Season of change and new beginning at Saranam

September 18, 2019

Dear ,

A new season is stirring at Saranam! Incoming families have moved into their apartments, heralding the c ommencement of a new year, and second year families are transitioning from preparatory classes at the Saranam campus to college and vocational training at schools in the community.

We welcomed 10 new families last month, including 28 children! This record number underscores how severely families are affected amidst the growing number of people experiencing homelessness in Albuquerque.

As we open our hearts to new stories, we also celebrate o ur second year families who are entering the next stage of their journey. Here are a couple of the wonderful plans these families are working on this year.

Katie has started her college career with a bang and wants to maintain her 4.0 GPA and take some honors courses this year! Her 90-day plan is to leave the Saranam apartments and move into her own place with her partner. Throughout these transitions, she wants to stay connected to the community she has found at Saranam, which she says has been a huge source of support.

I'm looking forward to the transition from Saranam to the "real world." I have a certain confidence in myself now that I didn't have before and I'm excited to take the next steps towards independence.

Anna plans to graduate from CNM this Spring with an Associate's degree in Sociology. The first year of classes were like a training camp for college classes she says, and have prepared her well for her plan to transfer to UNM next year to complete her Bachelor's degree. Her 3-year plan is to have the education she needs to increase her earning capacity and ensure her family's stability. She's looking forward to spending Thanksgiving with her extended family with her success in hand.

"May your journey always lead you home"

Open House

W e had a tremendous open house last month. It was great to see old friends and new faces!

This year presented a particular challenge for our decorators, as our cohort includes 28 children ranging in ages from 10 months to 17 years old. As always, our volunteers answered the call and gave each family the individualized space they need, with love drawn in every corner.

Check out pictures above or on our Facebook page!

Welcome Jennifer Clear!

We're so thrilled to introduce Jennifer Clear, who has taken over as Saranam's Housing Coordinator following Sue Campbell's retirement.

Jennifer will coordinate the decoration and adaptation of apartments every year, maintain the warehouse, and ensure families receive the monthly supplies they need.

We sat down with Jennifer to talk about what Saranam has meant to her in her role as volunteer, community member and now staff! Read more about her work and and her family!

So long, farewell!

We want to say a very special thank you to Sue Campbell !

Sue retired last month after over 8 years working with Saranam! She has worn many hats with us, from volunteer coordinator to facilities and donation manager for the apartments. She and her husband Dave also set up all of our office technology and equipment, even building our internal monthly shopping network from the ground up.

As we grew from serving 4 families to over 20, our needs expanded and Sue adapted with joy and a commitment to make Saranam work the best it could for our community. We've seen the number of volunteers, and opportunities for engagement, increase dramatically in her time with us. So many of our systems that make decorating and donating such a pleasure are in place because of Sue's care and attention.

There aren't many people who can make the growth and transformation of an organization not only efficient but pleasant, and Sue is one of those rare jewels.

She is off on a cross-country adventure with her husband and pups to kick-off her retirement. We wish her safe travels and many new adventures!

Community Corner


Spotlight on an Educator Meet Elizabeth Goldfarb! She has led our children's theatre class for many years and is now also an adult English teacher. It is a pleasure to see how her work lights up our families! Get to know Elizabeth	Building a stronger community, together. We are so thankful to Wells Fargo and the Sandia Foundation's Hugh and Helen Woodward Fund of the Albuquerque Community Foundation for their recent grants to Saranam! We're proud to be partners in making New Mexico a strong, thriving place to call home.	A place to rest your head Did you know? If you order a mattress online and don't jive with it, instead of having you return it, some companies will tell you to donate it to your favorite charity. Call us if you aren't resting easy with your new mattress!

Honoring a Legacy, Inspiring a Generation

Saranam's Annual Sean Hopkins Memorial Dinner is just around the corner!

Join us on November 14 at 5:00pm for a memorable evening of delicious hors d'oeuvres in the lovely library followed by a sumptuous 3-course dinner in the elegant dining room. One of our Saranam families will share their inspiring story and we'll honor Sean Hopkins' lasting legacy.

Sponsorship opportunities are available. Click here for more information.