Las Cumbres Community Services announced that it received a $40,000 grant from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of New Mexico (BCBSNM) through its Healthy Kids, Healthy Families® (HKHF) grant initiative. Las Cumbres’ commitment to provide quality services, public awareness and integrated community support for children, adults and families facing social, emotional and developmental challenges aligns with the vision of BCBSNM’s HKHF grant program to help improve the health of children and their families in local communities. Las Cumbres is utilizing the HKHF grant to support the families of the therapeutic program at Conjunto Preschool in the Española Valley of Rio Arriba County.
In the wake of COVID-19, Las Cumbres has maintained close contact with the children and families of the Conjunto Preschool through phone calls, texts and Zoom video sessions. This worked for some families, but not for all, particularly those without a reliable internet connection or access to computers. To accommodate those families without internet or computer access, Las Cumbres staff hand-delivered learning packets directly to the students’ homes once a week. Las Cumbres is utilizing the HKHF grant to provide healthy snacks, activities and educational materials in the learning packets, and important safety and cleaning supplies for the Conjunto Preschool to ensure the safety of students and staff.
“Las Cumbres is enthusiastic about partnering with BCBSNM’s Healthy Kids, Healthy Families initiative to continue to build support for underserved families in rural New Mexico with connections to educational and concrete resources,” said Johnna Aguino, Las Cumbres Conjunto Preschool director.
“We’re proud to partner with Las Cumbres Community Services,” said Janice Torrez, vice president of external affairs, BCBSNM. “Las Cumbres is providing access to healthy food, therapeutic activities and education with the goal of promoting healthier child development.”
Healthy Kids, Healthy Families is a signature program of BCBSNM. The initiative focuses on engaging children and their families in understanding the importance of nutritious food, raising the level of physical activity, better managing chronic conditions and promoting safe environments. Likewise, Las Cumbres and the staff at Conjunto Preschool work to address both the physical and social-emotional needs of three- and four-year-olds, enabling them to be nurtured, educated and prepared to transition into public school and continued success later in life. The program strives to address the health care, nutrition and safety of all children while simultaneously acknowledging the diverse nature of local communities when addressing culture, history and language with preschoolers and their families.
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About Las Cumbres Community Services
Las Cumbres Community Services, Inc. began in 1970 with a structured program of day habilitation services for developmentally disabled adults residing in Los Alamos. The agency added a therapeutic preschool for children in the Española Valley in 1979. Services for children, adults, and families have continued to expand since then in order to best meet the growing and changing needs of Northern New Mexico. Our offices are located in Española, Chama, Los Alamos, Taos, and Santa Fe. In 2019 Las Cumbres expanded to the Borderland Region of Las Cruces, El Paso, and Ciudad Juarez. Today, the agency is one of the largest social service providers in New Mexico.
About Blue Cross and Blue Shield of New Mexico
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of New Mexico is one of the largest commercial health insurers in New Mexico with 630,000 New Mexicans carrying a Blue Cross and Blue Shield card. Since 1940, BCBSNM has been committed to promoting the health and wellness of its members and communities through accessible, cost-effective, quality health care. BCBSNM is a Division of Health Care Service Corporation, the country’s largest customer-owned health insurer and fourth largest health insurer overall. Health Care Service Corporation is a Mutual Legal Reserve Company and an Independent Licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.