Southwest Creations is a 2023 Family-Friendly Business

Southwest Creation (SCC) has has been recognized as a platinum-level 2023 Family-Friendly Business by Family Friendly New Mexico, a statewide initiative developed to recognize employers that have adopted policies that give New Mexico businesses an advantage in recruiting and retaining the best employees.

Southwest Creations was a founding member of the Family-Friendly Business Awards. The Awards recognize New Mexico employers and businesses that offer family-friendly employee benefits in the categories of paid leave, health support, work schedules, economic support, pay equity, diversity & inclusion, and community investment.

Our New Home

We recently celebrated the grand opening of our new home - the South Valley Social Enterprise Center. The Center is a private-public partnership implementing alternative economic development strategies with a focus on economic equity to create opportunities across generations.

It is a community-led economic development initiative where families and neighborhoods will benefit from production jobs, leadership development, and educational support. The concept is collaborative, led by valued our partner, the Partnership for Community Action (PCA), with Southwest Creations as the anchor tenant. We can’t wait to share our new home with you!

Southwest Creations Featured in NewMexicoWomen.Org Report

A recent report by NewMexicoWomen.Org (NMW.O) titled “Gender Justice at the Heart of New Mexico’s Pandemic Recovery” features many incredible organizations, including Southwest Creations.

According to NMW.O, the statewide women’s fund seeks to offer a gender justice perspective on the current pandemic and recovery process:

“In an economic context where women are already more likely to work in lower-paid industries and, simultaneously, are paid less than their male peers, the economic impacts of COVID-19 are deeply gendered. Further, women-of-color are even more likely to be in lower-paid industries and experience an even more profound and persistent wage gap. In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, data from the Bureau of Labor has shown that unemployment rates nationally are rising the fastest for Hispanic and Black women. Further,recent national data has shown that Black women are twice as likely as White men to have been furloughed, laid off, or had their hours or pay reduced due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Such disaggregated data does not yet exist for all races, nor is it available for New Mexico, but it is likely other women of color in New Mexico will also experience significant harmful economic impacts stemming from the pandemic. Further, for undocumented and refugee women, the loss of livelihoods can be compounded by a lack of access to federal and state emergency relief resources and benefits.”

Southwest Creations is featured for its pivot to making face masks and PPE for service providers, while providing dignified full-time employment for 35 women.

Southwest Creations is a 2020 Family-Friendly Business

Southwest Creation (SCC) has has been recognized as a gold-level 2020 Family-Friendly Business by the New Mexico Task Force on Work Life Balance. Southwest Creations was a founding member of the Family-Friendly Business Awards. The Awards recognize New Mexico employers and businesses that offer family-friendly employee benefits in the categories of paid leave, health support, work schedule flexibility/predictability and economic support. 

SCC was specifically recognized for its paid leave, health support, work schedules and economic support initiatives for its employees.

Southwest Creations is a 2019 Family-Friendly Business

Southwest Creation (SCC) has has been recognized as a gold-level 2019 Family-Friendly Business by the New Mexico Task Force on Work Life Balance. Southwest Creations was a founding member of the Family-Friendly Business Awards. The Awards recognize New Mexico employers and businesses that offer family-friendly employee benefits in the categories of paid leave, health support, work schedule flexibility/predictability and economic support. 

SCC was specifically recognized for its paid leave, health support, work schedules and economic support initiatives for its employees.

South Valley Social Enterprise Center Takes Off

At a recent press conference in the South Valley, Southwest Creations Collaborative joined our partner and friend, Partnership for Community Action, to announce the new South Valley Social Enterprise Center, where SCC will be the anchor tenant. The story was covered by Albuquerque Journal and KRQE-Ch. 13.

The project is funded by two $1 million grants, one from the U.S. Economic Development Administration and one from the a W.K. Kellogg Foundation. Other supporters include:

Albuquerque Community Foundation
Santa Fe Community Foundation
NM Impact Investing Collaborative
Enchantment Provisions, LLC
CHI St. Joseph’s Children
Nusenda Foundation
McCune Charitable Foundation
Kresge Foundation
Catholic Campaign for Human Development
Marguerite E. Casey Foundation 

Over nine years, the Center will directly support 77 new and retained jobs, as well as providing workshops and networking groups supporting an anticipated 270 jobs offsite, and an additional 473 direct secondary jobs through multiplier effects in production/manufacturing, private nonprofit employment, childcare, and retail jobs for a total impact of 820 secondary jobs.

The Center will be housed in a 22,000 sq. ft building on two acres of land on Isleta Blvd. The new building will house the production/manufacturing space for SCC, an early childhood center, training space and offices. It will also feature a loading dock to accommodate business-to-business direct shipping, drop shipping and Electronic Data Interchange shipping for SCC and other area business enterprises and additional contract production/manufacturing uses. The space will also be used for professional development workshops, pre-accelerator trainings, parent leadership classes in early learning and advocacy, and educational support trainings.

Southwest Creations is a 2018 Family-Friendly Business

Southwest Creations has once again been recognized as a gold-level 2018 Family-Friendly Business by the New Mexico Taskforce on Work Life Balance. Southwest Creations was a founding member of the Family-Friendly Business Awards. The Awards recognize New Mexico employers and businesses that offer family-friendly employee benefits in the categories of paid leave, health support, work schedule flexibility/predictability and economic support. 

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Hacia Student Spotlight: Maria Toja

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Maria Toja is a 2016 graduate of Albuquerque High School and the Hacia: Toward the University college transition program. As a high school student Maria took dual enrollment classes and obtained her bilingual seal. She attended many of Hacia’s tutoring sessions and workshops. In many ways, Maria has shown her great abilities and potential. A few weeks before graduation Maria was notified she was missing a credit and was not on the roster for graduation. With the help of Hacia, she was able to make up the credit and graduate on time.

As a first-generation college student, Maria has surpassed overwhelming barriers to become the first in her family to go to college. She is currently in her first semester at CNM.

“Sin Hacia el camino habría sido más difícil”
— Liset, Maria's Mother
Hacia Student Spotlight: Maria Toja

Hacia Student Spotlight: Maria Toja