The Beacon Summer 2015

Summer 2015
Ending Homelessness for Women And Children
In just six months, Margaret went from being homeless
and alone to moving into a home with her four children...
My name is
Margaret. Just
one year ago I
was in federal
prison for selling
drugs. Just six
months ago I
was homeless.
Today I live in a
four-bedroom
house with my
four children.
This is my story
of how Barrett
House helped
me go from living on the
streets alone to living in my own home with my
beautiful children.
Growing up in Albuquerque, there were a lot of
problems in my house. My parents divorced and
the chaos of their lives left me without any structure. I dropped out of high school and started
using drugs.
As my life spiraled downward, I found myself
unable to take care of my children, so I left them
with family members while I lived on the streets.
I began selling drugs in the hopes that I could
save up enough money to find a place to live and
get my children back. But the plan backfired. I
never saved any money and then one day I was
arrested for selling drugs.
I spent two years in federal prison for distributing drugs. Because there was so much overcrowding in the jails, I spent the entire two years
in a holding facility without access to any educational or vocational programs. It was awful. The
only good thing to come out of those two years
was that I was able to get sober. By the time I
was released, I had been clean long enough that I
was able to get custody back of my wonderful
children. Being separated from them had inspired me to get sober and being back with
them kept me motivated to stay sober. It was
then that I knew I needed to make a change to
end my cycle of homelessness. But I also knew
I needed help to do it. I decided to ask the
Barrett House for help. The Barrett House
took me and my children in. We were given a
room and bathroom that we could call our
own. During our three-month stay my children and I were able to experience stability.
We were able to catch our breath and spend
time together without always being worried
about where we would sleep or eat.
While the kids went to school every day, I attended career counseling services, gained confidence, learned interview skills and created a
resume. I was able to restore myself and my mind
LOOK Inside….
and create better relationships with my children.
P2
The staff was so encourag- Changing Lives
ing of my sobriety and my
employment search. I am
Working for You
P3
proud to say that after
three months of staying at
the Barrett House, I was
able to rent a four bedLeave a Legacy
P3
room house for myself and
my children.
Now we are making a
home together. My children inspire me to do better everyday. I wake up
each morning grateful to
be healthy and sober and
glad to be able to be a role
model for them; to show
them that even when
things are hard, every day
is another opportunity to
live a better life.
Event Sponsors
P4
Get Involved
P5
Volunteers
P6
Donation Policy
P7
Adopt-a-Room
p8
The Beacon
Page 2
Barrett Foundation
www.barrettfoundation.org
505-246-9244
Board of Directors
Officers 2014-2015:
Mia Maes, President
Business Owner/Chef/Cateress
Shanelle Scales, Secretary
Clinical Pharmacist, United Health Group
Stephen Grimble, Treasurer
Retired, DuPont Co. & University of Delaware
Directors 2014-2015:
Glen Ewing
Retired, Cisco Systems, Inc.
Carmela Starace
Private Practice Attorney
Jennifer Cantrell
Jennifer Cantrell, CPA, PC
Peggy Beaudette
Retired
Herman Sanchez
Food & Beverage Manager, Hotel Albuquerque
Susen Ellis
Assistant VP & Trust Officer, Bank of Albuquerque
Kathryn Fraser, M.D.
Psychiatrist, University of New Mexico
Rick Saxton
Retired Intel Manager; Encore Fellow
Joan Schweighardt
Writer/Ghost Writer/Editor, GreyCore Literary Services
Programs
Whitney Conyers, LMSW
Assoc. Executive Director for Programs & Services
Barrett House - Emergency shelter for homeless women
and children
Rachel McHugh, Case Manager
Transitional Housing (Bridges) - Supportive housing
for families and single women
Laura Benjamin, Case Manager
Rapid Re-Housing– Assistance to find permanent
housing for women and children
Debbie Whitley, Interim Case Manager
Permanent Housing (Socorro & Milagro) Permanent housing for mature, chronically homeless
women with disabilities
Heather Shortz, Case Manager
Barrett Foundation Corporate Office
Dr. Michael Gaylor, Executive Director
Connie Chavez, Associate Executive for Operations
Mahvand Biazar, Accountant
Peggy Cunningham, Administrative Assistant
Eilene Vaughn-Pickrell, Community Engagement
Maripat Glover, Encore Fellow
Lori Johnson, Front Desk Staff
Oris Salazar, Front Desk Staff
“CHANGING LIVES”
Barrett Foundation’s New Partnership
With Smith’s Food and Drug Store
Barrett
Foundation
is grateful to
our new
partnership
with Smith’s
Food and
Drug stores.
The team
from the
Smith’s store
on Carlisle
and Consti- L-R Smith’s employees Heliena Rolph, Cheri McWatters,
tution has
Cecilia Gonzales and Store Director Elena Sharbutt
taken an active role creating and participating in volunteer activities.
Store Director Elena Sharbutt and members of her staff hosted
a Mother’s Day Celebration for Barrett House guests. The ladies and their children gathered in the employee break room
where they enjoyed treats. Each mom was given a store credit
to buy personal items for themselves and their children. While
the women were shopping, their children made cards and decorated cookies for their moms.
“We are so lucky to have good jobs and a place to go home to,”
said Elena. “We feel compelled to do whatever we can to help
the women at the Barrett House build better lives for themselves and their children. We want to make this an ongoing
partnership.”
The following week, a group of employees volunteered to organize the Barrett kitchen pantry, and they’re planning to serve
a gourmet dinner for the Barrett House guests prepared by
professional chef Anthony Curet from Scottsdale and the
brother of Smith’s employee,
Jazmin Curet.
The Beacon
Page 3
Working for You
Meet Rachel McHugh, Our New Housing Stability Advocate
Michael Gaylor, Ed.D., Executive Director of the Barrett Foundation, is
pleased to announce that Rachel McHugh is the new Housing Stability Advocate for the Shelter. Formerly the overnight Resident Advocate, Rachel
now works days and manages the intake of guests and serves as their case
manager during their stay at Barrett House.
“I love working at Barrett because of the amazing people who are drawn to
work here to make it a wonderful organization,” she said. “It is terrific to be
able to help make Barrett a safe, positive environment and to help others
empower themselves.”
BARRETT FOUNDATION MISSION
Barrett Foundation, Inc. Endeavors…
To End the Experience of Homelessness for Women and Children Served by
Barrett by Providing Temporary Shelter, Stable Housing and Supportive Services.
Leave a Legacy and Help Change Lives by Building
Futures for Homeless Children & Women
Help stop homeless women and children from living in
cars or on the streets. Ensure the future of Barrett Foundation’s work that empowers women and children to live
self-sufficient lives. Let your lasting legacy help end homelessness for vulnerable children and their mothers and all
women in crisis.
PLEASE REMEMBER BARRETT FOUNDATION WHEN
DOING YOUR ESTATE PLANNING.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Visit our website at BarrettFoundation.org
Or call Michael Gaylor, Barrett Foundation Executive Director, at 505-246-9244.
The Beacon
Page 4
Thank You For Supporting Barrett
Foundation’s First Annual
International Night of Passion!
SAVE THE DATE!
2016 International
Night of Passion
February 13, 2016
The Beacon
Page 5
Get Involved!
Volunteer at Barrett House!
Barrett Foundation is always seeking individuals and groups who would like to volunteer at
our shelter. We have various opportunities for you to get involved weekly, monthly, quarterly,
or just one time. Here are some of the ways you can help the women and children at Barrett
House:
Child Oversight/Activities—Volunteers are needed for weeknights from 6—7:30 pm and
weekends for 1 or 2 hours a day to provide childcare and organize activities with the kids
while moms are attending meetings and participating in activities.
Mentoring — Do you enjoy helping people learn and grow? If so, share your time and talent with the guests at Barrett House. From dealing with day-t0-day issues, to helping someone overcome obstacles, to becoming independent, you can make a big difference for a woman who is experiencing the difficulties of homelessness.
Kitchen Help/Food Prep—Barrett House serves three meals a day to our guests, including a freshly prepared dinner every night. We always need help preparing food, organizing
the pantry, and cleaning the kitchen and dining room. No experience is needed, and the
hours are flexible.
Guest Chef — Serving as the “Guest Chef” on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays is a fun and
rewarding activity for families, friends, and school and church groups. Guest Chefs are invited to bring in food that has been prepared in a commercial kitchen or restaurant and serve it
to our guests. You can also bring food to cook in our kitchen or prepare a meal using the
food in our pantry. Dinner is served from 5-6 pm to 40 women and children each night.
Yard Maintenance — Barrett House has a spacious backyard and garden area that need
care and maintenance, especially during the summer months. If you enjoy weeding, raking,
digging and being outside, come and help us keep Barrett beautiful!
Share Your Talent or Skill — Skill-based volunteering is always welcome at Barrett.
Guests enjoy the opportunity to learn or practice skills like yoga, knitting, sewing, gardening, and guitar lessons, as well as getting personal care, like facials and manicures. We even
have a guitarist who plays for the guests during dinner on Friday nights. Tell us what you
can bring.
Board Member—If you are interested in making a commitment to the organization’s mission providing leadership and expertise in setting policy, strategic planning, and making a
financial commitment, then consider applying for membership on the Barrett Foundation
Board of Directors.
For more information,
call 505-246-9244
Ext. 108
The Beacon
Page 6
Helping Barrett House Serve Women and Children
Thank you to all the wonderful volunteers
who contribute their time and talent!
Bosque School students often serve as Guest Chefs.
Dr. Robert Tanner and his group of Mariachis from
Albuquerque Academy performed for Cinco de Mayo.
Zora, Mekhi and Malcolm Molina raised $207 from a bake
sale for Barrett House.
Thanks to volunteers Sharon Craig and Delores Garcia
for sorting through donations and re-organizing the
Career Closet.
60 Volunteers from Sagebrush Church gave the Barrett
House a make-over with new rock, bark and paint.
In addition to donating new mattresses for every room in the
Shelter, Temper Sealy employees do fundraisers throughout
the year for the Barrett Foundation.
The Beacon
Page 7
NEW Barrett Foundation Donation Policy
Effective July 1, 2015
Thank you for continuing to support the Barrett House through your generous donations. We appreciate that you think of Barrett when you consider donating items. However, since the Barrett House Attic closed in 2013, Barrett Foundation has continued to
receive an overabundance of donations, primarily used clothing and toys. We no longer
have the resources to sort and store them. To provide our clients with what they need
most, Barrett Foundation will only accept items from our Wish List below. This policy
will take effect July 1, 2015.
WISH LIST (New Items ONLY, Please):
Financial contributions
Gift cards
Gas cards
Non-perishable, non-expired food
and food that has been prepared in
a commercial kitchen
Fresh fruits and vegetables
Bottled water
Towels and wash cloths
Women’s underwear, socks
Twin-size bedding, pillows, blankets
Full-size, unopened toiletries
Make-up
Feminine hygiene products
Diapers and baby wipes
Paper products (paper towels, plates,
bowls, cups, napkins, toilet paper)
Trash bags, 30-gallon & kitchen-size
Laundry and cleaning supplies
Small household appliances
Housewares
Office/School supplies
Visit our Amazon Smile Wish List
at www.smile.amazon.com
and a portion of every
purchase will go
to Barrett Foundation
Donations Barrett Foundation Will NO LONGER ACCEPT:
Used clothes and shoes
Toys
Used bedding and blankets
Furniture
Electronics (TVs, computers, radios)
Large appliances
Hotel-size toiletries
FREE and EASY Ways You Can Support Barrett Foundation
Pick up a key tag from Barrett House and shop at Albertsons and Smith’s. Scan the
key tag every time you shop and we will earn a percentage of your purchases!
10300 Constitution Ave. NE,
Albuquerque, NM 87112
Did you know…
You can provide a home-like room for a single woman or a
woman and her children by adopting a room
at the Barrett House?
Barrett Foundation offers opportunities to sponsor individual rooms within the shelter as part of
our “Adopt-a-Room” program. Each room has been thoughtfully named and has a plaque that includes the names of both the room and the sponsor.
By sponsoring a room, you are making a clear statement to the community and to our guests that
you are personally committed to providing for women
and children experiencing homelessness. The sponsorship funds that you provide go directly to our emergency
shelter and help to offset costs for meals, utilities, and
services provided to the guests served in each room. In
addition, we encourage our sponsors to take a tour of the
Barrett House, to see the room that they have adopted,
and to personally interact with the families that stay in
the sponsored. Rooms can be redecorated with new bedding, paint and other items.
For more information, call (505) 246-9244