During the first few days of the New Mexico legislative session in Santa Fe, Help End Abuse for Life (HEAL) board members Lynn and Mike Meyers and Julie Gilliland joined HEAL Staff Coleen Widell, Miriam Moreno, Terri Thompson, Sue Francis and Mona Earnest for the annual domestic violence legislative reception and press conference, both of which were hosted by the New Mexico Coalition Against Domestic Violence. HEAL’s Executive Director served two terms as the Board President for the Coalition and continues to be an active member of the Policy Committee.
The legislative reception was held at LaFonda on the Plaza. According to Lynn Myers, “It was a lovely event that allowed domestic violence providers the opportunity to meet with legislators to discuss the pressing issues of this session. We were very pleased to see Representative Nora Espinoza attend.”
Several domestic violence champions spoke at the press conference and rally, including Lt. Governor John Sanchez, who spoke of the importance of men being active and healthy role models for their children, and Senators Rod Adair and Mary Kay Papen.
Raul Luevano was a very special guest speaker from Ruidoso. He spoke of growing up with a violent father and how that effected his childhood and spills over into his adult life. Miriam Moreno, who runs the Children’s Program at the Nest, said, “Raul’s story is so powerful and demonstrates the deep damage to children who grow up in a home with an abuser. The effects of that stay with a person their whole life.”
After the press conference, Luevano joined the HEAL team as they went to visit each of our district’s legislators. Representative Zach Cook invited the HEAL board and staff onto the floor of the House of Representatives, where they were able to see first-hand some of the legislative process.
Widell, HEAL’s Executive Director, will remain in Santa Fe monitoring several bills that could affect domestic violence victims and monitoring critical funding allocations. “One of the only ways we are going to bring back critical programs for survivors and their kids is if the legislature restores some of the funding that was slashed over the last two years,” states Widell. “HEAL’s Board made a firm commitment to ensure service delivery to victim survivors seeking shelter, despite the 33% budget cuts we endured, but the one arm of our program that was discontinued was the very thing proven to be effective in prevention – and that was our outreach and education programs. They were the first thing to go when the budget cuts hit.”
For Sue Francis, Office Manager at HEAL, this was her first trip to the legislature. “It was an enlightening experience to witness the wheels in motion. All of our board and staff members were proud to have participated in legislative advocacy for our clients as we went to various legislators’ offices to make our funding concerns known.”
The Nest is located at 26374 US Highway 70 in Ruidoso Downs. Services at the Nest are always free and completely confidential. Professional advocates are available 24/7 and can also be reached by calling the Nest Hotline at 1-866-378–6378.
Pictured are HEAL Board members Lynn & Mike Myers, Representative Nora Espinoza, HEAL staff members Coleen Widell, Terri Thompson and Susanne Francis.