Dear Friends of La Plazita Institute,

Warm greetings for a New Year and decade from all the staff and volunteers at La Plazita Institute! 2009 has been a phenomenal year for us, and we are immensely grateful to all of you, our community family, for your support on our journey. We invite you to celebrate with us as we review our year and the many accomplishments we have made together, and we look forward to another year of growth, change, and renewal in 2010.

Also, if you would like to support us financially in the coming year, please click below to make your tax deductible donation!

2009 in Review

La Plazita Institute Finds a New Home!  

Our most exciting accomplishment in 2009 has been the restoration of our new home at 831/827 Isleta Boulevard. Throughout the first half of the year, our dedicated staff member Tomas Martinez oversaw the efforts to restore our main building—which had been badly burned. Youth from our T-MAC and S-MAC programs, hired through the Youth Building Better Lives program did a phenomenal job on the place.

Special thanks go to Diego Lucero, Joe Ball, and Tim Hartman for their commitment to the youth and getting the job done. Mil gracias to Lorenzo Garcia, for all of his support. Tremendous thank you also to Berenice Grijalva, our astute architect designer who helped with the plans—and Centro de La Raza for supporting her to work with us.

Due to our hard work renovating the building, and the generosity of our new landlord, Frank Baca—who has been a tremendous new ally and supporter through 2009—we have reduced rental costs for 4 buildings in 2010, and have first rights to buy the property. Our facilities are quickly becoming a meeting place for a multitude of diverse community groups in the Armijo neighborhood and beyond. See photos of our site and inspiring renovation team here:

Healing Fair and Grand Opening

We celebrated our new site on July 31, with a Grand Opening Celebration and Healing Fair that drew 500 community members who were provided with free healing care from a team of over 25 Curanderos and Curanderos. This was La Plazita Institute’s 4^th annual healing fair, coordinated in partnership with Kalpulli Teocalli Ollin, UNM Office of Community Affairs and Dr. Cheo Torres; and Dr. Arturo Ornelas of La Tranca Institute in Cuernavaca, Mexico.

This event could never have been pulled off without the many hours of hard work put in by the Bonner Fellows—Bryant Gomez, Jake Foreman, Christina Romero, Victor Magallanes, Marco Sandoval, Travis Lilley, Vanesa Apodaca, Maria, Sofia Chavez, Amanda Barka, and Lucy Valenzuela. So many thanks for another year of enduring support from Laura Alonso de Franklin of Kaluplli Teocalli Ollin, and husband Michael Franklin—for assistance in numerous areas. Also big thanks this year for the generous support of Renuka and Francisco Romero. Also thanks to Marysol Enyart for her help preparing for the raffle. A big shout out to the fabulous musicians who performed—Los Jaraneros, Cultura Fuerte, Los Otros, and Wagogo. Thanks also to Mike 360 for being there just in the nick of time, yet again, to tag our signs! Big thank you also to Fernando Ortega and the Aztec Dance Group--Circulo Solar Ollin Xochipilli for blessing our new site, and La Plazita Gardens every Wednesday with their dancing. See photos of the event here!

We’re Official! LPI Recieves 501c3 Status

After 4 years of operating through ISTEC, our fiscal sponsor, this October we finally received our 501c3 status—and fiscal independence as an organization. A big thank you to Board Member Chris Melendrez for midwifing this process! We have hired on a systems savvy administrative assistant, Kathryn Neal who is working hard with volunteer accountant Larry Holmes to ensure our financial and reporting systems are all up to IRS standards. Adding to our official-ness—we finally have a real logo thanks to our esteemed Dine artist friend Derick Bitsie.

Many thanks go to our outstanding Board of Directors, both dedicated long term members and new, enthusiastic recruits—Victor Padilla, James Maestas, Joaquin Griego, Theresa Gonzales-Gallardo, Chris Melendrez, Cecilia Maria Reece, and Mary Lou Montoya. Especially to those dedicated members who have already put in long hours assisting us with fundraising efforts—Joaquin, Victor, and Theresa, as well as Bonner leader Bryant Gomez. Also for the generous sponsorship of Theresa’s nonprofit, Footprints Ministry, Inc. Of course also to Kathryn for her commitment to integrity and upkeep of our financial systems.

Most importantly, supreme thanks from the heart to all the staff at ISTEC—Jorge Garcia, Miriam Lobaina, Dr. Theo Crevenna, Modesta Cruz, Nelmy Jerez, and others, who have endured with us over the years with patience and humor, as we’ve learned the ropes of managing a nonprofit. We appreciate all your dedication and commitment to helping us do it right.

South Valley Pathways Collaborative Launched

This past spring, La Plazita Institute initiated a collaborative of 5 community organizations to apply for funding through UNM’s Health and Science Department’s Pathways Program. In August we were thrilled to receive the grant. Our partners in the South Valley Pathways Collaborative are Peanut Butter and Jelly, Casa de Salud, the South Valley Economic Development Center, and the Rio Grande Community Development Corporation.

Through Pathways, we are able to train and hire promotores, or health care case managers, to assist our most vulnerable youth and families in accessing health care and other vital needs such as employment and housing. We are incredibly proud of our key Pathways staff members—Sonia Ornelas, Tomas Martinez, and Susie Reyes. They have shown so much corazon and dedication in serving the most vulnerable families and youth in our community.

Mil gracias to our Pathways partners—Julie Stephens, Jessica Gutierrez, Andru Ziwasimon, Debbie Sanchez, Tony Gallegos, Tim Nisley, Daryl White, Leah Steimel and many others… also a special thank you to Frank Baca and family for helping us start up an emergency assist fund for Pathways clients in need.

La Cultura Cura

This year we have overseen construction of two healing sites—one in Gallup, New Mexico, and the other at our residence at 827 Isleta Boulevard SW. Through a contract with PMS Medical Services, we built a healing site in Gallup, New Mexico, that will serve returning Native American Veterans in the area. This includes a tipi, Inipi, or sweat ceremonial lodge, and memorial to all Native American veterans.

The site will be commemorated later this spring. We also constructed two tipis and an Inipi lodge at our residence at 827 Isleta Boulevard SW. “Junior,” Albino’s son, who is LPI’s ceremonial and spiritual facilitator, lives onsite with his family and provides Inipi purification ceremonies twice a month for our youth, families, and returning Native American veterans.

A big thank you to the PMS Administrative staff Chris Burmeister and Hoyt Robison for setting this in motion, Antonio Lee, onsite Case Manager who will keep the program going. Mil gracias to all who did the on-the-ground work—Frances Garcia, Tomas Martinez, Kathryn Neal, David Franklin, Jon Garcia, and Norman Tulley, as well as Gallup area veterans Bernardo Ramirez, Gregory Bobelu, and Michael Kirk. Finally, thank you so much to Marty Neal for hosting us in his home.

Building Bridges Between Albuquerque, NM and Belfast, Ireland

Albino, Frances, Michael Morris, and a delegation of students and UNM CLPS and Office of International Affairs (OIA) staff visited Ireland this past summer at the invite of Derick Wilson, a UN delegate from Belfast who does youth and reconciliation work. The trip was life-changing for all participants. They visited neighborhoods on both sides of the wall where very few outsiders have ever been invited.

They sat down with ex-paramilitary members from both sides who were released from prison after the war with the agreement that they would no longer take up arms. They also met with top law enforcement officials to discuss their country-wide restorative justice programs. Through 2010 LPI, CLPS and OIA staff will work with our new partners in Northern Ireland to build bridges of learning and healing between our two communities.

Thank you so much to all who were part of this life-changing journey—Michael Morris, who has been such a strong advocate and ally over the years, and his right and left hands—Kiran Katira and Swecha Singh—whose powerful testimony at the December Belfast event ensured that no one had dry eyes… as well as all the other inspiring delegate members—Jake Foreman, Christina Romero, Lauren Fowler, and Dan Marzec.

Perhaps most importantly, throughout a year of tremendous change, our dedicated staff, Richard Lucero, Tomas Martinez and Susie Reyes have continued to oversee our T-MAC (Teens Making a Change) and S-MAC (Sisters Making a Change) programs. These critical programs serve the most vulnerable youth in our community—previously incarcerated, gang affiliated, facing immense challenges in their home lives, and attempting to choose a life off the streets and in community. We offer weekly talking circles where these youth can experience healing and a return to core positive values.

This year the youth participated in restoring our building, helped to prepare for our Grand Opening and Healing Fair, presented at our Gang Awareness Seminar, participated in the Young Men’s Summit, visited Chicago to present at a Kellogg Foundation function. We took them snow-tubing/boarding in the East Mountains, they volunteered at a Homeless Shelter, went bowling, attended the movies, attended barbecues—the kinds of things “normal” kids do—but most of ours never have these opportunities.

The highlight of this year was when our youth helped us to host a gathering of about 60 Drug Reform Conference presenters and attendees. Our youth shared a meal with some of the nations leading visionaries and advocates for Criminal Justice Reform—many of them ex-cons, and nontraditional leaders. These inspiring men and women were moved by the testimony of our youth—and made clear that they believe in them—that in fact they saw themselves in the youth, and knew they were also powerful leaders in the making. 

One visitor, a woman who runs a program for young women out of Oakland, California, was so moved by the testimony of our youth women that she offered funding for T-MAC T-Shirts as well a fully paid program exchange trip to Oakland, California in 2010.

Big thank you to all of our partners in this youth work—Sequoia Treatment facility staff and administrators; Leslie Jiron, Max, and Leonard at the Youth Retention Center, as well as staff and administrators at the Public Defenders Office, Metro Court, and Albuquerque Retention Centers. A BIG thank you also to Kim Carter with Time for a Change Foundation, for funding our girls on a trip that is sure to change their lives.

Albuquerque School Based Work

Spring semester of 2009, we completed 3 years of gang intervention work at Albuquerque High School. Thanks to this work, the number of gang-related conflicts has gone down substantially since initiation of our programs. Thank you to the staff and administrators at Albuquerque High, including Principal Tim McCorkle, for supporting this program through the years.

Gang Seminar Workshop

This spring La Plazita Institute offered its first ever Gang Awareness Workshop in the Albuquerque area. Director Albino Garcia has given these workshops all over the country, but it took the dedication and hard work of Valerie Griego, who was hired on with us through the first quarter of the year, to pull it together in our own backyard. The event was a great success and we look forward to providing further trainings in 2010. Big thanks go to Valerie Griego—who is now one of our most prized advisors and volunteers, Sister Anne Marie and St. Anne’s Church for hosting us. Mil gracias for the courageous, eloquent testimonies of our youth, and staff—Tomas Martinez, Richard Lucero, Susie Reyes, Priscilla Romero, Jesse Romero, Edmond Pacheco, Frank Garcia, and Amber Baca

La Plazita Gardens at Sanchez Farm

4 Year Lease and Community Events

La Plazita Gardens has had an incredibly busy and productive year. Most importantly, we finally signed a 4 year lease with Bernalillo County. We hosted over 600 visitors to the farm at various workshops and events including the Cesar Chavez Day March, and the San Ysidro Festival for the third year in a row. This year we were also a site for the Aldo Leopold Centennial Celebration, through which we partnered with Bernalillo County Open Space to deliver 7 workshops on topics ranging from Seed Saving to Curanderismo, to Composting. We were also a site for the Aldo Leopold Film Festival.

Many thanks to our brilliant presenters—Jen Prosser, Jim Brooks, Cheo Torres, Arturo Ornelas, Laura Alonzo de Franklin, Miguel Sarria, Yasmin Kahn, and Travis McKenzie. Mil gracias to Colleen Langan for being such a fabulous liaison, and to Clay Campbell, Mark Chavez, Hugh O’Neal, Ed Martinez, and Mary Rios. A special thank you to Art de La Cruz for his support in the Cesar Chavez Day March, and to the hard work of the Recuerda Cesar Chavez Committee. See photos here for farm events.

Farm Production and New Projects—Taking it to a New Level

This year we brought on a new Farm Manager Angelina Lopez, who has been doing a fabulous job of managing and strategizing our farm production planning and implementation, with great assistance from new trainee, Jeff Warren. We have just completed construction of 2 new 30 X 90 feet cold frames through a USDA grant acquired by our partners the American Friends Service Committee. We now have year-round production at the farm, have developed a small CSA program, and are selling to La Montanita Coop. Our vital community networker, vision holder, and voice for the Farm, Joe Garcia, continues to be an inspiring and dedicated advocate and networker to broaden our circle of friends.

We have also received grants to develop a composting program at the farm from Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE), thanks to the support of Joran Viers with NMSU Extension. We have also received a habitat restoration grant from the Fish and Wildlife Service, thanks to the persistence of our new partner, Maceo Martinet, and the grantwriting skills of Jenya Novgorodskaya and Joe Garcia.

A multitude of thanks—to dedicated summer work studies Ryan Schneider and Martin Gutierrez, our new inspired volunteer coordinator Susan Vigil, Pastor Anita Amstutz and Chuck Hosking with the Albuquerque Mennonite Church , the youth at the church who raised funds for us to buy new tools, and many others for their hard work on the farm. Also many thanks to Ray Powell and Emily Deitrich with Jane Goodall’s Roots and Shoots program, and Adam at La Montanita Coop, and Tim Neugebauer with ARCA Organics for the beautiful tomato and pepper starts.

Mil gracias as well to all our parciantes and on-the-ground volunteers: all the volunteers at Erda Gardens , especially Eric B, Spiral, and Jimmie. Travis McKenzie and Colin, Towana Yepa, Mr. M and the Barcelona 5^th Graders, Miguel Santevistan, Maria Baca, Jesse Daves, Sarah Montgomery, Patrick Staib, Fidel with Emerging Communities,  Joseph and Henry Reales with the Atrisco Neighborhood Association.

A special thanks to Dan Young and the McCune Charitable Foundation, whose generous support enabled us to lease the residence at 827 Isleta Blvd, and hire on work study students Ryan Schneider and Martin Gutierrez to assist in farm production. To the Boyscouts of America—the ambitious projects of two Eagle Scout troops, who built a kiosk, ADA accessible raised garden beds, and bat houses for the farm. Finally, mil gracias to our longstanding partners and friend Don Bustos and Sayrah Namaste, who have truly given with all of their hearts to help us make our dreams at Sanchez Farm a reality.

2010 Upcoming Events

Parents Making a Change

We are excited to announce, thanks to the second year of generous support from the Albuquerque Community Foundation, this January we restart our Parents Making a Change program. At the heart of this program will be monthly potlucks, workshops, and talking circles to support the parents and grandparents of the youth we serve, and within our broader community. We will meet evenings on the last Thursday of each month, beginning January 28.

Technology Center

This summer we received a generous donation of computers and networking equipment from the Public Defenders Office, as well as T-Mobile. Over the past months, dedicated volunteer Katrina Coker has overseen the process of restoring these computers to working order, and in early 2010 we should have our community tech center up and running!

Big Thank You to Anne McGoey with the Public Defenders office, Laura Alonzo de Franklin and Michael Franklin for the computer donations, and much gratitude to Katrina Coker, our lead volunteer for all things tech—who has put in so many countless hours of work, as well as Antonio Minitrez and Francisco Romero.  Big thank you also for all of the hard work of Sarah Schara and David with INX, Jake Foreman, and Professor Kyle Fiore, for assisting in development of a planning grant for our Community Technology Center which we hope will result in a more advanced setup for the future.

Alternative Community Gang and Violence Reduction Council

In 2010, thanks to support from the Seasons Fund for Social Transformation this year La Plazita Institute will initiate the New Mexico Gang and Violence Reduction Council, which will mobilize the public and policymakers to invest greater resources and focus toward prevention and intervention to address youth violence and gang related crime. This Council is intended to balance current emphasis on increased resources for suppression and incarceration—a trend that can actually re-enforce multigenerational patterns of poverty, powerlessness, gang involvement and criminal activity.

A Heartfelt Thank You!

We’d like to express a heartful thank you—to the institutions and their representatives who have provided financial support for our programs during 2009. We realize that our current economic struggles force you to make hard choices and we offer our respect, humility, and appreciation for continuing to support us in these difficult times. We will continue to do all we can to ensure that your investment is returned 100 fold through our impact on the youth and families we serve. These institutions are:

AEPOCH, New Mexico Community Foundation, Albuquerque Community Foundation, McCune Charitable Foundation, The Funding Exchange, Panta Rhea Fund, Seasons Fund for Social Transformation, UNM Health and Sciences Pathways Program, Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE), USDA, Fish and Wildlife Services, Albuquerque Mennonite Church, Presbyterian Medical Services, Construction Reporter, Yes! Seeds of Justice
Peace Development Fund, and many others!