Jenna Stanton, Case Management Coordinator, CABQ Department of Senior Affairs 

Call to action: review options and find a volunteer role with older adults that works for you! 

Of note: there are currently dozens of older adults on the wait list to receive a Senior Companion of which there are only currently 13 volunteering. 

Jenna is the Case Management Coordinator for the Senior Companions volunteer program. Not only did she advocate for the importance of the role within the Department of Senior Affairs, but she eventually moved into that role and it fits her exceptionally well. Jenna, an “Air Force brat,” finds purpose comes from dong good for others. She is dedicated to her family, loves attending local social events, and is a true extrovert. She spends her time advocating for those in need, these days for older adults in particular, noting that they are a special population who deserve protection and a support. The CABQ Department of Senior Affairs houses several volunteer programs for adults 55+, and one for volunteers ages 14 and above, the Volunteers in Action program. From visiting older adults in their homes or care facilities to mentoring youth and providing important services and resources, there are options for all kinds of volunteers. Jenna notes that seniors need peer friendship, peers who understand their lives and are able to assist those who are isolated or home-bound, need connection and resources, and appreciate the importance of independence. Those who volunteer with older adults increase the well-being of those adults – and the volunteers’ lives are enriched in turn. *Correction: Frank was nominated by a friend and neighbor. Here we also chat about when meteorological summer starts and how many activities we can pack in outdoors in ABQ.

 Senior Companion program info: 

- volunteer with homebound, isolated, sometimes frail seniors one-on-one in Albuquerque, Bernalillo County, and the surrounding pueblos. 

- serve directly in clients’ homes and may prepare a light meal, assist clients in running errands, or simply spend time with clients providing companionship and friendship. Volunteers may also provide respite services to family caregivers. 

- monthly training is provided for volunteers. - volunteer an average of 20 hours a week. 

- all volunteers receive mileage reimbursement and supplemental insurance for use of their own vehicle while serving, and income-eligible volunteers may earn a non-taxable stipend. To apply, please email [email protected] or visit the https://www.oneabqvolunteers.com or https://www.cabq.gov/seniors/senior-volunteer Senior Companion Program phone: 505-764-1007 

Dr. Shelle Sanchez, Director, CABQ Arts and Culture & Tania Armenta, CEO, Visit ABQ All combined, Shelle and Tania have been supporting ABQ, visitors, and the arts for over 60 years. Here we focused on their collaboration to celebrate the National Route 66 Centennial. The highlight of this celebration is Route 66 Remixed, an “arts fieldtrip” across 18 miles of Rt 66 here in ABQ – 26 stops, 18 interactive experiences with poetry, sculptures, etc. You can find the hand-drawn map guide at the ABQ Visitor’s Center, libraries, and Blake’s. Thanks to a massive marketing campaign, during the Centennial they expect to welcome national and international travelers even among several big events happening nation-wide (read: World Cup). There will be special events, local wines (!), fun swag and all of it can be found on the website for which a great investment was made. This inter-generational experience “celebrates and enhances the quality of life along with bringing in outside dollars – all while highlighting artists to tell that story.” An extra fun not: Babies born at Presbyterian, on Rt 66 get a Rt 66 onesie! We highly encourage locals to check out Route 66 Remixed installments first-hand – and, see how this whole celebration sets the stage for our future, too. Shelle and Tania are sure to express their gratitude to the teams behind this effort - arts agencies, governments, sponsors, property owners etc – because you can “never to big things by yourself.” Everything here: Route66abq.com 

 Spring Volunteer Fest Podcast Panel Carolyn Thompson, Community Engagement Coordinator, Animal Welfare Tamara Williams, Erna Ferguson Librarian Nikki Peone - Associate Director, Senior Affairs The theme of this panel, our second live recording of the podcast, was reflecting on how volunteers are critical to addressing issues across our city. Each of our guests manages several projects or programs and offered the most endearing and important volunteer stories. They also have important information about unique needs and how volunteers are critical to address these needs. Whether they discussed kitten feeding, youth literacy, or supporting older adult needs in and out of the home, the panelists highlighted that volunteers themselves find human connection and purpose in their service. Hundreds of volunteers engage with these departments and most become deeply connected to this work or special projects. There are so many outstanding FREE services these City departments provide to our community, and much of it wouldn’t be possible without the support of volunteers. Check out their opportunities and more at oneabqvolunteers.com. It’s a wonderful way to create memories and connections. Notes: High needs for Senior Affairs: drivers for field trips and appointments, help in the Senior Center kitchens, yard clean ups Over 36,000 folks are registered on our website with City departments and more than 540 ongoing opportunities with community partners The economic impact of volunteer hours July 2024-June 205 = $2.7 million! Volunteer with us https://www.oneabqvolunteers.com/ Senior Affairs: https://www.cabq.gov/seniors/senior-volunteer Animal Welfare: https://www.oneabqvolunteers.com/awd Read to the Dogs/Libraries: https://www.oneabqvolunteers.com/manager/agency/edit/?agency_id=107270 

 Happy National City Clerk’s Week! 

CABQ City Clerk, Ethan, is a calming, distinct kind of presence and the first person to join us for a second episode, with good reason. (Check out Ep. #28 to listen to our first episode together.) Here we learn more about him and the awareness he has of our larger information systems and the efforts he makes to improve both processes and public education. With a 70% increase in Inspection of Public Records Act (IPRA) requests, the Clerk’s office staff is feeling the pressure. Ethan describes how this also impacts all requesters in the amount of time they have to wait for a response. Out of state revenue-driven requests are a huge portion of requests and the public is paying the price. Clerk’s staff balances many inquiries with their capacity and Ethan is plays a pivotal role in helping the public understand that balance and also innovate around changes to the larger process. Locally, Ethan is part of a legislative task force to review IPRA and will be working with Clerks in other states to better understand the situation at hand. Nationally, Ethan presents best practices at conferences and has received the CMC certification (the first service CABQ Clerk to do so) and an Excellence in Governance Award. Ethan’s department also supports elections, the public financing program, and hearings. One fun note is that the Clerk’s office supports the process of speed citations being taken care of via community service – reflected by over 20,000 hours being put into our community. Enjoy this episode to level up your understanding of this important office and the wildly intelligent gentleman at the helm. See the new IPRA report here: https://www.cabq.gov/clerk/news/out-of-state-requests-consume-disproportionate-staff-time Speeding citation? Sign up for community service here: https://www.cabq.gov/automated-speed-enforcement/community-service-information CABQ City Clerk: https://www.cabq.gov/clerk 

Delaney Swink, Director of Volunteer/Pro Bono Services and Fundraising for the NM Immigrant Law Center

A love of travel, languages, gender studies, and the desert brought Delaney to NM by way of Oregon, Chile, and Morocco. Now at the NMILC Delaney is finding volunteers and donors to support the many programs they offer. NMILC provides free legal services to low-income immigrants statewide focusing on humanitarian and asylum relief. Her volunteer program has a robust screening and onboarding program for everyone who comes through so they can focus on the quality of services. Please be in touch with Delaney if you would like to support this work financially or with your acute legal counsel, and Spanish-speaking talents.

With their 15th anniversary coming up, Delaney and their team have a lot of celebrating ahead! Throughout her work it’s evident that she centers community need, access to justice, and intentional partnerships. Here she also takes time to highlight the work to build the Family Preparedness program and how it fits the needs of NM and indeed assists folks in preparing for the worst case: a deportation scenario.

Listening to Delaney chat about what has influenced her politics and worldly perspective is a reminder of how connected we all are – and that one can find a meaningful place in work and life by paying attention to the humanity of others.

Register for the April 8 NMILC Fundraiser at the Albuquerque Museum: https://www.nmilc.org/upcoming-events/albuquerque-museum-nmilc-fundraising-night

NMILC resources, including the Family Preparedness Toolkit: https://www.nmilc.org/toolkit

ABQ Museum exhibit: https://www.cabq.gov/artsculture/albuquerque-museum/exhibitions-1/exhibitions

Additional notes about agencies Delaney volunteers with:
- ABQ Mutual Aid: http://www.ffol.org/ 

• The Honor Native Land Tax – Delaney helped launch HNLT in 2020 with Albuquerque Showing up for Racial Justice (ABQ SURJ), and continues to do organizing work with them https://www.abqsurj.org/about-the-hnlt
  HNLT fundraises to support Indigenous organizations on Tiwa Land – the Pueblo Action Alliance and The Red Nation. By redistributing resources the HNLT offers a chance for settlers to make an ongoing contribution to Indigenous movements for land, water, and futures. This is a cross-class project that allows people to contribute financially on a sliding scale basis.  

Corrections per Delaney:
The NM Habeas Project is in collaboration with the ACLU NM and other partners like Innovation Law Lab and Vecina, along with others.
The Albuquerque Museum's "Detention Nation" exhibit is a “multi-media” exhibit

Katy Anderson, VP of Strategy, Partnerships & Advocacy, Roadrunner Foodbank of NM

Having worked at Roadrunner over 12 years, Katy Anderson has been a part of many innovative and important systems change around food access and security. She’s a big part of our state and national advocacy platforms and does the deep work to address the needs of marginalized populations.

Katy and her team utilize data and relationships, research from the social vulnerability index among others, and coalition-building strategies to determine how well needs are being met. Yup, it’s a lot of great work. Check out this episodes to learn more about how Katy is telling the story about need, bringing advocates together, and how RFB has a “culture that helps staff share the load.”

In Katy’s words, it’s important to “find a place for your heart to rest in seasons like this.” It may not be quiet in her house or among her community choir performances, but her heart and perspective is one you should know more about.

ABQ CoroLux https://abqcorolux.org/

Roadrunner Food Bank of NM https://www.rrfb.org/

Phia Smith, Executive Director, Somos Unidos Foundation

Phia so elegantly brings both the “head and the heart” to her work and has a genuine presence that encourages the belief that she is capable of truly big things. As she spoke about her trajectory into this ED position, “Tia Phia: relays her deep faith in how building relationships is the core of it all – both her emotional, very lively human experience with others, and her work of uplifting young athletes. But – it’s not actually about sport, as you’ll hear. The Academy under the Foundation is the only fully scholarshiped program in the USL(!) and seeks to provide the best path forward for those players, never loosing sight of the possibilities that mentorship and emotional intelligence can bring forth in young folks. Phia is that person that centers their needs and the needs of the larger community. She amplifies the work of other organizations, coordinates unique Academy events (see: TOPSoccer), and represents the Somos Unidos spirit in a powerful, hopeful way. Learn more about where Vintage United comes in, why experimentation in the nonprofit sector is important, and why Phia “moves for joy” across New Mexico and wants others to join her. 

Sean Sheehan, Owner/Winemaker, Sheehan Winery & President of NM Winemakers Association Red, White, or Rosé? Sean is a local, wildly creative winemaker living his dream. In this episode Sean shares his goals of growing world-class grapes to create world-class wine while telling the story of NM people and land. From rooting cuttings at their home to planting more than 15 vineyards across the state, the Sheehan family continues to raise awareness of the growers, increase opportunities for winemakers, and… make people happy. Sheehan has boosted its impact on community through unique partnerships as well as Sean’s role among statewide winemakers. Check out this conversation to learn more about sourcing grapes for backyard tastings, which wine pairs with enchiladas, and how we can look forward to celebrating 400 years of wine in NM! https://sheehanwinery.com/ 

Marisa Magallanez, President & CEO of the Albuquerque Community Foundation and New Mexico Community Trust.

Marisa brings more than 20 years of experience in the nonprofit sector to this sweet, inspiring conversation. Two weeks into her new role as CEO, she reflected on her personal search for purpose and how she hopes to carry what she has discovered forward with local and state-wide community.

Marisa’s sense of possibility and hope for lasting impact perfectly compliment the vision of the Foundation she now leads, and in this episode you’ll hear how these are truly powering their work in community and with partners. You’ll also see the importance of community voice in the evolution of philanthropy, why Marisa believes in philanthropy so deeply, and how she renews her gratitude and presence.  Enjoy learning more about Marisa’s growth into leadership, the role of romanticism in her creativity, and why you shouldn’t ignore that feeling of “knowing.”

ACF: https://abqcf.org/

Poem: To Be of Use by Marge Piercy

 Alice Main, CABQ’s Climate Pollution Reduction Grant Manager 

If you every wonder who is behind the climate “action” plans, look to Alice Main for your local data and… actions. Alice discusses here how climate pollution reduction can be better understood and the plans that CABQ and surrounding groups are making. Alice is part of the CABQ Office of Sustainability and is managing the Climate Pollution Reduction Grant. Through that work Alice has worked diligently with Justice40 and a community task force to receive input toward the Comprehensive Climate Pollution Reduction Plan (which they recently submitted to the EPA as part of the Grant requirement). Environmental advocacy is strong in NM and Alice fits right in with a background in family farming and doing direct work to connect the pieces between food systems, environmental justice, climate solutions, and community voice. Check out this episode to learn more about the Plan and how Alice takes a zoomed-out perspective to recognize her agency – and yours – to make positive change.