LOS ALAMOS, N.M. – Employees at N3B Los Alamos brightened the holiday season for the children and families of Española’s Conjunto Therapeutic Preschool by donating 350-plus gifts and 37 meals, with leftover funds going toward school supplies on teachers’ wish lists.
Conjunto preschool provides an early learning environment for young students with developmental disabilities, along with special emotional and psychological needs, in and around Rio Arriba County.
N3B’s Angie Martinez, senior business partner in Human Resources who lives in Española, suggested Conjunto as the 2022 recipient of N3B’s annual holiday project. N3B’s leadership team quickly agreed.
“I’m very proud of our employees and contractors who devote hundreds of hours each year to nonprofit organizations in Northern New Mexico and who take the initiative to coordinate projects like this to serve our community,” said Kim Lebak, N3B president and general manager.
In early December, cards for each child indicating their toy wish list and clothing sizes were placed on the branches of an Angel Tree in N3B’s main office. Within days, employees claimed each of the 38 cards and began purchasing and wrapping the toys, coats, hats, boots, gloves and personal care items. In addition, cash donations totaling $2,400 were used to purchase items needed for a complete holiday meal. With the remaining money, N3B purchased school supplies for the teachers based on wish lists they provided.
A team from N3B delivered the food packages and gifts to the children and their families at the school’s holiday party. The students helped bake cookies and prepared special artwork for the N3B team.
“It was a joy to spend time with these beautiful children, their families and the preschool’s incredible staff members,” said Martinez. “There were more than a few tears shed by us and many of the parents.”
“The kindness and generosity demonstrated by N3B for the Conjunto students and families this holiday season was remarkable,” said Johanna Miller-Martinez, a Conjunto teacher. “The happiness and excitement radiating from the children was tangible. It was a learning experience for our students, and it reinforced a powerful message for them: Every kind act makes the world a bit better.”
N3B’s Angie Martinez (front right), along with Cynthia Hoenshel and Nicole Vigil (back left and right, respectively), hand out gifts to children at Conjunto Therapeutic Preschool, a critical community resource in Española.
N3B’s Nicole Vigil, Angie Martinez and Cynthia Hoenshel delivered gifts and meals to the children and families of Conjunto Therapeutic Preschool at their holiday party in December.