 |
About Us
Hands Across Cultures Corporation or HACC [ Hawk], serves Rio Arriba and northern Santa Fe Counties and seven northern Indian pueblos. The vast numbers of the area’s 60,000 people are Hispanic [or Native American]. The people of the area are rich in tradition and spirituality, yet they suffer from economic, educational and health trauma. This plight is intergenerational: elders have witnessed the undermining of their culture, values, and beliefs. People who are now parents or young grandparents grew up torn between their families’ traditions and conflicting values of imposed educational systems and messages portrayed by the media. Children, hopeless at an early age, often seek solace or identity in alcohol, gangs and other illegal drugs.
Founded in 1992, HACC arose from the concerns of grassroots leaders, the clergy, tribal and local governments, families, educators, and service providers who recognized that if this situation was to be reversed, new approaches that valued and built upon the traditional cultures of the region’s people need to be developed. HACC began operations in 1995 with support from the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Center for Substance Abuse Prevention. Among HACC’s programs are in-school substance abuse prevention programs from k through grade 12 in the area’s public, government, tribal, and private schools. HACC also offers a wide range of parenting classes.
HACC is the parent organization of the HACC Youth Coalition. This vital, multicultural youth-led program provides intercultural leadership development skills to local young people who serve as peer leaders for prevention and intervention programs in their school and communities. HACC has effectively utilized the media in its efforts to reach young people. Members of the coalition have also assisted HACC’s staff to produce four outstanding video presentations on abuse-related problems faced by area families and on culturally sensitive and competent solutions to prevent and address those crises. Coalition members are also taking the lead in planning and securing the resources for a regional teen center.
Hands Across Cultures expanded greatly in the past few years. It increased its partnership with school districts and its activities to further youth leadership and development. The initiative of the Promotoras or a Health Promoters Network funded by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HRSA) has served to be a valuable resource to local community members. The Promotoras and community leaders serve as liaisons in their village or Pueblo. The goal is to reduce the incidence of health problems by decentralizing health care and health education while increasing access to health care, cross and inter generational communication/dialogue about disease prevention/health promotion, and establishing a permanent rural linkage coalition. HACC also sponsored a workshop series on reducing Envidia, or patterns of envy, which break down intercultural understanding and cooperation. This series coincided with the 400 Anniversary of the founding of Espanola by Spanish settlers. We also serve as a project site for various projects with New Mexico Dept. of Health, administer 21st Century After school Learning Centers in three school districts, take a lead role in La Vision del Valle Health Coalition to assist the community the health and prevention efforts, have formed a coalition through Tobacco Use Prevention & Control Division through the State of New Mexico to pass smoke free ordinances in the City of Espanola, and have assisted with developing "Valuing Diversity in New Mexico Schools" Curriculum to assist school administrators with handling diversity in their schools.
HACC’s progress reflects its ability to build community partnerships. This is evident in its Board structure which includes representatives of diverse organizations and institutions ranging from the Espanola Valley Ministerial Alliance to Los National Laboratory, and from city and pueblo tribal government to high school students and a senior citizen member. It assists local agencies to meet their goals and objectives by gaining a better understanding of strategies used in community education and service delivery within disease prevention/health promotion programs. HACC serves at-risk youth, their families, professionals, teachers, community members, officials at the local, state and federal levels, the private sector and volunteers.