New Executive Director of Self Help Inc. Diane Smogor, left, and outgoing director Maura Taylor on a recent visit to the Los Alamos Daily Post. Photo by Bonnie J. Gordon/ladailypost.com
By BONNIE J. GORDON
Los Alamos Daily Post
bjgordon@ladailypost.com
Executive Director of Self Help, Inc. Maura Taylor has just passed the reins to new director Diane Smogor. Her start date was May 18, but she has been spending time working with Taylor, who departed June 1.
“I’m like a sponge trying to absorb it all,” Smogor said.
Smogor has lived in New Mexico for seven years. She was formerly executive director of Alliance for Science in Santa Fe.
“My husband and I fell in love with the culture, the landscape and the food!” she said.
“I have a background in community health organizations and this work is dear to my heart,” Smogor said. “When I learned about Self Help, I was excited about its mission of neighbors helping neighbors.”
Self Help was founded in 1969 by members of Bethlehem Lutheran Church as a seed money grant program to support rural agriculture livelihood, according to its website. Devi Raju, the first director, expanded its priorities. Self Help works on a number of fronts to support those in need in northern New Mexico. From helping out with crises like a fire to helping with poverty-related problems like preventing someone’s utilities from being shut off, Self Help is there in an emergency, Taylor explained.
“The civic engagement in Los Alamos is amazing,” she said. “We have about a dozen volunteers. Most of them work on the phone during the intake of new clients. It’s great to provide clients with a warm voice as their first contact with Self Help.”
Smogor said she is amazed by the organization’s volunteers.
“Volunteers are critical and we’re always looking for more!” she said.
“We hope to grow the Seed Program, which helps clients start businesses or get training,” Smogor said. “We want to get the word out about this program.”
“We want to help low-income people have an opportunity to increase their income,” Taylor agreed.
“One of the things people appreciate about Self Help is how quickly we can respond,” Taylor said. “We can usually get people going in the Seed Program within three weeks. Muy Salsas was one of our clients when they were getting started with serving food at Bathtub Row Brewing.”
There’s so much to do, Taylor said.
“I’m passing on a long list of things we want to do,” she said.
COVID, wildfires and the increase in inflation have blown up needs in our area, Smogor said.
“We have provided many gas vouchers to people who could not afford to evacuate if they needed to escape the fire,” Taylor said. “We were getting 30 calls a day during the fire. We generally help 400 to 500 families a year. We’re expecting this year to be especially busy.”
About half of Self Help’s clients live in the Rio Grande Valley, she said. Twenty percent live in Los Alamos, 20 percent in Taos and 20 percent in northern Santa Fe County.
“The poverty rate is low in Los Alamos, but 4 percent of 18,000 is still a lot of people, and we’re isolated here,” Taylor said. “Los Alamos County has more expensive problems because the cost of living is higher. Poverty is the dark matter in Los Alamos. People in Los Alamos that need help are surprised people in the community want to help them. I’m amazed at the human spirit that allows people to get through it and improve their situation. Anyone can have a bump in the road.”
Self Help can turn around things quickly for people, while the government can take years, she said.
“I have big shoes to fill with Maura leaving, but the staff and volunteers have been really great,” Smogor said. “I’m exited to be learning about how to help people in the community.”
Confidentiality is a major component of Self Help’s work, Taylor said.
Self-Help’s office in Bethlehem Lutheran Church is open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday, by appointment only. To set up an appointment, call 505.662.4666. To request services, volunteer or learn more about Self Help, call the phone number or visit their website at selfhelpla.org.
from WordPress https://ift.tt/u72mM0o
via IFTTT
0 Comments