| A Dose of Hope | August 2025 | | | |
Greetings!
Summertime at Saranam slows down, but only a smidge. Children are at summer camps or daycare. Parents are enrolled in their summer courses and all families are working on their summer goals. Also, decorators are getting geared up and teamed up to make houses homes. Our annual report rolled out with all the exciting stories and data from 2024 to share with you and new friends. Our 2025 application season closed with receiving over 120 applications! Things slow down, but only a smidge!
To keep kids’ skills fresh during summer and prevent learning loss prevention Saranam's Family Activity Coordinators have "summer brain gain" activities! Reading challenges, learning games, and library visits are tracked on coloring pages of ice cream cones and butterflies. As they complete an activity they color in some of the drawings. The kiddos celebrated their accomplishments at an ice cream party (of course!) and the bowling alley. Great job!
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Second year parents are completing another life skills class about Employability Skills. This section is important in preparing parents with tools and skills for college and career readiness. It also prepares parents for success in employment once out in the world. Some of the class highlights are:
- Identifying academic and critical thinking skills needed for success in their respective fields
- Work ethics
- Interpersonal communication skills
- Time management/organizational skills
- Systems thinking
- Job searching and networking
The class culminates by building their resumes, writing cover letters, and choosing interview clothes for mock interviews (online, group, and individual interviews) in their desired fields. Completing this class, it boosts self confidence and provides both a resume and skills that they can use out in the world after leaving Saranam.
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Welcome Home, Families
Later this month 10 families will begin their journey at Saranam at our FTA Campus. We are excited to welcome and support everyone as they begin to process this experience and make goals for their families. As you receive this newsletter, decorators are putting the homes together now! We'll share an online book, Home Highlights, featuring the homes decorated by the volunteers at the end of August.
Application season ended last month and we received over 120 applications. Saranam will welcome 20 families this year at both campuses!
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2024 Annual Report is Available
Our annual report is a great resource. It helps to share the family's stories, our services, and the data we collect each year. Share the link below or request a copy of the annual report if you'd like to share our stories with a friend or company.
"We are worth more! We have done a lot work to get where we are and I have worked for it!", said Jessica, a mother at Saranam.
Read more about her family on page 5.
Your support made these 2024 incredible accomplishments possible— thank you.
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Welcome to the Team, Susan!
Susan Leung has joined Saranam as the Family Activity Coordinator. She has a degree in history and a master's in curriculum development. Susan brings her experience as an educator, program manager, and parent as well as her passion for community building to her work at Saranam.
We're excited she is here to help the families at the FTA Campus!
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Thank you, American Home!
American Home we are so grateful for the 15 new mattresses! A new bed for parents and children offers a safe place to rest their heads and hearts for the night. This helps with their journey to end their homelessness and poverty for themselves and generations to come. Read more about this partnership over the past few years.
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Youth Make a Great Impact at Saranam
You’re never too young to be a changemaker! Saranam is grateful and blessed to have a wonderful, dedicated group of volunteers. Did you know nearly 40% of the volunteers, this year, are under 18 years old? Children and teens have the power to make an impact in our community!
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Welcome Kits for FTA Campus
Did you know it takes approximately $285 of paper goods, toiletries, and cleaning supplies to stock one apartment for an incoming family? This is a GREAT starting point for anyone wanting to get involved in the work we do here at Saranam.
We have needs this month, for the homes at the FTA campus. You can help by committing to purchase smaller chunks of supplies, which we call Welcome Kits.
Here are links with more details on the kit contents and a chance to sign up yourself or your group. Please deliver by Friday, August 8.
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🍎 Back to School Supply Drive
Last month, alumni families gathered for a back to school bash. There were lots of smiling faces with their new backpacks and school supplies. Thank you to all the donors for these school items!
We are still accepting donations for our current families. Those interested can still order from our wish list online or drop off school supplies in person at 1028 Eubank NE, Suite F office during our regular donation hours of 11:30am-3pm, Monday - Thursday.
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Volunteer at the Alumni Reunion
This beloved event welcomes current and alumni families for fun activities, catching up, and so much more!
The Alumni Reunion is Saturday, September 20, just around the corner, and we are in full planning mode. Would you like to help during this memorable event?
Link below to see the shifts and where we could use your help. Thank you for checking your calendars and signing up!
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August Volunteer Training Session
Would you like to help families at family nights, parties, or in the classroom? It all starts with completing our in-person training. The next session is Saturday, August 9, 9:00am - 12:30pm at the WFC Family Center located at 10400 San Jacinto Ave, NE.
This training helps you learn more about Saranam, child abuse prevention, and trauma informed care.
Contact Sunny Holmes to sign up at sholmes@saranamabq.org.
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🧡 Shout out to Volunteers!
We'd like to say Thank You to all the volunteers this summer, so far. Whether you helped with facilities, family nights, decorating, at Campus Cleanup, a youth group that painted or moved stones, and to many more- we couldn't do it without you! Thank you for being a part of the Saranam family and community.
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