there will be bugs to be worked out and new challenges to be faced. 

Until next month stay well and do good! 

You can help CARE 66 succeed

Come to the Lexington Open House

Lexington Open House

Gallup Journey Column December 2011

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

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

            Hooghan Hozho’ is in planning at this time.   We have received a grant award which we will leverage to develop approximately 45 units along with an Early Childhood Development Center, play areas, space for support services, administration offices and maybe even a coffee shop. We are working out the details so that we can begin construction in the Spring of 2012.

 

            In the meantime we are also working on a couple of different projects of which we will share more with you as time goes by.  Budget cuts to HUD the availability of grant funds which we tend to leverage with other grants and debt.  In short the budget cuts are definitely not helping to get people into housing and jobs.

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

Until next month stay well and do good!  

Gallup Journey Column November 2011

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

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

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

Until next month stay well and do good! 

Gallup Journey Column October 2011

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

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

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

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

The following local businesses sponsored the Mother Road Bicycle Classic, be sure and thank them for their generosity: Desert Highland Earthships, 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)

 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