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Wells Fargo donates pony
Each year, during the holiday season, Wells Fargo gives thousands of plush ponies to new checking customers who open a new checking package, or to customers who refer a friend to open one. It is a holiday gift that has become a collectible item. Wells Fargo currently has 12 plush ponies that have been developed over the years, and each pony is modeled after a real horse in Wells Fargo's history.
This year's pony, Snowflake, is modeled after a Wells Fargo express wagon horse from the 1880s. The historical Snowflake led a team of horses that helped deliver money, merchandise, important papers, and packages from Jersey City across the Hudson River into Manhattan. Edward Hopper illustration for the March 1917 cover of the Wells Fargo Messenger magazine depicted a team in harness just like Snowflake. Activity books featuring Snowflake and her journey are available in English, Chinese, and Spanish online.
Stop by WInC and meet the newest edition to the plush pony collection
... Snowflake which was donated to us by our local Wells Fargo. Thank you Wells Fargo, for selecting us as the local charity to receive your beautiful gift. Eat wings & raise funds for WInC Buffalo Wild Wingslocated at 2750 Mall Drive Suite 600 in Las Cruces, NM Buffalo Wild Wings
will donate 10% of all pre-taxed food sales (less alcohol and
promotional discounts) from any guest that presents our fundraising ticket to their server. Tickets will be printed two weeks in advance of the 1st of the month and will available at the Center (303 Lincoln St, Anthony, NM) or via online to be downloaded and printed. Given these harsh economic times, we really appreciate your support and the generosity of Buffalo Wild Wings. How to take care of your heart
Domestic violence training Domestic violence is a sad reality of the society we live in. It is estimated that only one out of 10 acts of domestic abuse are ever reported. That’s a very alarming and sad statistic. La Casa, NMSU and WInC bring domestic violence to the forefront through a 40-hour Intensive Rural Domestic Violence Training. This training which started this week and will last through March 9th is designed to increase knowledge about the dynamics of rural domestic violence. It will also train individuals to assist and provide support to those in violent situations through referrals and providing safety planning information as well as to help decrease the shame and silence around the issue. Simple ways to help WInC Looking for an easy way to support WInC? Here are some ways you can help us that won't cost you but a few minutes of your time:
1. Intuit is Awarding $1M
in Hiring Grants! Your votes can help us win
a small business grant worth $25K to $50K. The contest runs until March
of 2012. The $25K winners are selected monthly and the $50K winners
on a quarterly basis. Winners are selected based on monthly votes and
what our fans say they love about us. To cast your monthly vote online click here and/or you can cast your vote by texting “winc” to 244326. You’ll receive a message asking you to text your name and a then another message asking you to text why you love WInC. Please encourage your family, friends and colleagues to vote for us once month.
2. Rent our Facilities: When you rent the facilities at the Women’s Intercultural Center, you are helping support the education and empowerment of the women of Southern NM and West TX. To download our Facilities Rental Brochure click here. To submit a Facility Usage/Rental Request click here. 3. Shop at our Thrift store: When you shop our Honeycomb Thrift Store you'll find a wide selection of new and used merchandise at very cheap prices (i.e. clothing for 25 cents, majority of items for a $1, nothing over $50). If you like to shop you'll want to stop by often to see what's new or follow us on facebook as new merchandise is posted upon arrival. Best of all, you'll know your purchases will benefit the women of Southern NM and West TX who rely on the tools and resources we provide for them to thrive. To find other simple ways to help click here. We cannot express how important your support is to helping fund our work. A few minutes of YOUR time, a simple click, a simple comment, a simple vote can make a WORLD OF DIFFERENCE in our ability to EDUCATE and EMPOWER WOMEN who in turn can EMPOWER their families and respective communities. Will YOU commit to being our CHAMPION? Wish List
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Letter from our Executive DirectorIn the last year our work has been
featured by the 4th largest media network in the world, in China and
Africa and throughout our region. In
addition, we are providing services to over 3,400 participants and growing.
We created 24 micro-enterprises/small
business leading participants to economic-self-sufficiency and
self-reliance. Something like 1,400
participants have gone through our three pronged programming of
alternative education and personal development, economic self-sufficiency and
consciousness raising for change. The third way is to select one or various options listed under the “Simple Ways to Help
WInC.” Every penny helps us do more. We'll be
running new specialized programming this spring but we should be doing more.
We'll get there. But we'll get there faster with your help. Mary Carter
Take ActionThis bill if passed will provide Gadsden School District funding for maintenance of building & grounds and equipment for schools. Early voting is going on now until 2/3/12. Last day to vote is 2/7/12. See flyer for voting locations. Latest NewsUpcoming EventsPlease feel free to forward event information to people who you feel
will benefit from our workshops, trainings and special events. For additional information please contact our receptionist at 575-882-5556 or the contact number listed next to the event announcement. To download/print our weekly calendar click here. Monday, February 6 Elvia Cordero from DVR will be at WInC from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. to work with participants that are on SSA disability benefits and want to return to work. She will also provide information on the different types of Medicaid available to participants. Wednesday, February 8 What to do with Children 6-12 Years Old Part I at 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. La Vida Institute will teach participants how to create the environment for educational development for 6-12 year-olds. And help participants get to know which materials and equipment work for children in these age ranges in the classroom or home. Indoors or outdoors. The training is designed for licensed home, registered centers, directors, staff and foster care. Competency Level: Learning Environments & Curriculum Implementation
Thursday, February 9 Friday, February 10 40-Hour Intensive Rural Domestic Violence Training starting at 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. every Friday until March 9, 2012. Increase your knowledge about the dynamics of rural domestic violence. Determine how to safely assist and provide support to those in violent situations through referrals and providing safety planning information. Work to decrease shame and silence around domestic violence. Social Work CEU’s will be provided to those participating in the training as appropriate. Click here to view and download flyer. |
Heart disease kills more women in America than the next four causes of
death combined including all forms of cancer.
WInC knows that and we wanted
to educate women on the importance of heart health. Most women don’t think about that. There are all
these media images of men having heart attacks but there is rarely a depiction
of a woman having a heart attack. And
the symptoms of a heart attack are different for women than they are for
men. Basic awareness is extremely
important…this is why we scheduled a “How
to Take Care of Your Heart” presentation to educate our participants and
encourage them to educate their daughters, mothers, aunts, sisters, cousins and
friends on the topic. Women have the tendency to put their health last all the
time. When a child is sick, a mother calls the doctor 100 times but for herself
when she’s sick she rarely takes time out to take care of herself. This presentation was a way for women to
pause, take a beat, learn what they need to know about heart disease and how to
keep their own health at the forefront of their life. They learned how to
identify issues and risk factors with their hearts in order to take preventative
measures and lifestyle changes to avoid heart disease. 
tories of our participants
Elva Alarez moved with her twin grandsons to Anthony, NM in November 2008 from Creel, MX. She received TANF and SNAP benefits to help support her family.
Elva volunteered at the Women’s Intercultural Center to fulfill her TANF work requirements and it was clear that she valued her work with us. She participated in many classes, including citizenship, English, jewelry making and dance. Elva especially appreciated the Center's positive role in empowering single mothers like herself to succeed in a new country.
Staff, instructors, participants, supporters and visitors alike took notice of Elva's work ethic, her desire to learn, her initiative, her trustworthiness and her ability to make others feel welcomed at the Center. What started out as volunteer work evolved to temporary work and eventually into a job.
Because of her skills and abilities, Elva was hired for the position of Hospitality Manager. She is responsible for setting up logistics for guests, rentals, catering services and on occasion the Border Awareness Experience including - providing meals, ensuring guests participant and staff accommodations are presented in a clean and welcoming condition and maintenance of Center facilities.
We congratulate and welcome Elva as a member of the Women’s Intercultural Center staff. We hope to be one of the stepping stones towards her success as she works toward her dream of opening a home-based food business or becoming a nurse. The opportunities for her are endless specially if she takes advantage of enrolling in our Small Business Development Academy and the many other educational/development courses the Center has to offer.
Petra Devora came to the Women’s Intercultural Center four years ago hoping there was a class on how to play guitar. Since that type of instruction was not available she stayed for the oil painting classes. "I was embraced by everyone and immediately felt at home. The receptionist had this ability of getting people interested in participating in the classes provided by the Center." said Petra. As time passed she learned that in educating a woman, you not only educate and transform her family but her community as well. "The Women’s Intercultural Center is the place where women transform and learn to be self reliant."
At the Center Petra was given the opportunity to develop her artistic and leadership abilities. She currently represents the voices of the participants as a member of the Center's Board of Directors. It is in this capacity that she traveled to New York to the WhyHunger Chapin Awards Dinner to receive the 2009 Harry Chapin Self-Reliance Award on behalf of the Center. "It was quite an experience to be able to meet with other grassroots organizations from across the country and learning about their work. It made me appreciate the uniqueness of the Women’s Intercultural Center. The Center provides women the tools necessary to succeed based on the individual learning development plan of each participant." she proudly stated.
Olivia Contreras has two grown children and six grandchildren. She came to the Women’s Intercultural Center for the first time in May 2007. She always heard that the Center offered many classes but she never came. She finally came because she wanted to become a U.S. Citizen and when she went to the community college she couldn't enroll because they didn't have citizenship classes in Spanish and she didn't think she could learn citizenship in English. She was surprised that the Center had English tutors who could also teach citizenship classes in Spanish. She had been in the United States for 26 years and thought that it was about time she learned English and became a citizen. Thanks to her tutor, Elizabeth, she passed her citizenship test and became a U.S. citizen on November 6, 2007. She feels secure now that she is a citizen and it is very important to her to be able to vote. She would like to tell all women at home to come to the Center and that if she can do it they can too and if they need help to become a citizen she is willing to tutor them.
Toni Jacquez was a participant of the Small Business Development Academy's first cohort. She felt that fulfilling her dream of business ownership would not only enhance her life but that of her community where she would establish her business. Since her retirement, her husband had been contemplating opening a cabrito (young goat) restaurant. She had worked from the age of 12 to the age of 22 at a small business grocery story with her father. She knew the work a family owned business entailed, so she knew that she did not want to devote 24/7 time again. But after attending the Academy, she realized that she did not have all the information necessary to successfully develop her business.
Toni is happy that the Center saw the need to educate women on how to develop a small business. She noted that some of the participants attending the Academy had no business experience, different levels of education, and different commands of the English language; however, everyone was equally given the opportunity to learn no matter what their personal situation was.
Toni says, "Attending the Academy was an informative and pleasurable experience. I will always remember and appreciate the support we received from the Center and our instructor and my fellow classmates. " Toni Jacquez is the Chair of the 2009 Board of Directors of the Women’s Intercultural Center.
A friend invited Rosario Renteria to the Women's Intercultural Center. She had been worried about her as she had fallen into a deep depression and had become isolated due to the recent death of her son. Her friend encouraged her to take art classes. She brought her to the Center and introduced her to the painting instructor. As she walked into the building she felt a sense of warmth and the welcoming nature of the participants and staff instantly made her feel at home.
She was given a test to assess her painting skills for her individual learning plan. She soon began attending the painting classes, found the solace and worth she needed and has been painting ever since.
Rosario says, “When I paint, I feel peaceful. I feel like an artist.”
After that one class she began taking a variety of other classes. The Center helped her advance her skills in paining and exhibited her work, she learned English while taking art classes and has found a source of income through the Center’s Economic Self-Sufficiency program by selling her art work and various other artistic products she learned to produce. She now teaches classes in art, repujado and knitting. Aside from all this, the Center has given her the opportunity to explore her singing skills. She is the official singer of the Center and has brightened many events with her talents. She recently formed a singing group and was commissioned to paint her vision of the downtown area of Anthony, NM upon its incorporation.
She now initiates and hones in her creative talents and encompasses new ideas to the Center. In meeting and sharing with the many women that have come to the Center, she has made this her home.
Rosario says, “It (the Center) is my source of inspiration and a support network for me. In being here it is not only an economic support but it elevates my morale and I feel really happy particularly in sharing my knowledge. Before the Center, I used to feel limited, but now I know that there are various opportunities to achieve your goals and dreams. I have evolved as an individual and as a professional artist. All the women that come to the Center have those opportunities. In the time that I have been here, I have seen many women participate in everything the Center has to offer at all generational levels from 17 to 85. They come searching for a safe place to create their own goals and dreams, there’s an abundance of color, talent and beauty here.”
Reyna Urbina had focused her entire life on her six children and found herself lost after her youngest daughter left home. Since she didn't know how to drive and there is no means of public transportation in Anthony, NM she felt trapped and alone. The only things she could concentrate on where her husband who worked very late hours, her home and her sewing machine.
Her youngest daughter, former volunteer at the Women's Intercultural Center, encouraged Reyna to register for classes as it would be the most appropriate venue for her mother to continue her personal development. In spite of her fears and with lots of encouragement from her children, Reyna learned to drive and got her driver's license at age 62 in order to follow her daughter's advice to come to the Center.
"That's how I came to this wonderful Center where I found the most beautiful people." says Reyna. "I enrolled in computer classes as I knew nothing about computers. I have learned so much since I first came here."
Armed with a new laptop that was given to her by her children, Reyna continues her computer classes at the Center and practices at home. "Thanks to the Women's Intercultural Center for thinking about women like me in designing their programming that has taught me so much and all their beautiful smiles that greet me each day I come to class." say Reyna with a smile on her face.
Reyna credits the Women's Intercultural Center and the support of her children for changing her life. She now realizes that something was missing, a void that was filled by the learning opportunities offered at the Center.
"Thank you for being here for us women and for the opportunity you offer us for our continued personal development."
