This month on Community Matters, Sandra Session-Robertson sits down with Angie K. Smith of Kitchen Angels to talk about the powerful connection between food, health, and community care — and how volunteers are helping deliver medically tailored meals to neighbors across northern New Mexico.

How can everyday people shape the future of Santa Fe? On this episode of Community Matters, we talk with Tómas Rivera of the Chainbreaker Collective about housing justice, community land trusts, and why civic engagement at the local level matters more than ever.

On this episode of Community Matters, we explore how universal childcare is transforming life for New Mexico families and early childhood professionals with two leaders closest to the work. Dr. Hailey Heinz from the Early Childhood Education and Care Department and Deyanira Contreras from Kids Campus at Santa Fe Community College discuss the importance of expanding access, elevating quality, and building a stronger childcare workforce across the state.

On this episode of Community Matters, we’re joined by Joseph Zupan, Executive Director of Amigos Bravos, to discuss the vital work of protecting and restoring New Mexico’s rivers and watersheds. A recipient of the Santa Fe Community Foundation’s 2025 Tried & True Piñon Award, Amigos Bravos has spent more than three decades combining hands-on restoration, policy advocacy, and community education to safeguard one of our state’s most precious resources — water. Tune in to hear how their work is shaping a healthier future for New Mexico’s communities and ecosystems.

On this episode of Community Matters, we’re joined by Dr. Randal Brown, Founder and CEO of Sunrise Clinics, the 2025 recipient of the Santa Fe Community Foundation’s "Resiliency" Piñon Award. Sunrise Clinics strengthens the health and well-being of rural and frontier communities across New Mexico, including Las Vegas, Santa Rosa, Tucumcari, and Raton. By offering comprehensive primary and behavioral health care on a sliding fee scale, Sunrise ensures that no one is turned away due to cost — building resilience and access in places where care is needed most.

On this episode of Community Matters, we’re honored to speak with Sherman Allen, Executive Director of The Friendship Club, the 2025 recipient of the Santa Fe Community Foundation’s Quiet Inspiration Piñon Award. For more than four decades, The Friendship Club has provided a safe and welcoming space for individuals in recovery from alcohol and drug addictions. Today, the Club hosts fifty 12-step meetings each week, produces a podcast with 20,000 listeners worldwide, and offers a hybrid Zoom Room that keeps its community connected while supporting mental, spiritual, and physical well-being.

On this episode of Community Matters, we welcome Laurie Merrill, Founder and Executive Director of Free Flow NM. Recipient of the 2025 “Courageous Innovation” Piñon Award, Free Flow NM has been tackling period poverty and menstrual stigma across northern New Mexico since 2020. Laurie shares the barriers New Mexicans face in accessing period products and highlights recent triumphs.

On this episode of Community Matters, we welcome Ona Johnson to discuss Dollars4Schools, an initiative of the Santa Fe Community Foundation that is making a meaningful difference in local classrooms. Ona shares how the program connects public and charter school educators in Santa Fe with the resources they need to bring creative projects to life and meet essential student needs, ensuring teachers can focus on what matters most — their students.

The second installment of our special two-part Community Matters episode continues the conversation with leaders of the Santa Fe Community Foundation’s identity-based giving circles. Jhane Myers (Native American Advised Fund), Marsie Silvestro (Envision Fund), and Raashan Ahmad (Empower! Black Futures Community Fund) return to share the recent milestones and explore common threads that connect their work. From celebrating cultural resilience to advancing equity and joy, this episode shines light on the power of community-led giving to shape a more inclusive and vibrant New Mexico.

In the first of a special two-part Community Matters episode, host Sandra Session-Robertson sits down with Jhane Myers of the Native American Advised Fund, Marsie Silvestro of the Envision Fund (LGBTQ+), and Raashan Ahmad of the Empower! Black Futures Community Fund to explore the origins and guiding values of these powerful identity-based giving circles. Together, they discuss how each fund supports historically underserved communities to build a more equitable future for all of New Mexico.