Dose of Hope Dec. 29, 2021/Volume 12

This Year is a "Wrap"!  We accomplished so much this year and got the best gift of all. Spreading Holiday Cheer  Community groups make the holidays special for families. Leadership and Service  We thank three Board members for their time. COMMUNITY CORNER  Special shout-outs to the volunteers who made this year sparkle. DONATE  Invest in ending homelessness. Resilience in Spades Dear friend, If we were to summarize the year in one word, it would be resilience. 2021 was not what any of us had expected. From the outset we faced challenges as a world, and a community, that we had not planned on. But the year also fostered in us greater strength, compassion, and creativity than ever before. We saw this at Saranam in countless ways. We threw our protective arms around each other. With your help, we brought in 10 new families. Despite the upheaval ongoing around the country, these families are safe at home. We celebrated how far we’ve come. We honored our founder, Frances Thaxton Ash, who passed away 20 years ago. We looked back on how we have brought her dream to life using the extraordinary power of the community she loved. We found creative ways to adapt. We restarted in-person classes and now have a treasure trove of experience in virtual learning to ensure no family falls behind if they must miss class. We discovered what we're capable of. Families remained determined, earning astounding grades in school, and many alumni families buckled down on their savings goals and were able to purchase long-awaited vehicles. We masked up and reached out. We welcomed back volunteers and showed families that nothing can stop the love of community from reaching them. We stayed focused on what is important. Our families and the hundreds of others who need a path out of homelessness. We closed on our Westside property and moved forward with our plans to double our capacity. In short, we emerged from the year just like our families do from our program: more resilient. One of the things that has arisen from our ongoing longitudinal study is that families not only end their homelessness and poverty at Saranam, they exit with tools honed to help them adapt to the difficulties they face. We have ended 2021 like this, too. As Frances foresaw, there is no challenge ahead of us that we as a community cannot tackle.  Happy New Year!

This Year is a "Wrap"!

As the year draws to a close, we can't help but look back and feel proud. With your help our families averted disaster and found more success than they ever dreamed.  We have now served 152 families, including 174 adults and 319 children. Volunteers gave nearly 3,000 hours to Saranam in 2021. Our 2020 cohort achieved an 86% success rate, despite the challenges of the pandemic. Thank you for making this happen. We want to continue this work and change the story for the hundreds of families in our state who need hope for a different future.   There is still time to make a year-end gift!  “As many of us were fortunate to spend time with loved ones in the comfort of our homes, I encourage each of you to deliberately think about how you can make a difference in the lives of families putting in the hard work to make generational change. ”  - Rob Lasater, Saranam Board member   Thank you for giving your time, belief and resources to help families find a path home.   Donate Today The Best Gift of All  We received the best gift of all this year, learning that Shelby, an alumni who successfully completed our program nearly 10 years ago, is still stable, healthy and happy.   When she came to Saranam, Shelby had just left a volatile relationship and was left alone in a new city with a two-month old baby in her arms. During her time with us she took steps forward in her education and learned essential tools that have enabled her to remain self-sufficient to this day. "I feel so much more empowered now. I can take life by the horns." -Shelby   In the decade since she finished the program, she has advanced up the career ladder in a booming industry and has been able to offer her daughter a stable home and a life-changing head-start. Read Shelby's Story Here

Spreading Holiday Cheer

There are a few moments that stand out every year - seeing families open the doors to their new homes for the first time, looking on with pride as they graduate- and watching parents' eyes light up as their arms are filled with gifts to make their holiday special.  As we distributed presents donated by our loving community, one mother shared how unbelievable it is to have been unhoused just months ago and now able to give her kids the holidays they deserve. Thank you to the many donors who made our families' holiday wishes come true!

What's Important Now (WIN) Albuquerque Woodworkers Association GForce Gymnastics Alvarado Management Albuquerque Academy CONNECT Club

Greater Albuquerque Association of Realtors (in collaboration with APS Title 1 Homelessness Project) Sister Bling Boutique Pursonalities Covenant United Methodist Church

United Methodist Women Rio Elite All Star Cheer and Tumbling HB Construction Alpha Delta Kappa Lambda Educational Society

Leadership and Service

We extend our deepest gratitude to three members of our Board of Directors who finish their terms this year: Kathy Waldman, Diana Weber, and Rob Lasater. Like many of our Board and staff, they all first came to Saranam as volunteers. As their involvement deepened, they committed their many talents to our mission as Board members. During their time we have benefitted immensely from their wisdom and advocacy. Their leadership has enabled us to weather the pandemic, undertake a longitudinal study of our program, poised us to double our capacity, and much more. We are so thankful for the time, talents, and service they have given. We look forward to our continued work together creating a new future for New Mexican families.

Read Rob Lasater's blog post about why he gives to Saranam

Read Diana Weber's blog post on the importance of life skills

Community Corner Thank you to our volunteers this year! Want to get involved? Head over to our website to check out the latest volunteer opportunities. VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES Volunteer Appreciation One of the greatest joys of this year has been welcoming back our phenomenal group of volunteers. They bring community to life and provide connection, confidence, and inspiration for our families. We thank everyone for their time and want to give some special shout-outs to people who went above and beyond in their help for us.  Education We dearly missed the chance to connect with our Family Night volunteers in 2020. When we were finally able to open up this fall, we were blown away by the response we received to our call for help! Thank you so much to the volunteers who facilitated family activities, taught important life skills, and created a safe learning environment during our weekly Family and Community nights. A special thanks to Salley Schwartz, for the many years she has volunteered and the creativity she brings to all she does.  Housing Every summer we have hundreds of volunteers who decorate apartments for incoming families. They take this gargantuan task and make it so fun and meaningful. We want to especially thank a group of volunteers who not only help make the decorating process go smoothly, but take time throughout the year to sort and inventory donations for our Decorator Store, shop and separate monthly supplies, and even research housing tips for family education. Thank you to: Jennifer Walsh, Deborah Wallace, Vera Olsen, Blair Hart, Jane Cook, Julienne Brown, Suzann Jones, and Amy Romero.

. Community It is always a good day when can do projects like landscaping and property maintenance with special groups! We are so grateful to those who gave their time this year to help keep our campus an inviting place for our families. We want to extend a special shout-out to Gilbert Gonzales, a local landscaper and handyman. When he learned about our mission, he donated his time to complete some work at our Weil Family Center! If you are interested in contacting him for any projects you need done, you can reach him at: Simple Solutions, (505) 322-1358

Follow us on social media so you don't miss a thing. ‌ ‌ ICYMI In case you missed it, here's what happened this month... Mom earned 4.0 GPA for Spring and Summer 2021 semesters Saranam celebrates being "Kindness Ambassador" for Jennifer Riordan Foundation Special "thank you" message for Giving Tuesday support from one of our families

Share the love! We're always happy to have new community members.  Share this newsletter with a friend. Doing more of your shopping online these days? Try AmazonSmile and a portion of your purchase will be donated to us.

Saranam | 505-299-6154 | http://saranamabq.org

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