ESPANOLA PATHWAYS SHELTER NEWS
The Espanola Pathways Shelter has a board of directors, is about to sign a lease for its location and is moving quickly towards becoming a reality. For the past several months a diverse group of people who realized that the Espanola community has the capacity, the vision and the heart to establish a shelter has diligently worked to get the project to where it is today.
EPS board members are:
- Chair Mateo Peixinho
- Vice Chair Jennifer Manzanares
- Secretary Amber Leichtle
- Treasurer Dr Kartar Khalsa
- Yvonne Atencio
- James J. Martinez
The shelter will be located at 628 Riverside Drive on the lower level of the building which used to house Aaron’s, DMV Express and a chiropractor’s office. The 4,000 square-foot area to be leased needs to be upgraded for its new purpose and on Friday, stakeholders are slated to meet to finalize the architectural and engineering plans to ensure compliance with state codes. Some of the issues that need to be addressed are egress points, showers, and just making the location user-friendly. The Espanola Planning and Zoning Commission has already approved the special use permit that is required for operation of a homeless shelter at the location.
Meanwhile, as temperatures drop, the EPS board is frantically looking for emergency options to house people who are currently on the streets until the new facility is ready for occupation.
A needs list for the shelter is being prepared and will be published in early November. Until then, EPS is asking the community for financial contributions. The New Mexico Coalition to End Homelessness is the fiscal agent for EPS and all funding is being channeled through them for the shelter’s first two years. Donations may be mailed to
New Mexico Coalition to End Homelessness
P.O. Box 865
Santa Fe, NM 87504
A notation should be placed on the check that the donation is for the Espanola Pathways Shelter.
For more information on EPS, call Roger Montoya, (505) 927-0108 or Mateo Peixinho, (505) 927-4418