Fund for Taos helps food banks, shelters, clinics

Taos Ski Valley staff, businesses, residents contribute $114,000

Local organizers are nearly halfway toward a goal of raising $1 million to help nonprofits and people most in need as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Originally named the COVID19 Response Fund, it is now called the Fund for Taos, managed through the Taos Community Foundation. Donations to the fund have come from individuals, the Taos Ski Valley Foundation, local businesses and others.

Launched a few weeks ago, the fund has already awarded nearly $200,000 in grants to groups in Peñasco, Questa, Taos and Taos Pueblo, according to Lisa O’Brien, director of the Taos Community Foundation.

“Grants in the first six weeks went to front-line, emergency response needs – food pantries, shelters and access to critical services,” said O’Brien in an email. “We are just beginning to look at more ‘recovery’ type efforts – building support systems around community ‘sectors’ or network collaborations.”

Some of the beneficiaries of the grants include Shared Table, Angel Fire Food Pantry, HEART of Taos, Taos Men’s Shelter, DreamTree, Taos Municipal School District, Taos Education and Career Center, Mountain Home Health Care, Youth Heartline and El Centro Health plus a dozen other groups.

Recently, the Taos Ski Valley raised $114,000 for the fund with donations from TSV residents, businesses, resort staff and homeowners. The money raised for the fund include a $25,000 donation and an additional $25,000 matching grant from the Taos Ski Valley Foundation, the New Mexico affiliate of Louis Bacon’s Moore Charitable Foundation.

“The incredible generosity of this tiny community is staggering and we are deeply grateful for their donations,” said O’Brien, in a statement. “These funds will help us serve area residents who are struggling amid the pandemic. What makes this fundraising extraordinary is that the Village of Taos Ski Valley is also experiencing economic stress due to the closure of the ski resort, yet the residents and businesses stepped up anyway.”

“During this unprecedented time, the Taos Ski Valley community has demonstrated how a small group of people can drive extraordinary results. I’m proud of our local community’s tremendous efforts and generosity in the face of this pandemic,” said Louis M. Bacon, owner of Taos Ski Valley and founder of the Taos Ski Valley Foundation, in a statement.

Find out more and donate at taoscf.org.