Winners include:

  • Corrales Community Library
  • Celebrate Planet Earth
  • Seed2Need
  • The O’Waken Foundation
  • Corrales Voice and Speech Therapy, LLC
  • VILLAGE in the Village

 

Wendy Hoffman

Intel Corporation and Corrales MainStreet annually partner to award grants to organizations that, according to their promotion information, “…will provide a wide benefit to the Corrales community.”

This year’s winners, recently announced by the two entities, are an eclectic group whose projects weave together essential personality traits of the Village – agriculture, arts and multigenerational caring for neighbors.

Corrales Community Library, partnering with Sandoval Master Gardeners, will redesign the “Children’s Storybook Garden – an Edible Garden Space for Children,” and plant child-friendly produce including fruit trees. Their long-term objective is to interest youth in growing and consuming local food, benefiting the community with improved health and greater sustainability.

Celebrate Planet Earth also focuses on “grow(ing) children who love and protect our home.” They will provide sunflower and live butterfly kits to Corrales Elementary, Cottonwood and Sandia View schools, along with Corrales Community Library.  With classmates and family, children plant sunflower seeds, observe metamorphosis of butterflies, feed birds and care for gardens, trees and green spaces, learning how plants, insects, and birds work together to keep the earth beautiful and healthy – and how humans can do that, too.

Seed2Need plants, grows and harvests tens of thousands of pounds of fruits and vegetables that are donated to local food pantries. Its mission is to help alleviate the scourge of hunger in our community, especially in this very difficult time. All crops are raised on donated land, tended by hundreds of volunteers, including students, scouts, Sandoval County Master Gardeners, business people and individuals. Grant money will purchase seeds, fertilizer and irrigation equipment. Since its inception, Seed2Need has provided more than 600,000 pounds of fruits and vegetables.

The O’Waken Foundation plans a project to enhance quality of life for seniors who were isolated because of the pandemic. Using various experiences, three instructors in the initial thee-hour workshop will provide 25 individuals with a full sensory experience fusing mind, body and soul, including teaching workshop participants about senses, breathing, touch and color, and simple DIY gardening utilizing supplies and growing material that the participants will take home.

Corrales Voice and Speech Therapy, LLC aims to help those with various neurological difficulties resulting from injury or disease by establishing the Corrales Neuro Choir. People with memory loss sometimes can’t remember those around them, but they can have good memories about their lives through song. Singing also helps recovery from neurologic diseases like Parkinson’s, by increasing breath-support and loudness. Exercising and controlling the diaphragm and vocal tract through song helps people speak longer, louder and clearer. Neuro Choir also combats social isolation among patients recovering from brain injuries. The goal is to provide opportunities to participate and become part of a community of people with similar struggles, who can celebrate their triumphs and challenges together.

VILLAGE in the Village helps seniors stay in their homes, while still having social connections, mobility around town, etc. They will augment HELP, their Health Equipment Lending Program, which lends such things as wheelchairs, ramps, shower chairs and walkers and is available to all Corrales residents. It has received strong support from previous users.

Entries are judged by Intel volunteers and Corrales community partners based on:

  1. Impact of the project/program on citizens in Corrales;
  2. Sustainability of the project/program;
  3. Clearly stated and measurable goals and objectives;
  4. Overall creativity;
  5. Reasonable and appropriate budget with specific equipment costs identified with vendor quotes and an explanation of why equipment is critical to a successful outcome;
  6. Use of grant funding by December 31, 2022.

For more information, see any of the winners’ websites or visitcorrales.com.