The year-end New Mexico Friends of Foster Children newsletter! Highlighting our recent activities supporting foster children in our state.
2020 Report to Donors
2019 through October 2020
Dear Friends,
With the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) continuing to unfold across the U.S, New Mexico Friends of Foster Children (NMFFC) has been focusing on how we can best assist children and youth in the foster care system. In a blink of an eye, the world has changed and closures across the state have created a hardship on many families, especially foster families.
We remain committed to our mission of helping kids be kids during these difficult times. Realizing that summer activities and camps were not going to happen, NMFFC developed the Summer Fun Project. The project was designed to help combat the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on foster children by providing funding to help them stay active and healthy while having fun during the summer of 2020.
During this time of uncertainty, thanks to your support and generosity, 110 children received support through the Summer Fun Project, other children continued to receive awards for their particular needs, and we were able to continue the Education Scholarship Program.
We are humbled by the compassion and generosity of our donors and would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you who make it possible for us to help the children. As the months pass and an end is not clearly in sight, we hope that you will continue to keep these kids in mind.
We do not know how tomorrow will look but whether you’re helping NMFFC, first responders, health care providers, or staying home to keep others safe, we are truly grateful for your dedication and we appreciate all your support. Thank you!
The Board and Volunteers
New Mexico Friends of Foster Children
Thank You!
After 6 ½ years in a wonderful office, NMFFC lost its lease and had to find a new home. Moving Solutions, Inc. moved furniture for us previously and they came to our rescue once again in the loveliest of ways. A truck and 2 moving professionals arrived at our office ready to move furniture, files and boxes only to discover the building’s freight elevator was out of service! These gentlemen were patient and did everything possible to make the move a resounding success – in spite of the unexpected. We are so fortunate to have generous businesses who help us so that we may help others.
In 2019, hONEyhoUSe with special guest Lyric Morrison performed at our annual fundraiser at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center. hONEyhoUSe shared their wonderful blend of blues, soul, folk and Americana as well as their generosity on behalf of the children in foster care in New Mexico. We hope you will join us, sometime soon, for an afternoon or evening of infectious music performed by the amazing women of hONEyhoUSe (visit honeyhouse.me)!
Circle of Friends
2019 through October 2020
We thank you, our donors, for believing in a happier tomorrow for New Mexico’s foster children. Your support changes young lives in both small and large ways and helps children understand that others care about them and their futures.
Individuals
Abrams, Sarah
Alongi, Linda
Anonymous Donors
Ascolese, Jacqueline
Asher, Sophie
Barr, Madonna
Bassett, Sara
Bemis, Laura
Bender, Larry
Berger, Diane
Blake, Virginia
Bouchard, Bebeann
Briggs, Pat & Chris
Buck, Randi
Bullock, Van
Cantrell, Kenna & Pace, Karen
Carmony, Larry & Corinne
Castillo, Rueben & Nancy
Chambers, Joe & Sara
Chavez, Sonya
Copas, MaryAnn & Hammer, Victor
Corcoran, Alina
Cordova, Elizabeth
Cordova, Loretta
Crater, Christopher
Daves, Pamela
Davis, Linda
De La Cruz, Catherine
Demic, Morgan L
Diaz, Desire
Dodd, Darla
Domeij, Susan
Dorland, James & Teddy
Dowling, Margaret V
Dumond, Valerie
Dunn, Pat
Edward, Mary Lou
Efroymson, Miriam
Fair, Brooke
Ferguson, Andrea
Fisk, Barbara
Flynn, Bill & Coony, Gina
Flynn-O’Brien, Judy & Tim
Franco, Hector
Frantz, Brian
Fucile, Kathleen & Robert
Fulton, Virginia
Garcia, Joshua
Garcia, Mary & Ruben
Garcia-Sanchez, Irma
Geller, Anthony
Gomez-Schock, Maria
Goodfellow, Robert
Griego, Patrika
Gurule, Margaret
Gurule, Margo
Gutierrez, Lillian
Hacsi, Brian
Hager, Hettie
Hames, Patricia
Hanson, Mary Ellen & Carl
Hubka, Ryland
Iandiorio, Michelle
Jijana, Miranda
Johanson, Jodi
Kauffman, Jeff
Koenig, Tiffany
Kolson, Cynthia
Kostur, Glenn
Kraft, Molly
Kunda, Kathleen
Lindstrom, Michael
Lucero, Mariah
Lujan, James J
Luna, Marian
Maestas, Melissa P
Makofske, Matthew
Malley, Patrick
Miera, Gloria
Montoya, Brenda
Montoya, David P
Morrison, Shirley
Morrow, Eve & Cary
Nokes, Anne E
Noordam, Elisa
Nordine, Catherine A
O’Brien, Christina
Pedraza, Sean
Peek, Jeanine
Poyer, Sherrie
Quinn, Janice
Reynolds, Shelly
Roberts, Terry E
Ronca-Washburn, Jane
Ruiz, Miriam
Sanchez, Judy
Sant, Debbie
Schubauer, Mary Beth
Schutze, Suzanne D
Schwanfelder, Nan
Selke, Michael
Shiloh, Robert
Smith, Judith
Smith, Merry M
Strom, Ray
Sutton, Elizabeth
Tomlin, Clyde
Tran-Fajardo, Lan
Vukosovich, August
Wagner, Melanie
Williams, Melanie
Wright, T Spencer
Organizations & Businesses
AmazonSmile Foundation
Betty’s Bath & Day Spa
Blue Cross Blue Shield of NM
Center for Action & Contemplation
Clothes Helping Kids, Inc.
Community Link ABQ
Cutbow Coffee
Eyes of NM Family Optometry
Fidelity Brokerage Service
G.T. Evans American Legion Post 44
Haltom Orthodontics
Herbs, Etc., Inc.
hONEyhoUSe/Sister Beez LLC
HP YourCause, LLC
Indian Pueblo Cultural Center
JohnnyBoards, LLC
Junior League of Albuquerque
La Salita Restaurant
Los Alamos National Laboratory
Masks Y Mas
Michael Thomas Coffee
Moving Solutions, Inc.
Network for Good
Optimist Club of Alamogordo
Paypal
Project Linus
Red Fox Realty
Richard’s Mexican Restaurant
Sadler & Son Monument Works Co.
Southwestern Title & Escrow Inc
Target Corp c/o Cybergrants
Trembly Associates Corp
VFW Post 5890, Rio Rancho
Walmart Neighborhood Market #3512
YourCause LLC Wells Fargo
Community Support
Zamora Business Accounting PC
Special Gifts to NMFFC
In Memory of:
Perry E. Copas Howard Moeller Ribbon Olmos Janice Trujillo
In Honor of:
Jay and Lori Chambers Will and Laura Chambers William and Mary Chambers Pat Dunn Judy and Tim Flynn-O’Brien Fred and Patricia Jaeger Sharon Malley Mary Louise Montoya Garcia Anne Nokes Sally and Ed Pais
Grants Make a Major Difference in the Lives of Children and Youth
We are indebted to the following organizations for providing grants that are making a difference for children in foster care and youth who are or have been part of the foster care system:
In 2019, Clothes Helping Kids, Inc. awarded NMFFC $5000 for scholarships. This grant paid for five scholarships that year.
In 2020, the Junior League of Albuquerque, through the Albuquerque Community Foundation, provided $3000 for scholarships, which were awarded to three young women pursuing a variety of educational goals.
In 2020, Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Mexico awarded $5000 to support activities that contribute to the health and wellness of children in foster care. These funds are spread across physical and other activities that help to fill the gaps for these kids.
Invest In the Future: NMFFC Scholarships
NMFFC scholarships in 2019 and 2020
We received 12 scholarship applications in 2019 and 11 applications in 2020 and we awarded scholarship to all of the applicants. During the 2020 pandemic, young people had difficulty accessing resources to complete their applications. The simple act of taking an envelope to the Post Office was a health risk, and computers in public libraries were not available for completing the applications. We adjusted our process so that young people could apply using whatever resources they could access. Some students did not apply because they couldn’t afford to attend college or a training program at all; the pandemic prevented them from working the hours needed to simply afford living expenses, not to speak of tuition and fees. We are exploring ways to reach more potential applicants in 2021 and hope that the employment picture for these students will improve.
The NMFFC board of directors determined that every scholarship recipient in 2020 should receive a $250 supplement, in addition to their scholarship, to help offset the difficulties they encountered attending school during 2020.
2 had been in tribal custody, 21 in New Mexico CYFD custody
8 were adopted
5 had previously received an NMFFC scholarship
Locations: Albuquerque – 11, Farmington – 1, Gallup – 1, Hobbs – 1, Las Cruces – 1, Los Alamos – 1, Los Lunas – 1, Santa Fe – 2, Taos – 1, Tijeras – 2, Ballwin, Missouri – 1
Meet the recipient of the Bouchard Family Scholarship in our next newsletter
How You Can Help
We hope you will consider an end of 2020 or beginning of 2021 donation to continue the awards needed by so many vulnerable children in New Mexico. We received $28,615 in donations in 2019 and $9,450 into the middle of October 2020. Near the end of October, we received a surprise $20,000 donation from a donor new to us. A donation of this size is very unusual and we are incredibly grateful. But we know we must continue to solicit funding to be sure the breathing room created by this windfall continues to create more opportunities for children in foster care.
Your donations are what makes everything possible. We ask for your help to raise money for more programs like the Summer Fun Project, Filling in the Gaps Awards, general awards and the scholarship program. Please consider donating to the future of these children, especially during this pandemic.
