Meet Vannesa and Jose Gonzalez
Vannesa Gonzalez is fromChihuahua, Mexico. She came to the United States when she was only five years old and has lived in Taos ever since. Her husband, Jose Gonzalez, was born and raised in El Paso, Texas. He came to Taos in 2009 and has been living here ever since as well.
Their Meeting Story
Vannesa used to work withJose's sister at a local business, and that's when they first met. They started conversing on social media, and things started moving on from there. They fell in love and have been happily married for over five years.
About their Non-ProfitOrganization – Sin Fronteras Nuevo México
SFNM is a volunteer based group that supports immigrant families and children. During the pandemic, local immigrant families experienced a hard time. From the spreading of COVID-19, and the lack of essential resources for survival, Vannesa and Jose saw a growing problem and decided to take action to support immigrant families with financial and food assistance. This organization was designed to assist those families who they have built trust with.
Their main focus is to help those vulnerable during this public health crisis. They continue to offer ongoing resources and services, which include legal clinics with immigration attorneys to families in the community who are in need of such services. Therefore, Vannesa and Jose continue helping out the immigrant community in every way possible.
Reasons for Starting their Non-Profit
For Vannesa, the idea of starting this organization came up when President Donald Trump took office. Asa DACA recipient and many immigrant families, including children, were living in fear of the unknown.
To help them out, Vannesa decided that it was the right time to start the organization to benefit the immigrant community. When she shared the idea with her husband Jose, it was an eye-opener and a wake-up call for him as well. Therefore, he decided to support her cause and vision in every way possible, and the rest fell into place during the process. This movement has gone into many different directions in which many groups have been able to support and be part of the growing movement.
Organizations They Work With
Vannesa and Jose have been fortunate enough to work with many different organizations and groups that support their cause. Some of them include:
● Las Cumbres Community Services
● SantaFe Dreamers Project
● JillCline & St. James Food Pantry
● Healing& Reconciliation Institute
● UnitarianCongregation of Taos
● Taos& Vicinity Coronavirus Action Group
● JulieHenderson & Taos Mountain Magic (Volunteer Mask Makers)
● Compostela Community and Family Cultural Institute
And the countless community members and groups that continue to believe and support their mission. “WeThank you.”
With these supporters and their efforts, Vannesa and Jose's organization has been able to offer community resources, civil rights information, education materials, translation interpretation and basic needs to the vulnerable that need it.
Their Hopes for the Organization
Although they are registered as a non-profit in NewMexico, their 501C3 status hasn't been established at the moment. For this couple, staying focused on their cause is their main goal. They wish to continue assisting with resources, services,and basic needs to the immigrant families needs.
Vannesa and Jose are on the same page when it comes to helping out the community, giving all they got. For them, this is more important, and they usually consider themselves last when it comes to their life structure. According to them, self-care is identifying those in need and helping them however they can together.
Their Goals for the Rest of the Year
First, their main goal is to register as many people for the COVID-19 vaccine. Second, the couple also plans to continue supporting the community as they have been doing. They also want to register their cause officially to be able to do more for the community. The whole process has shown them the real importance of their life, helping those in need.
FB:
facebook.com/sinfronterasnuevomexico
Phone:
(575) 779-2402
Email:
sinfronterasnuevomexico@gmail.com
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