$150K grant to address substance abuse issues in Northern New Mexico

Funding from Los Alamos National Laboratory operator Triad will support United Way of Northern New Mexico’s collective impact initiative

September 24, 2019

2019-09-24
September 24, 2019 photo of the NSSB Building Triad’s grant to United Way of Northern New Mexico will support the Rio Arriba Collective Impact Initiative to End Substance Abuse and Violence. L to R: Moving Arts Española co-founder Roger Montoya; UWNNM board members and Laboratory managers Steve Renfro and John Sarrao; Laboratory Director Thom Mason, wearing a United Way cap; Cindy Padilla, UWNNM executive director; Triad board member Gary Falle; L. Diane Hurtado, Texas A&M University; UWNNM board members Carol Clark and Michelle Harkey-Wilde; Cris Madrid, UWNNM; Liddie Martinez, UWNNM board president.

LOS ALAMOS, N.M., Sept. 24, 2019—An innovative program to tackle substance abuse in the Española and Pojoaque Valleys will benefit from a $151,500 grant to United Way of Northern New Mexico (UWNNM) from Los Alamos National Laboratory operator Triad National Security, LLC.

“Before Triad even began operating the Laboratory, the people of Rio Arriba County and the Pojoaque Valley made it clear to us that substance abuse is a significant, pressing issue for their communities,” said Thom Mason, director of Los Alamos National Laboratory and president of Triad, who announced the grant today at UWNNM’s annual meeting and 2019/20 fundraising campaign kick-off at the Mision y Convento in Española. “Triad is grateful to have the ability to support this initiative. We are committed to the health and wellness of the people and the communities that surround the Laboratory.”

Triad’s grant to UWNNM will support the Rio Arriba Collective Impact Initiative to End Substance Abuse and Violence, led in part by Roger Montoya, co-founder of Moving Arts Española, who was recently selected as a 2019 CNN Hero. The initiative facilitates collective action among a group of committed partners that include nonprofit service providers, community groups, education institutions, and state and local governments to address substance abuse issues in the Española and Pojoaque Valleys and broader physical and behavioral health issues such as violence and homelessness.

“Working together as a community is the best way to address substance abuse issues in our area,” said Javier Sanchez, mayor of Española. “I welcome Triad’s grant to the United Way that will help support this dynamic collaboration.”

The funds from Triad will support coordination among the partner organizations, provide them with tools and resources, and build collaboration and capacity as they work towards shared goals.

“Triad’s investment will support United Way’s contribution to the collective impact initiative as we mentor young people, help develop the metrics that will track all the partners’ progress, and advocate for the broad changes needed to help with substance abuse preventions and interventions,” said Cindy Padilla, executive director of UWNNM.

Based in Los Alamos, with locations in Rio Arriba and Los Alamos Counties, UWNNM works to improve the lives of children and families in the region, with a focus on education, financial stability, and health and wellness.

Triad’s investment forms part of its Community Commitment Plan approved by the National Nuclear Security Administration. The plan outlines the company’s support for economic development, education and community giving in the region around the Laboratory.

About Triad
Triad – the prime contractor of Los Alamos National Laboratory – is a public service oriented, national security science organization equally owned by its three founding members: Battelle Memorial Institute (Battelle), the Texas A&M University System (TAMUS), and the Regents of the University of California (UC) for the Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration.

About Los Alamos National Laboratory

Los Alamos National Laboratory, a multidisciplinary research institution engaged in strategic science on behalf of national security, is managed by Triad, a public service oriented, national security science organization equally owned by its three founding members: Battelle Memorial Institute (Battelle), the Texas A&M University System (TAMUS), and the Regents of the University of California (UC) for the Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration.

Los Alamos enhances national security by ensuring the safety and reliability of the U.S. nuclear stockpile, developing technologies to reduce threats from weapons of mass destruction, and solving problems related to energy, environment, infrastructure, health, and global security concerns.