Mesilla Valley Community of Hope

Mesilla Valley Community of Hope is an alliance of agencies that addresses homelessness and poverty in Las Cruces, New Mexico.

Its mission is to provide and operate a single facility for alliance agencies that will enhance efficiency and provide for the delivery of services in a more effective manner. Mesilla Valley Community of Hope provides this unified delivery of services while maintaining the independence of the organizations of the alliance.

History of the Community of Hope

Mesilla Valley Community of Hope (MVCH) is an alliance of agencies on one campus that addresses homelessness and poverty in Las Cruces and Doña Ana County. MVCH manages the building and property at 999 West Amador Avenue that are owned by the City of Las Cruces. In addition, MVCH is a provider of direct services to people who are homeless or near homeless.

The alliance has its roots in 1991 as a shared dream among Las Cruces’ homeless service providers: to create a single campus to house agencies whose services provide basic human needs and offer life-changing opportunities such as education, counseling and job training.

The Community of Hope was incorporated in March 1993. Today, it consists of five agencies with a long history of serving the poor and homeless. In this continuum of care facility, each agency is independently managed and responsible for its own staff and funding.

Construction of the multi-agency complex began in 1997 and was divided into three phases. Phase I was completed in March 1998 and is home to St. Luke's Health Care Clinic and El Caldito Soup Kitchen. The family shelter is now closed and the space is available for service organization offices or as an emergency or transitional shelter. Interested parties should contact MVCH at 523-2219 or hope@zianet.com.

In September, 2001 Jardín de los Niños, a daycare center for homeless and near-homeless children, moved into the Phase II building on the campus.

Phase III, the final project of the initial dream, was finished in 2005, and Casa de Peregrinos Emergency Food Bank, the Closet de Mesilla Valley Clothes Bank, and the Community of Hope Individual and Family Services agencies moved in.

In 2008, MVCH staff and volunteers planted Fairlight Community Gardens behind our building.

In 2011, Nicole Martinez became the initerum executive director of MVCH replacing Pamela Angell who became the executive director of St. Luke's Health Care Clinic.

Ideas for future phases include an Employment Center. MVCH is open to other ideas and suggestions. These should be emailed to hope@zianet.com and will be forwarded to the board of directors and campus planning committee.

Clients and Referrals

Nearly all of the Community of Hope’s clients are homeless. Others are on the brink of homelessness and face living their lives on the streets in a matter of weeks or even days. A catastrophic medical condition, the loss of a job, the end of a relationship, a domestic violence situation or a lifetime of physical or emotional abuse, substance abuse, poor physical health, or mental health issues are some of the life-altering crises that contribute to homelessness. Combine these causes with a lack of affordable housing and you have the equation for homelessness.

The Community of Hope provides support through a myriad of services to help people get back on their feet and off the streets. In addition, our case managers provide people with referrals to other agencies where they can obtain help, such as the Veteran’s Administration, the Social Security Administration, mental health care providers, and local income support centers.

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A Data Picture of Our Clients for the FY 2010

LAST YEAR, the nearly 2700 people who came for services accounted for almost 21,000 visits to the Community of Hope. 
63% were men -- 37% were women.

21,000 visits works out to almost 90 persons EVERY DAY that are met by our front desk staff comprised of 1 full time employee and several volunteers.

Our clients, averaged 42 years of age, they ranged from 16 years old to 85.
Education ranged from no schooling to multiple masters degrees.
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About 10% were Veterans, 14% spoke no English or needed a translator, and the Hispanic / Non-Hispanic breakdown was about 50/50.

Last year, more than 4000 showers were taken and almost 2000 loads of laundry were cleaned and dried. 
The Community of Hope provided lockers to almost 2400 clients.

137 people took advantage of lawyers who are scheduled every week from various law offices here in Las Cruces, all of whom volunteer their time to help.

Our case managers helped get 125 non driver id's, 109 birth certificates and 99 bus passes for our clients.

Last year, according to self reports on intakes, More than 60% of our clients have some type of disability.
Of that 60%:
33% -- Mental disabilities
17% --  Drug or Alcohol abuse
38% -- Physical disabilities

Last year, 329 persons were helped with permanent or transitional housing
109 in permanent housing;
175 adults and children with homeless prevention
20 with transitional housing
25 with veterans housing

Last year, 53 persons were helped to apply for SSI/SSDI through
 SOAR (SSI/SSDI Outreach, Access, and Recovery)
16 were approved
16 still pending
21 were rejected or disappeared

Community of Hope Services

While Mesilla Valley Community of Hope is the umbrella name for the alliance of agencies, as an independent agency it offers distinct programs and other client services that include

• Housing and Homeless Prevention Services

  • Shelter Plus Care: Individual apartments for homeless people with disabilities and their families

  • Homeless Prevention: One month’s rent for people facing eviction

  • Transitional Housing: Subsidized rent to help families stabilize after homelessness

  • Rental Assistance Program: Rent assistance to help individuals and families make ends meet

  • Veterans Transitional Housing: Program under development

• Intensive Case Management

  • Individual Action Plans

  • Assistance and Referrals for

    • Income support

    • Medical and mental health care

    • Child day care

    • Employment

  • Transportation

  • Personal Identification

    • Birth certificates

    • Social security cards

    • Picture IDs

• Mesilla Valley Clothes Closet and Donated Goods

• Resource Room Programs: Volunteers needed to conduct classes to benefit Mind, Body and Soul

• Past classes included:

• HIV/AIDS Awareness Prevention, Arts and Crafts, Sewing, Defusing Arguments, Money Management, Budgeting, Nutrition, Cooking, Public etiquette, Renter's Rights, Health Screenings, Dental Care, Foot Care, Emotional Freedom Training, Journal Writing...

  • Day Shelter

    • Laundry

    • Shower Program

    • New Home Set-ups

      • Furniture

      • Household goods

      • Miscellaneous supplies

• Legal Clinic

  • New Mexico Center on Law and Poverty: Local attorneys provide limited pro bono services every other Wednesday from 12:30 P.M. to 2:30 P.M.

Veteran Housing and Support

Coming Events:

Grant and Per Diem Program:

Program Description:

Volunteers and Community Support

Current Volunteer Opportunities:

• Front Desk
• Executive Administrative Assistant
• Grant Writing and Research
• Organic Garden Coordinator
• Fundraising
• Donation Database
• Board Member
• Volunteer Coordinator

For more information on volunteer oppportunities, please contact hope@zianet.com

Community support includes our Good Samaritan program where church donations are used to pay for ID cards, bus tickets and other client support necessities. Local businesses and service clubs frequently contribute to Community of Hope with donations of money, goods or services.

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MVCH Board of Directors

Funding Sources

Government Sources: The Community of Hope receives funding from a variety of sources. It seeks grants from the Department of Housing and Urban Development; the NM Department of Veterans Services; the state legislature’s Homeless Program Assistance, which is distributed by the New Mexico Mortgage Finance Authority; Community Development Block Grant; Doña Ana County External Agency Grant; and the City’s Health and Human Services Grant.

Private Foundations: Assistance from private foundations includes the Stocker Foundation, the Wolslager Foundation; and the McCune Charitable Trust.

Corporate Funds: Grants and donations have been received from Con Agra, Wal-Mart, and Lowe’s; and local businesses, such as Aldershot Nurseries, are also consistent contributors.

Good Samaritan Fund: Churches contribute regularly to the Community of Hope in the form of donations to the Good Samaritan fund. This fund helps provide for birth certificates, IDs, gas vouchers, bus tickets, tokens and disability bus passes, and other emergency needs of our homeless clients, e.g., prescriptions, work boots and emergency housing assistance.

Individual and Private Contributions: Many people contribute regularly and make up the bulk of donations received during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays.

Since government funding restricts the use of funds to programs and clients only, unrestricted funds from some of the aforementioned sources help us with basic operating expenses such as utilities, staff benefits and building repair costs.

Classes and Activities

Mesilla Valley Community of Hope has a Resource Room and Library. We accept book donations and are open to suggestions from volunteers who would like to lead trainings or programs.

Accomplishments / Goals Achieved

Mesilla Valley Community of Hope received the prestigious Audrey Nelson National Community Development Association Award in 2006. This national award recognizes agencies that make a difference in their community through their use of Community Development of Block Grant funds.

Hope Housing First provides permanent housing to chronically homeless individuals in a group home setting. The two 8-bedroom homes on an acre of land in central LasCruces provide subsidized housing through the Dept. of Housing and Urban Development Section 8/202 program.

Please Donate

You can make Secure Credit Card donations here via Google Checkout.

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Camp Hope

Click this link to check Out 'Camp Hope' at Mesilla Valley Community of Hope:

Camp Hope

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Spotlight

NEW MVCH EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Prior to becoming the Interim Executive Director at MVCH, Nicole Martinez worked as the Housing Programs Manager for six years at MVCH, creating, implementing, and maintaining housing for the homeless of Las Cruces and Dona Ana County.  Originally from CA and OR, Nicole has made the desert her home and enjoys working with the dedicated and passionate staff at MVCH in assisting the homeless and near homeless with resources and goals that help change lives and our community in a positive way.  Nicole has a Master’s degree in Sociology from NMSU and a BS in Sociology from BYU.  She has received several certifications in her position as Housing Programs Manager and brings this knowledge with her into the director position as she applies for grant funding and opportunities for ways to help the campus of the Community of Hope. 

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By Polly Summar
Journal Staff Writer
    Fifteen minutes in the 10-degree cold Thursday morning was about all the homeless advocates could stand as they gathered outside the Roundhouse: a reminder to the community that most of the homeless have to survive the frigid temperatures full time.
    The kind of exposure the advocates were looking for was a different kind. "We're trying to get homelessness and the lack of affordable housing on the Legislative agenda," said Bud Ryan, a photographer who serves on the board of St. Elizabeth's Shelter.
    At a podium set up outside for the occasion, state Sen. Jerry Ortiz y Pino, D-Albuquerque, told the group that "for too long we've treated homelessness as a personal failing."
    Ortiz y Pino said he wants the Legislature to look at housing as a strategy to end homelessness. "Let's provide it as a boost for them," he said, "not something they have to earn." He added that he hopes the advocates can get "money and a change in attitude" this legislative session.
    Sue Campbell, who was formerly homeless and is now a case manager at the Mesilla Valley Community of Hope in Las Cruces, said it was the help she received at Community of Hope that turned her life around. The community is an alliance of agencies providing care for the homeless, from a shelter and soup kitchen to health care and day care for children.
    "Because I got clean clothes and was able to shower," said Campbell, "I realized, 'I'm going to try one more time.' ''
    After becoming a volunteer at the shelter, Campbell said, the staff gave her a "little tiny trailer" to live in. She stopped drinking and went back to school, eventually becoming a case manager: "Every human needs a roof."
    Campbell said she became homeless when she was laid off from her job in California's Silicon Valley after 35 years. "I had a nervous breakdown and even ended up in jail," she said. "But some old lady in a wildlife refuge told me to come to Las Cruces, New Mexico, and I've been blessed ever since."
    The advocates, members of the New Mexico Coalition to End Homelessness, are lobbying legislators to support their four priorities this session:
   

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Highlights

Candlelight vigil held for those homeless who lost their lives during the past year Jim Bryant holds up a small clay pot with a candle inside, Wednesday evening, Dec. 19, during the Community of Hope’s candlelight vigil for homeless people who have died during the past year. After the vigil, a dinner of chile, cornbread and salad, followed at the El Caldito Soup Kitchen.


Many of Las Cruces’ homeless were able to enjoy some good food during the Community of Hope’s candlelight vigil.
PHOTOS BY J.M. CRAMER


Members of the Mesilla Valley Chorale were on hand to provide entertainment during the Mesilla Valley Community of Hope’s candlelight vigil and Christmas dinner for the homeless Wednesday evening, Dec. 19, at El Caldito Soup Kitchen.


Pamela Angell, past executive director of the Mesilla Valley Community of Hope, holds aloft a candle for Fairlight Lucia, the Las Cruces grants administrator, and tells why she was special to the MVCOH during the candlelight vigil and Christmas dinner for the homeless, Wednesday evening, Dec. 19, at El Caldito Soup Kitchen. Fairlight died in October.


Mesilla Valley Community of Hope research and data manager Gary Clute entertains the guests during the MVCOH’s candle light vigil and Christmas dinner for the homeless, Wednesday evening, Dec. 19, at El Caldito Soup Kitchen. (Reprinted by Permission – The Las Cruces Bulletin)

Vision//New Goals

The Community of Hope will be starting a committee to plan and design a Community Garden on our campus. This garden will hopefully provide nutritional fresh produce to our area shelters, soup kitchen and food bank, and will be a valuable training and community facility. Other ideas include developing a portion of the garden to be an enterprise industry to help homeless people obtain income.

The Community of Hope is constantly seeking grant funding to increase its ability to assist people with permanent housing. Housing cures homelessness! And to that end we have received funds from HUD for a scattered-site housing program to help at least eight chronically homeless individuals obtain their own apartment. We also are seeking funds to help us assist up to 50 individuals and families in obtaining an apartment through a transitional housing grant that will provide intensive case management and goal setting to help the individual or family move toward housing permanency.

Please Donate

You can make Secure Credit Card donations here via Google Checkout.

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Fairlight Community Gardens

"Growing Community"

Our Vision: A community where all people have equal access to fresh and healthy food and make educated decisions about what they eat

Our Mission: To unite, strengthen, educate, and provide our diverse community with fresh, healthy food through the process of gardeni

Fairlight Community Gardens (FCG) Facts:

• FCG is based out of Mesilla Valley Community of Hope (MVCH), a homeless and near-homeless day center.
• FCG was started in May of 2008 behind MVCH and includes 1/4 acre of land and a community-built hoop house.
• FCG practice sustainable, organic methods. We don't use any chemical pesticides or herbicides or man-made fertilizers. We save seeds, and we compost.
• FCG distributed over 1000 lbs of produce in 2009.
• FCG grew over 100 varieties of vegetables, herbs, and edible flowers in 2010.

Now in our third season we are searching for more ways to get healthy, produce to low-income people and re-connect the larger community to local foods and traditions.

Volunteers help maintain the garden - Others learn how to install a drip irrigation system.

Fairlight Community Gardens

Thanks to everyone who has helped in the garden. Thanks also to everyone who hasn’t made it out but thought about it; we were thinking of you eveyr time we pulled a really stubborn weed but not when we had to sample sun-warmed pear tomatoes, maybe next time. We need Garden volunteers to take on our program. If interested, email hope@zianet.com. See you in the garden!

Non-Profit Status

Mesilla Valley Community of Hope, Inc. is incorporated in the State of New Mexico as a Nonprofit Corporation. We are designated as a 501(c)(3) organization by the Department of Treasury, Internal Revenue Service, and are authorized to accepted donations which are tax deductible at fair value for the donor. No goods or services are granted in exchange for donations.