Nonprofits supporting the health and well-being of local youth

Investing in the Future: Local Nonprofits Supporting the Well-Being of Santa Fe’s Youth

At the Santa Fe Community Foundation, we believe that when young people thrive, our entire community benefits. Across northern New Mexico, dedicated nonprofits are working tirelessly to ensure that children and teens have access to the healthcare, mental health support, and resources they need to grow, learn, and succeed. Below, we’ve highlighted local organizations that are making a lasting impact on the health and well-being of our youth. Whether they’re providing counseling services, promoting healthy lifestyles, or creating safe spaces for young people to express themselves, these nonprofits are shaping a brighter future for the next generation.

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Cooking with kids

cookingwithkids.org
505.438.0098
‍email@cookingwithkids.org

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Mission: To educate and empower children and families to make healthy food choices through hands-on learning with fresh and affordable foods.The need that Cooking with Kids (CWK) addresses is the nutritional health and well-being of children, impacting not only overall health but educational success.

 We aim to positively change eating behaviors, increase home cooking, and support public schools in their efforts to engage students in creative and cross- disciplinary ways.

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Gerard’s House

gerardshouse.org‍
505.424.1800‍
info@gerardshouse.org

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‍Mission: To create safe spaces where healing happens through acceptance and peer support for grieving children, teenagers, families, and adults after the death of — or separation from — a loved one. We provide 24 free weekly peer grief support groups, crisis response services, summer camps, suicide/safety interventions, and services to help meet emergency needs and more, with seven of those programs tailored to the unique strengths and needs of individuals and families experiencing life-changing loss.

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Kids Counseling Inc.‍

kidscounselingnm.com‍
505.425.2622‍
info@kidscounselingnm.com

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Mission: To provide a comprehensive and effective continuum of care that will provide culturally competent, holistic, high-quality, community- based mental health services that promote positive social-emotional development to children and their families in San Miguel and Mora counties.

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Kiwanis Club of Sangre de Cristo Sunrise

kiwanis.org
505.955.0302
‍jholmstrup@lfmctr.org

Mission: To mentor youth leadership skills through Kiwanis Key Club in high school and Kiwanis K-Kids in lower grades, and to feed otherwise hungry kids on weekends through our Food for Thought program. Kiwanis Club of Sangre de Cristo Sunrise in Las Vegas, New Mexico is part of a global organization of volunteers dedicated to improving the world one child and one community at a time.
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Luciente, Inc.

lucienteinc.org‍
505.807.2103
‍info@lucienteinc.org

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Mission: To support the children in our communities by working to eradicate hunger and to reduce the social determinants that negatively impact a child’s ability to connect, learn, and thrive.

100% of the children in our schools qualify for free lunch, but for some, that lunch is the only nutritious meal of their day. The extra food that our pantries provide ensures that no child goes hungry.

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New Mexico CASA Association

newmexicocasa.org‍
505.977.3432‍
‍info@newmexicocasa.org

Mission: To develop and support the Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA)programs that provide advocacy for abused and neglected children in foster care throughout the state of New Mexico, and to advocate for effective public policy and processes for children and families involved with the state’s child welfare system. Our organization provides capacity-building services and support that help the CASA programs throughout the state of New Mexico provide effective volunteer advocacy services for foster youth.

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New Mexico Friends of Foster Children

nmffc.org‍‍
505.596.0519‍
info@nmffc.org

Mission: To meet identified needs of children and youth who experience state or tribal foster care across New Mexico in order to strengthen their sense of community and help them thrive. Children and youth in foster care deserve more than having their basic needs met; they deserve the opportunity to recover from their trauma and to grow educationally, emotionally, and socially.

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New Mexico Kids Matter

nmkidsmatter.org‍‍
505.903.0305‍
info@nmkidsmatter.org

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Mission: To advocate for children who have been abused or neglected by empowering community volunteers (CASAs) to speak up for them in the foster care system with the goal of ensuring that every child grows up in a safe, nurturing, and permanent home.

New Mexico Kids Matter addresses the critical need for advocacy and support for children in foster care due to abuse or neglect. Through our Court Appointed SpecialAdvocates (CASA) program, we aim to ensure that each child in Bernalillo County has a dedicated CASA volunteer to advocate for their best interests in court, providing a consistent, caring adult presence during a tumultuous time in their lives.

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Stand Up For Kindness

standupforkindness.com‍‍
505.699.6091‍
standup4kindness@gmail.com

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Mission: To foster school communities where everyone feels safe, respected, and treated equally. Our core values of kindness, caring, and empathy create school communities where everyone feels welcomed and they know they belong.

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Youth Heartline

youthheartline.org‍‍
575.758.0106‍
info@youthheartline.org

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Mission: To improve positive long-term outcomes and access to services by reducing risk factors and barriers for under served children and families in Colfax, Taos, and Union Counties in northeast New Mexico.

This program serves 50 underserved youth each summer across four different complexes.