Featured program: Henderson House

The Henderson House is a YWCA Transitional Living Center in Albuquerque for homeless women veterans and their dependent children.

The home was donated to the YWCA-Middle Rio Grande Chapter by Vietnam veteran Don McLeod. The New Mexico Department of Veterans’ Services contracted $40,000 with the YWCA and helped apply for a grant from the U.S. Department of Veterans’ Affairs (VA) to help pay for renovations needed in order for the home to meet city and Life Safety Code standards. The plans were drawn up with the help of the non-profit group Rebuilding Together Albuquerque. Other financial donations came from Con Alma, the Daniels Fund, Citi Cards, Bradbury Stamm, Bank of the West, Walmart, Sandia Labs/Lockheed Martin, and Thomas and Linda Lyle.

Residents work with a case manager to set goals and timelines. Here are some of the services they receive:

• general counseling
• career counseling/job training
• and life skill
• parenting classes,
• cooking and nutrition instruction,
• financial planning classes,
• and time management courses.

Families can stay for up to two years, but the goal is to establish independence within 12 months whenever possible. The YWCA provides childcare at all times so that their mothers have time to successfully engage in programming.