Taos County awards $686K to local nonprofits

Pandemic relief dollars will support health, housing and economic resilience

Taos County announced the first-round recipients of its American Rescue Plan Act community funding awards last week and distributed a total of $686,000 to organizations across Taos County.

Taos County received a total of $6,356,059 in federal ARPA funds in two payments. Approximately half of the first payment was used for internal county government needs, such as materials and supplies related to preventing the spread of COVID-19, as well as overtime and premium pay for county employees. The other half of the first payment was designated for community impact programs, including setting aside $1 million for housing efforts and 10 programs overseen by local nonprofits.

As some other New Mexico counties struggled to find equitable ways to spend their federal rescue plan dollars, Taos County took initiative to engage the help of the Taos Community Foundation, which administered the applications process and made recommendations for the awards. The final awards were made to collaborative projects overseen by nonprofits with proven track records and which support vulnerable populations.

“There was extremely strong support for investments in economic resilience and health and community welfare, with an overwhelming emphasis on the need to support housing,” according to a county press release. “Taos County is grateful to all partners in this process.”

During last Tuesday’s (Jan. 24) regular commission meeting, where the award recipients were announced, District 5 Commissioner Ronald Mascareñas said the application and awards process appeared to have gone exceptionally well.

“I know that other rural communities in New Mexico have committed some of these funds to nonprofits, and I think the feedback there has been that it’s money very well spent,” he said.

Lisa O’Brien, director of Taos Community Foundation, told commissioners that she looked to other places across the country for examples of how communities were effectively distributing the federal COVID dollars. She also said the collaboration with the county could be replicated in the future.

“This was not a rushed process,” she said. “We figured this out and I think it opens the door for all of us moving into the future, the fact that we’ve done it for this first time. I think the other exciting part is, like, wow, this may be that place to kind of make other granting opportunities that the county may have to partner with Taos Community Foundation in some other ways.”

Before the applications phase began, and with support from the LOR Foundation, the county worked with EraDawn Consulting’s Nina Gonzales and Montserrat Oyanedel-Tolmo to initiate a process of evaluating best practices for ARPA disbursement in rural communities and to solicit input from community stakeholders in order to design an individual disbursement plan for Taos County.

District 3 Commissioner Darlene Vigil said the participation of EraDawn and the Taos Community Foundation provided an extra layer of accountability, which is particularly important given the strict spending guidelines for the federal pandemic dollars.

“Although we knew that there was some inflexibility with ARPA, what we do know for sure, from the get go, was the accountability was always there,” she said. “It has taken collaboration and passion for the community as a whole. And that’s the way we’re gonna have to look at a lot of things that come our way.”

Signed into law by President Biden in March 2021, the American Rescue Plan Act was intended to deliver direct relief to the American people, revitalize the economy and combat the coronavirus. State and local governments received funding to bridge budget shortfalls and mitigate the financial shock of the pandemic.

The award recipients are: Taos NEST: $250,000

Navigating Emergency Support Together (NEST) is a collaboration between DreamTree Project, HEART of Taos, Taos Men’s Shelter, and Youth Heartline to provide emergency overnight shelter to adults, with a men’s dormitory, women’s dormitory, and a gender expansive dormitory planned within the former Phil Lovato Senior Citizens Center. “This project transforms the way our community assists people facing homelessness by unifying agency responses, establishing a one-stop community resource center, and opening a crisis overnight shelter,” according to the press release.

CAV: $36,000

Community Against Violence (CAV) will use its funding to assist clients doubly affected by domestic abuse and the pandemic, and will support identifying housing needs and appropriate assistance. For survivors needing to relocate to safe and stable housing, CAV will provide clients with assistance with rent, utilities and other essential needs.

Locology/Questa Farmers Market: $13,400

Locology will use its award to address increased activity and market growth by funding the mentors who provide youth intern support and to a local food coordinator working in collaboration with the North Central Food Pantry.

Las Cumbres Community Services: $55,000

Las Cumbres provides services, public awareness and integrated community supports for children, adults and families facing social, emotional and/or developmental challenges. The organization will use its award to recruit and retain clinicians with specialized expertise in infant and early childhood mental health, and to help cover the cost of a dedicated clinical supervisor and emergency discretionary funds for families.

MAS Comunidad: $154,600

Peñasco’s Mas Comunidad received two allocations: a $74,360 award for its Community Navigation Program; and $80,240 in funding for the Peñasco Theater Collective and associated youth mentorship program. “MAS promotes health and wellness with programs that respect local culture, encourage creativity and improve the lives of people in Peñasco, Picuris Pueblo and the surrounding area,” according to the release.

The New Mexico Immigrant Law Center: $50,000

The Immigrant Law Center seeks to advance low-income immigrants through collaborative legal services, advocacy and education, with a goal toward equity and justice. “This award will allow NMILC to increase staff dedicated to conducting outreach in Taos County and to expand the range of clients they are able to serve,” according to the release.

De la Tierra a la Cosecha: $100,000

De la Tierra a la Cosecha is a collaboration between Taos County Economic Development Corporation, Taos Land Trust, Taos Valley Acequia Association and Alianza Agricultura de Taos. The project seeks to promote land and water conservation, sustainable agriculture and local economic development. The award will support programs for food producers to increase their knowledge and provide important ecosystem services, as well as increase access to expensive and rare equipment and technical services.

The Talpa Community Center: $15,000

Talpa Community Center focuses on economic and enrichment opportunities, learning experiences and assistance with social services. “The Community Center and its library are a hub in the rural community, serving young as well as elderly patrons with free programs focused on social, educational and artistic needs — from after-school tutoring to senior citizen tax services and the Community Market for growers and artisans,” according to the release.

North Central Food Pantry: $12,000

Questa’s North Central Food Pantry focuses on families with young children, feeding over 1,000 people on average each month, according to the press release. The award will be used for direct food distribution, including the purchase of goods from the Food Depot in Santa Fe or from local businesses and growers, with an emphasis on fresh produce.