To be hopeful means to be uncertain about the future, to be tender toward possibilities, to be dedicated to change all the way down to the bottom of your heart.
- Rebecca Solnit -
Hello friends,
We truly hope each of you has been healthy, happy and emotionally strong during this tumultuous year.
Many Mothers' staff has been working hard to find balance, remain positive and be of service where we can. While many in our our network feel incredibly blessed in spite of the current challenges, too many families in our community do not share the same fortune. Our staff daily witnesses the struggles that young families in our community are facing. Many are going without basic needs or worrying about how they are going to support their family for another month. Many Mothers strives to extend care and support for all families, particularly those with the greatest need.
To that end, we will be busy from now until the end of the year to expend federal CARES Act funding for families that have been affected by COVID-19. We are grateful to the City of Santa Fe for giving us this opportunity to assist families who need help with rent and food this autumn, and we will work diligently to uplift as many families as we can.
In gratitude for your support,
Antoinette Villamil
Executive Director
Many Mothers Featured in Santa Fean Magazine
Check out the October/November issue of the Santa Fean! Many Mothers was featured in the article "Helping Hands and Generous Hearts: Community Giving in Challenging Times" that highlighted the work of several nonprofits. The article is only available in hard copy right now, so pick up an issue the next time you head out.
Thank you, Santa Fean, for recognizing the work of many in our community!
Thank you to Rev. Duncan Lanum!
Our dear friend and supporter Rev. Duncan Lanum completed another ride in September to raise awareness for Many Mothers. Rev. Lanum has been riding each year to honor the memory of his late wife Joy Rose Lanum, a longtime Many Mothers volunteer and OB nurse. Joy was instrumental in launching our Baby Box/Safe Sleep program several years ago.
Grants Update -
100 Women Who Care in Santa Fe,
Con Alma Health Foundation,
and NewMexicoWomen.Org
Many Mothers was thrilled to receive $7,341 from 100 Women Who Care in Santa Fe! This funding goes directly to our Babies' Basic Needs program and helps fund our navigation work, which provides families with access to housing, food, transportation, safety, and utilities resources.
We are pleased to announce our new partnership with Con Alma Health Foundation! We have been awarded $15,000 to work directly with immigrant families who have been affected by COVID-19.
In addition, Many Mothers is one of CAHF's 2020 Technical Assistance grantees. This funding will provide much-needed technical support for our staff: New computers, a new and secure file share system, and IT assistance when needed.
A huge thank you to the incredible team at NewMexicoWomen.Org, who tirelessly promotes gender justice in our community. A $3,500 grant from NMW.O's Gender Equity Emergency Fund will continue to support our work for families during the current crisis.
Free Doula Services for Santa Fe Families
Since 2016 Many Mothers has been the lead organization in the Santa Fe ¡Convive! collaborative working group, which is an initiative of Opportunity Santa Fe. For the rest of 2020 and into 2021, our group will provide intensive prenatal, birth, and postpartum support for young families to help parents and babies thrive. A partnership between Many Mothers, The Birthing Tree, and Abby Bordner, a local pregnancy, birth, and early childhood educator, will provide free doula services to young mothers and their babies, along with specialized, virtual prenatal and postpartum classes for parents of children ages 0-5.
Shabd Simran Adeniji (BA, BM, MPH), Owner of The Birthing Tree
Abby Bordner, Certified Labor Doula and Lactation Educator (CAPPA)
Babies' Basic Needs Update
Many Mothers has continued our Babies' Basic Needs distribution on a monthly basis. Since May, we have been providing up to 65 families per month with diapers, wipes, formula, and baby food. All families have been affected by COVID-19 and need the extra support right now. To date, we have impacted over 140 families.
Along with basic needs supplies, funding through the Santa Fe Community Foundation allowed us to provide monthly bags of local produce from June-October through our partner Reunity Farms and pantry staples through DAYA.
Your generous support allows us to keep this program going.
We are grateful to the volunteers whose kinds spirits help us serve families:
Jenny Burkholder
Yarely Caballero
Dennis Jung
Laura Montoya
Claire Ratcliff
Patricia Reifel
Susan Theobald
