Newsfrom

Annual Report 2010 Volume 18, No. 1 We are having fun and have great news to share...

by Johnese Turri, Chair, 2010 Casa Esperanza Board of DirectorsAs the old saying goes – “how

time flies when you are having fun….” Ihave had the pleasure and honor of beingthe Board Chair for the past 3 years! Ithas been wonderful working with such agreat staff at Casa and a fantastic Board.We have the most caring andcompassionate people here, and I amproud to be a part of such a greatorganization.

We have lots of great news onthe fundraising side. We just had ourgrand opening of the new car lot for ourGive Hope a Ride Vehicle Donationprogram. Car donations have beenfantastic and what a way to give to Casa.We have had some amazing carsdonated making auction day a fun time.The auctions are on the 2nd Saturday ofevery month and you can go online towww.givehopearide.com and seewhat is coming up for that month’sauction. Thank you Macy’s Towing forall your support of this program!

Keller Williams Realty just hadtheir annual golf tournament to benefitCasa! What a fun filled day of golfing thatwas!! And Embassy Suites sponsors the“Day of the Tread” - an event for all agesto come out and ride their bikes, run theirruns and walk their walks – all dressedup in costumes! Casa, along with CarrieTingley Hospital Foundation and theLeukemia & Lymphoma Society, benefitfrom this totally great event.

Our Art for Hope auction in thespring is a combined live and silent auc-tion where artists from all over the state

generously donate their time and talentto make for an amazing evening offundraising, great company and deliciousfood. Next year’s event is March 26 atthe Embassy Suites Hotel & Spa.

Our brick laying ceremony inMay is always so moving. Our donorsare recognized with bricks or ceramictiles which areplaced in our patiosthat will forever helpto remember thosemany specialpeople.

Our NinaBean PatientNavigation & SurvivorServices programhas been going great.What a wonderfulprogram to help ourfamilies navigate notonly through themedical system butalso to aid them withday to day lifeissues. Thisprogram is yetanother resource forour families as theymake their way through one of life’stoughest times.

Casa needs the support of car-ing individuals like you! In these tryingtimes, it might be tough financially todonate as you have in the past, but thereare many ways to help. We have fan-tastic volunteer opportunities. Our won-

derful volunteers come from all over tohelp keep Casa Esperanza running. Theycook, clean, build, repair and generallylend a hand where needed. It is this giv-ing spirit that enables Casa to continueits mission of helping families. Anothervolunteer opportunity is to get involvedwith our committees. Whatever type of

volunteering you like –we can get you in-volved!

If you have notbeen to Casa, wewould love for you tocome by for a tour andvisit.

One area I willbe working on over thenext year is reachingout to our communities– visiting with you andc o m m u n i t yorganizations andmaking everyone moreaware of CasaEsperanza and whatwe have to offer. I thinkof families in our statewho get a diagnosis ofcancer and need to

come to Albuquerque for their diagnostictests or to start treatment and howoverwhelming all that can be. CasaEsperanza is here for those families, andI want to be sure everyone state-wideknows about us.

Johnese & Michael Turri show their careand support for all the staff members atCasa Esperanza

page 2 Annual Report 2010 page 2

2010 Board of DirectorsOfficers

Johnese Turri, ChairInvestor Rel. Rep., Alb. Economic Devel.Anthony R. Masciotra, Jr., Vice PresidentED, SVP Operations & CFO UNM Medical Group

Ryan Dobbs, TreasurerOwner, One Click Schedule

Julie Tierney, CPA, MBA, SecretaryMaster Tax Advisor, H&R Block

Lia Armstrong, Member at LargeSenior Advisor, Maestas & Ward

DirectorsChris Brennan

Asst VP, Bank of AlbuquerqueGinny Longbotham

Associate Broker, Signature SW PropertiesJennifer Lowrie

Registered Nurse, UNM HospitalLorna Marchand

Program Mgr, Colorectal Cancer Program, NM DOHJustine Meehan

Asst VP, Wells Fargo BankFred Moore

Retired, USMCRae Ann Paden

CAO, UNM Cancer CenterVicki Woody

Communications Consult.,Mitel Technologies, Inc.

Advisory BoardPat BellRetired

B. Lee BlackOwner, Lee Black Consulting, LLC

Lily CurtisArtist

Stephen DudoichSandia Resort and Casino

Leo MoyaRetired, Bursar, University of NM

Sylvain SegalAttorney at Law,

Segal & Whittaker, LLPBob G. Stice

LPCC, Private PracticeCounseling & Psychotherapy

Sherri WellsDocument Imaging of the Southwest

METHODS FOR MAKING A DONATION TOCASA ESPERANZA OR

CASA ESPERANZA ENDOWMENT FOUNDATION

In this very difficult economy, we are sure you carefully review how and when to make acharitable donation. Casa Esperanza wants you to know that we value your interest andconcerns. Below we have provided a simple list of the ways you might consider support-ing Casa Esperanza or Casa Esperanza Endowment Foundation.

A cash donation to our “Friends Campaign” in support of our general operating budget.A restricted cash donation in support of a specific program such as our Patient Naviga-

tion, Clinical Counseling or Lodging Programs.A cash or in-kind donation for sponsorship, purchasing tickets or supporting our planned

events.An in-kind donation - household items, artwork, linens, items on our Wish List, etc.A donated vehicle to our Give Hope A Ride Vehicle Auction Program will support our

Endowment Foundation and in-house programs.A planned gift designated as a portion of your estate (we encourage naming Casa Esperanza

or Casa Esperanza Endowment Foundation as beneficiary of 1% of your estate).Life insurance name Casa Esperanza or Casa Esperanza Endowment Fdn. as beneficiary.A charitable gift annuity - an irrevocable gift to Casa Esperanza Endowment Foundation

will earn you a contracted percentage paid back to you for the balance of your life.A gift of real estate for future sale to generate income for our Endowment Foundation.A gift of stocks or bonds for our Endowment Foundation.

Other financial planned opportunities that you may arrange with your personal financialplanner then notify Casa Esperanza or Casa Esperanza Endowment Foundation ofyour plans.

Volunteering your time - give us a call and we will work with your time preferences.If you are interested in speaking to a member of the staff at Casa Esperanza or Casa

Esperanza Endowment Foundation, please call 505-277-9880 or emailinfo@casaesperanzanm.org. We will be delighted to meet with you and/or your

financial planner relative to your gift.Thank you so much for caring about New Mexico cancer patients.

Casa Esperanza… is part of a community that has an extraordinary, critical need for the services we

provide. We serve all of New Mexico and surrounding states. Our families must travelfrom their homes to Albuquerque to receive their correct level of cancer care. We arethe largest home away from home for cancer patients in New Mexico and the only onein Albuquerque that houses the entire family unit.

has the unique ability to address our families’ critical needs through our lodging, NinaBean Memorial Patient Navigation & Survivor Services and Clinical CounselingPrograms.

engages in strategic planning to ensure we work effectively and are positioned to meetthe needs and operating demands of the future. Our Board of Directors meets annuallyat a retreat designed to review and update our strategic plan as well as to carefullyreview the mission statement and its continued relevance.

focuses on measurable outcomes and works to maximize the impact of the services weprovide. Our staff is reviewed annually and goals, outcomes and objectives areestablished and updated. Our staff is responsible for reporting the results of servicesthrough our Annual Report, grant reports and external audits as well as directlyreporting all process to the CEO.

is committed to transparency, accountability, and integrity in spending contributedfunds for the purposes specified. For donations above $5000, a letter of understand-ing will be signed by the donor as well as the CEO to ensure that your gift is usedexactly as intended.

cannot meet the identified, critical needs in our community without your financialsupport. You are our partners in success. Your donations directly support ouroperating budget and program expenses.

page 3Summer 2003 Annual Report 2010 page 3

I wonder if you have any in-kling as to the talent and skill thatkeeps Casa Esperanza operating atsuch a high level of excellence. Iwould be astonished if you really un-derstood the depth of staff expertiseand dedication, so I am dedicatingthis space to the amazing staff whowork so hard yet so positively.Please read on as I introduce themembers of our stellar Guest & Pa-tient Navigation Services team.

When you walk through thefront doors at Casa, you are immedi-ately embraced with an aura of care,comfort and encouragement. OurGuest Services and Patient Naviga-tion Program team members makeup the majority of the staff, whichmakes sense. After all, these areour program people. And, wow,are they good.

The Program Director isStephanie Mora, who hasworked more than 15 years inthe social service arena and hasbeen with Casa for a year. Anative of Albuquerque,Stephanie earned a BS in Psy-chology and a Masters in Busi-ness Administration – a perfectcombination for this position –and spends most of her days mak-ing certain that her team, the volun-teers, the grounds and the facility arefunctioning at their peak. Soft spo-ken and gentle in her approach,Stephanie sets a very high standardof service to our families. Stephaniealso has an amazing voice and peri-odically sings with a band.

Patty Virgen was born inMexico and has lived in Albuquerquefor 14 years – eleven of which shehas spent at Casa. I will never for-get the day after she became a UScitizen and was able to vote in apresidential election for the first time– she was so proud to be a part ofthis great country. A mother of botha son and a daughter, Patty bringsher maternal skills – her nurturing

patience and understanding – tobear in her role as Guest ServicesTeam Supervisor. She also makest h e b e s t Camarones de Diablo any-where!!!

The youngest member of theGuest Services Team – yet the oneassociated with Casa the longest –is Sarah Trujillo. Another Albuquer-que native, Sarah joined the Casastaff in 2006, but she has been a partof the Casa family since she was alittle girl. Her aunt and uncle, Mikeand Emily, have been around thisplace forever! Sarah recently tookcharge of Casa’s social networkingand is a full time student at UNMwhere she is working on her Pediat-

ric Nursing de-gree.

Speaking ofMike and Emily….Mike Gallegos, aBarstow, CA na-tive with longtime family as-sociations inQuemado, NM,has lovinglycared for and

maintained this18,000 square foot

home for the last 14years – almost as long as he andwife Emily have been together. So,theirs is a Casa story, for sure. Mikeis Facilities Supervisor and knows in-timately every inch of this house. Ourresident families and volunteergroups thoroughly enjoy workingwith Mike – he keeps them both busyand entertained! On the rare occa-sion that Mike is not at Casa, he andEmily spend every possible momenton their boat and jet skis!

Monica Bojorquez, anotherAlbuquerquean and mother of twosons, has served as the Administra-tive Assistant for the Give Hope aRide Vehicle Donation Program aswell as a Guest Services Team mem-ber. Actually, she started off in-house

in 2006, left us for the car lot, butrecently returned to the house andthe families – her first priority, as shediscovered. Monica is gracious andcaring and as sweet as they comeand works hard to make sure thatour families’ needs are met.

The newest addition to theGuest Services Team as of August isYuliana Granillo, who is NOT fromABQ, but from Deming – although shehas been in Albuquerque for the pastseven years. Yuliana is the motherof two girls and has brought won-derful new energy to the team. She’sa scrapbooker, which may serve ourfamilies well as they search for anevening diversion. She is absolutelya good match for us.

Cathy Moore has spent thelast two and a half years working di-rectly for the Nina Bean MemorialPatient & Survivor Services Programat Casa. She is THE patient naviga-tor at the moment and works tire-lessly to see that our families’ criticalneeds are tended to – whether it begas cards or food vouchers or helpwith finding affordable medications.Formerly with Child Life at UNM Hos-pital, Cathy is the mother of both ason and a daughter and fully under-stands the challenges that our fami-lies face each day. Another Califor-nian, Cathy has made Albuquerqueher home for 13 years and has madesocial service her career. In her sparetime, Cathy is teaching the FamilyStudies Practicum this fall at CentralNM Community College.

I think you can now under-stand a bit better why our familiesare so happy to be at CasaEsperanza. We truly provide an oa-sis of comfort and care in what canseem like the vast Albuquerque wil-derness!

Thanks for your indulgence inallowing me to brag a bit!

The Casa Crew –Guest Services & Patient Navigation

By Eileen Casey Cook, CEOECCook@CasaEsperanzanm.org

Summer 2003 page 4 Annual Report 2010 page 4

Casa Esperanza, Inc.Major Contributors

July 1, 2009 -June 30, 2010

PILLARS-$500Steve and Laurie AguilarBank of the WestBattellePamela CizanClifton Gunderson LLPRoger and Jane CookShaun CooperCosmopolitan Woman’s ClubJerry and Joyce ForopoulosLisa Gonzales and James BloomElaine HorvathJP Morgan Chase FoundationTom and Bev LawsRobert LoftfieldClaudia McConnellJustine MeehanLeo MoyaT. Zane ReevesClifford RegensbergVenita SandleBetty ShaumMichael and Joyce SkolnickThomas and Helen SmithStacie SotoTrinity on the Hill Episcopal Ch.

CORNERSTONE-$1,000Albuquerque AcademyBank of AlbuquerqueMaryle J. BarberVernon and Vicki BiceCartesian Surveys, Inc.Comm.Fdn. of Chaves CountyEileen C. CookCVS PharmacyFairwinds – Rio RanchoMacy and Gina FitsEmonsFraternal Order of the EaglesGorman IndustriesJohn GriffinRuss and Glenda HarrisonHarrison Contracting Co., Inc.John and Laura HighfillKendra LeyRichard and Mary LoydJoyce ManchesterJulie MarchAnita SmithSmith’s Neighbor to NeighborStar Paving Co.Bob and Phyllis SticeThe Crebilly FoundationThe Rawlings Family FundWal-Mart #824

Recognizing Our Major Contributors for July 2009 to June 2010

Casa EsperanzaEndowment

Foundation Contributors July 1, 2009 -June 30, 2010

$500 & ABOVE CASH &IN-KIND DONATIONS

Steve and Laurie AguilarRoberto and Rowena AlbertorioAlphagraphics on OsunaArtichoke CaféArtists of New MexicoBank of America Matching GiftsMaryle J. BarberPatricia BellRobert Brumfield and CarolynMullerCashmere Rouge SpaSara ChambersBob Clark–Citadel BroadcastingJean ColaianniCatherine ConranEileen C. CookJohn and Michelle CouchBob and Dorothy DoakRyan DobbsSuzanne DonazettiTom FletcherJeff and Joy ForehandGDR Property ManagementThe Glacier ClubKathleen Phillips HellmanAlice IrvinJames and Tammy JaramilloL. Powell Co.Lamar Outdoor AdvertisingRichard and Ginny LongbothamPete and Theresa LovatoLovelace Health Systems, Inc.Richard and Mary LoydMacy’s Towing LLCGlenn and Judy MagelssenMarcello’s Chop HouseAnthony and Erin MasciotraMike Moore Memorial GolfEileen MontoyaCharel MorrisWilliam and Gloria MortonB. C. NowlinDon and Sue PetersenDorothy PetersonPNM Resources FoundationT. Zane ReevesJennifer Lowe and John RobertsAndrew RodriguezHelen SalvoDee Sanchez

GUARDIANS-$2,500Comcast FoundationEstate of Ruby HarrisonKeller Williams RealtyLarry H. Miller CharitiesMechdyne CorporationSan Felipe Casino HollywoodBrian and Lisa SternbergUnited Way of Central NMVillage Inn on Menaul

KEYSTONE-$5000Cardinal Health FoundationClovis Board of RealtorsHancock Family FoundationUNM Interns and ResidentsKeith and Deborah Wilson

FOUNDERS $10,000Clear Channel OutdoorEmbassy Suites AlbuquerqueKKOB-FM 93.3PNM Resources FoundationUnpainted Furniture

LIFETIME $30,000+American Home FurnishingsKen and Harriet BullCar Program LLCCitadel Broadcasting Co.Clear Channel OutdoorClovis Board of RealtorsComcastCon Alma Health FoundationCYMRIC IEP Inc.Paul and Sue DaultonDefense Avionics SystemsHoneywell Inc.Frost FoundationKNML – 610 RadioKWBQ TV Channel 19Lamar Outdoor AdvertisingMasonic Charity Fdn. NM, Inc.Mike Moore Memorial GolfNCA, AIAArthur PalmerRed Rock FoundationT. Zane ReevesRotary Club Alb., Del NorteSandia Corporation Fdn, SNLSolo Cup FoundationLloyd and Virginia StorrTempur-PedicMichael and Johnese TurriUnited Way of Central NMUNM Cancer Research &Treatment CenterUNM Facilities PlanningUnpainted FurnitureZia Laundry, Inc.

Gary SanchezSandia Investment, Wells FargoRonald and Nancy SchranzBob and Tracy SedberryCarolyn SedberryJohn SedberryNeel and Kay StorrCharles and Louise ThompsonJulie TierneyMichael and Johnese TurriChris and Jan TurriTurri ConsultingUnivision Radio NMLisa UrreaRoss and Jean VanDusenCarol Caruso WardJ. Michelle WattsWells FargoWestern RefiningShane WoolfZea Rotisserie GrillGwendolyn Zeta

Vehicle DonationsWe would like to recognize all thosewho have donated vehicles to CasaEsperanza. The funds generatedfrom the sale of the donations areinvaluable to the support of ourhouse.

Thank you to all of our generousdonors. Because of limitedspace, we are simply not ableto list everyone who supportsCasa Esperanza or the CasaEsperanza Endowment Foun-dation. Please know that yourgift is the key to our success.

Summer 2003 page 5Annual Report 2010 page 5

Eugene AaltoWinifred “Winnie” AicherRichard and Jane AndersonRudolfo ApodacaLydia ArmstrongSammy AvitiaMrs. Gila BadilloFrances BernetEva E. BrownTony CampbellBrian ConwayDebbie CookEster DeffnerNancy and Clyde DettyDan DochertyTilly DominguezGregory DoyleGeraldine EmmertHelen EskowSid EskowGrace FerranBenny FloresLuis F. GarciaRhonda GarciaFilemon GavaldonAlbert “Al” GonzalesSylvia GonzalesJanet Louise HarrisonErnest Ray Harwell, Jr.Helen HeljesonBob Hellman

Memorials & HonorariumsJuly 1, 2009 -June 30, 2010

Alice Hernandez ArroyoRoger HorvathRonnie HudsonSue JonesCheryl KasulaitisMary Joan KoestersEdna LeeJuan R. LopezBeatriz Arroyo Luis CervantesManuelita and Anastacio LujanRachel MaloneJohnny MartinezPaula MattysAbby McCullochGilbert A. Montoya, Jr.James R. MyersVanessa NielsonLois PreislerPatricia E. QuinonesNicole RaelAndrew RochaVictoria SantillanesJoe ScalettiChris SchultzYetta SeaneyArleigh Smith KennedyVirgil L. StoutAloisia “Louise” ValentiLynne WallDavid WerdeEvelyn WildLinda Wynn

Beatrice BarrerasPat BellWilliam BostCasa Esperanza, Inc.Tiffany CorleyBob and Betty EikleberryRonnie HawkinsAndrew KieRebecca H. LunaEstella A. MartinezMargaret McClellandVeronica Marie MendezBob and Wanda PoeQuilters EverywhereAngus SarracinoAngel TafoyaAlfred J. TomkinsonElenna TorrezCharles “Doug” WilliamsTeresa and Cara WilsonLawrence R. WoltzBeth Woodcock

Memorials H o n o r a r i u m s

Annual Report 2010 page 6

We did it! Ittook a lot of hardwork and a lot oftime, but we did it.We moved the GiveHope a Ride car lotto 8501 Zuni SE.That might soundfamiliar because weare right next door toour old lot. Every-one who has visitedus at the new loca-

tion tells us how much better it is — roomier, nicer,better organized, even happier.

Our grand opening was on Sept 11, 2010. Weopened withgreat fanfare.Bob Clarkand his crewfrom 770KKOB did alive remoteas did, 105.1FM La Jefa,and 92.3 FMKRST. Wehad StateSenator TimKeller, who represents the International District in Al-buquerque there to cut our grand opening ribbon. Theentire Casa Esperanza Board of Directors attended.Even though the NM State Fair parade was ½ blockaway, we were very well attended with 101 registered

bidders. KOAT Chan-nel 7 came out to doan interview withmembers of the crowdand I. We had 93 carsto auction. Everyonewas treated to cakeand horchata. Victorfrom Victors HungryHot was there to feedthe crowd with deli-cious hot dogs andburritos and assorted refreshments.

I want to pass along our special thanks to JanTurri of Turri Consulting, who handles all of the adver-tising for Give Hope a Ride. She did a huge andwonderful job of coordinating all of the media for thisgrand opening event. She constantly works to seethat Casa Esperanza’s name is in the public’s eye.

Thanks to all of our generous donors and buy-ers. Without you, we would not be able to providesupport to New Mexicans facing cancer. It is all be-cause of you that we are able to provide a homeaway from homefor the familiesdepending onus.

by Gina FitsEmonsGive Hope a Ride Program DirectorGFitsEmons@CasaEsperanzanm.org

GRAND OPENING

Bob Clark, Jan Turri & Maryle Barberbask in the excitment of the GrandOpening

Gina FitsEmons is all smiles and nervesas she interviews with KOAT TV.

Senator Tim Keller & 770 KKOB Radiopersonality Bob Clark revving the crowd forour grand opening.

Casa Esperanza Board of Directors, SenatorTim Keller and Gina FitsEmons celebratethe Ribbon Cutting at our Grand Opening.

Summer 2003 page 6 Annual Report 2010 page 7

Even with medical insurance, it is easy to ignore routine cancerscreening. With work, family and all of the other obligations thatdemand our time, we sometimes ignore routine care, reserving doc-tor visits for when we feel sick. Without insurance additional bar-riers exist making it even more difficult to make costly medical screen-ings a priority. This was the case for Valerie Mainville. She knewthat it was important to get a mammogram but didn’t have insur-ance. In her case, the death of her sister pushed her to seek outscreening despite not having insurance. She scheduled a mammo-gram, a test that determined her need for treatment and very wellcould be why she is able to share her story with us now as a“Survivor”. Valerie still remembers “freaking out” upon being told that there

was a finding thatwould require fol-low up diagnos-tics. Rightfully so,the cost of cancercare can be finan-cially devastatingto families whohave insurance letalone those whoare uninsured. Shewas so worriedabout how shewould afford her

care; it was difficult to think about getting through treatment. Withthe help of First Nations she was put in contact with the Breast andCervical Cancer Early Detection Program (BCC Program) which thenled to her getting qualified for Medicaid. She was officially diag-nosed with breast cancer in 2008. Everything was scheduled quicklyand expected to be short term. If that were the end of the story, Imay not have had the privilege of meeting or working with Valeriebut cancer is unpredictable and can affect anyone at any time. InValerie’s case, it was her husband Jack that was affected. Yes, if itweren’t enough that she was facing treatment for breast cancer, herhusband was simultaneously diagnosed with throat cancer. Now Jack’s story is a little different. He had been ignoring alump in his throat for some time. Because he was still working, hehad full insurance but Jack just didn’t think too much about hissymptoms until they became too pronounced to ignore. He begancoughing up blood and knew he’d better see the doctor. He wasimmediately diagnosed with stage 3 Throat Cancer, started on ra-diation and scheduled for surgery. Imagine how shocking for ahusband and wife to each receive a cancer diagnosis within thesame week. Because Jack had employer provided insurance, hedidn’t worry as much about the potential cost of his treatment asValerie had when she was first diagnosed. Unfortunately, one monthinto his treatment (one month absent from work to comply withdaily treatments), he was told by the company he worked for, thatthey could no longer keep him on the insurance plan. How ironicthat the one who had insurance going into it was the one who was

left without coverage. With the assistance of UNM Care Plan formedical coverage and the Patient Navigation Program at CasaEsperanza for lodging assistance, he did successfully completetreatment. Valerie and Jack both had complications related to their treat-ment but they got through those complications with the support ofeach other, the support of the new friends they made during theirstay at Casa Esperanza and the care they received at the UNMCC.Because there were two patients care giving for each other, theyfaced additional logistical complications. Jack remembers a time,for example, when he wasn’t able to be released from his treatmentbecause Valerie was in the middle of her own test. Fortunately bystaying at Casa Esperanza, the complex scheduling issues wereminimized. Valerie stated, “I wouldn’t have been able to do it if wewould have had to drive from Torrance County into Albuquerqueeach day on top of everything else”. Torrance County is consid-ered relatively close to Albuquerque but when talking about dailycancer treatments, it is easy to see why it is still far for the familieswe work with. After completing treatment, these two “fighters” did get a wel-come break from cancer. Unfortunately, this year they were dealtanother blow. Jack received a new cancer diagnosis unrelated tohis previous cancer. With this diagnosis also came the return ofthe shock, fear and memories of their struggles before. Having notfully recovered from the expenses of before, they wondered howthey would get through it again. Fortunately the wise words oftheir Social Worker at UNMCC came true. She explained that this isa different diagnosis, a different set of circumstances and an over-all different experience. They were able to identify the differencesthat would be helpful to them this time around. One diagnosis waseasier to schedule and manage than two and they were alreadymore familiar with the UNMCC than most ever become. In addition,Jack retired during his previous diagnosis so his income and insur-ance were established and would not be affected by his need fortreatment this time around. Another huge difference was that theywere already familiar with Casa Esperanza. It truly did feel like ahome away from home for them as they returned with a new diagno-sis. The Patient Navigation office was one of their first stops thistime and we were able to help them through this experience in avariety of ways. Jack sailed through this diagnosis to a clean bill ofhealth with no complications. He and Valerie attribute their suc-cessful outcome partly to their stay at Casa Esperanza. Not onlydid they benefit from the convenient location, services and ameni-ties but they also felt support from the lifelong friends they madeduring their stay here as well as staff. Now with treatment behind them, Jack and Valerie look forwardto an active retirement seeking out acting opportunities as extra’sin locally filmed movies and educating others about the importanceof preventative cancer screening. Thank you to Jack and Valerie forsharing of yourselves and your time while you stayed here at CasaEsperanza. You are the inspiration for what we do and why wealways strive to do more for the families who stay here with us atour “home away from home”.

Meet our "fighters" Valerie & Jack by Cathy Moore, Patient NavigatorCMoore@CasaEsperanzanm.org

Valerie Mainville & Jack Burning in frontof Casa Esperanza's beautiful rose bushes

Annual Report 2010 page 8

Maximus Sosa was bornDecember 26, 2007 in Hobbs, NMand that is where he and his family re-side today. He is the youngest out ofseven children, and is now two and ahalf years old and dealing with a seri-ous illness. He has a large caring familywho are very supportive.

Unfortunately, Maximus hasnever been able to have a normal child-hood. He began to have health prob-lems at the age of six months. WhenErica and Adolph (his parents) noticedMax was looking ill, they took him totheir hometown hospital, where he wasmisdiagnosed with sinusitis, an inflam-mation of the sinus. They put Maximuson steroids hoping that it would reducethe inflammation, but it did the oppo-site – he was getting worse. When hisparents decided to take him elsewherefor a second opinion, they took Max toa hospital in Lubbock to get more in-formation on his health condition. Thedoctor in Lubbock told the family thatMaximus was fine, so they returnedback to Hobbs. Max started havingproblems breathing and his body startedto swell. The doctor in Hobbs contin-ued to tell Max’s parents that his con-dition was not serious, and they didn’tneed to go as far as Albuquerque foranother opinion.

Max’s parents disagreed, andthey brought their son to Albuquerquefor a third opinion. As soon as they gotMaximus to UNM Hospital the doc-tors were able to determine what theproblem was very quickly. Maximushad Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma. Maxi-mus was only one year old when he wasdiagnosed, and the doctors told Erica

and Adolph that Max’s condition wasvery serious at that point. They toldthem if they had waited one more weekto come in their son would not havemade it.

Erica and Adolph knew noth-ing about cancer. When the doctor saidthose words they thought it was some-thing they had caused or perhaps some-thing he had caught from his day careor from home. The family was in disbe-lief upon learning exactly what Max had.It took them about two weeks to ac-cept the facts. After realizing the sever-ity of the situation, they knew they hadto do a lot of studying to learn what todo for their son.

From that day on, they felt thatthe doctors and nurses were in controlof their lives. Max and his parents havebeen in and out of the hospitals since hewas six months old. He started his che-motherapy on August 4, 2009. Sincethen he has also had surgery to installports in his sinuses, and he is often hos-pitalized for blood transfusions.

Since finding out about Max’sillness, Erica and Adolph have spent alot of time in Albuquerque. They heardabout Casa Esperanza through JenniferLowrie, a pediatric oncology nurse atUNM and a member of CasaEsperanza’s Board. They began stay-ing at Casa Esperanza in December lastyear, and since then they say Casa hasbecome their second home. They feelcomfort in knowing they have a wel-coming place to stay in Albuquerque,whether for emergencies or for dailyappointments. Throughout all of theirchallenges, the family has seriously con-sidered relocating to Albuquerque, butit would be too difficult for them and

they would leave so many of their sup-port systems back in Hobbs.

Their family back home hasbeen nothing but supportive through thistough time. Max’s siblings are very un-derstanding as to why their parentsneed to be in Albuquerque, and theyhope that one day things will get betterso that they may have a normal life. Byobserving just how strong Max is inhis brave battle, his family has that muchmore strength to keep fighting. Theyplan to continue his treatments and dowhatever is needed to keep their son inthe best health condition possible.

The family will always be sothankful for their doctors and nurses atUNM. They are the one’s who savedMax’s life, and they trust them to con-tinue to provide the best treatment pos-sible. As of now, they will continue todo whatever is needed in hopes thatone day Max will be able to be a kidagain. As for Erica and Adolph, theysay, “Never take things in life forgranted.”

"Never take life for Granted" A story about one of Casa Esperanza's smallest residents

Maximus Sosa shows us hisdazzling smile

by Sarah Trujillo, Guest Services Team Memberstruji01@unm.edu

Annual Report 2010 page 9

Today I was making my thank you calls to donors who sup-ported Casa Esperanza through the summer. I called several people andoften only have an opportunity to leave a thank you message on theirhome voice mail.

I then came to Earle and Jean George. They were residents hereseveral years ago when they were living in T or C. They have now movedto Belen and we talk on the phone periodically. I usually get to talk withJean and we always have a nice visit. It is great to be able to thank thempersonally for their donation during this very difficult time in the economy.This time, Earle answered the phone. We shared some general conversa-tion and again, I was able to thank them for their gift. Then Earle saidsomething to me that I found to be profound. He said, "I get manyrequests for money but have to turn them down but Casa Esperanza isworth something so I give to them.” Wow! How touching to hear such astatement of validation. Earle was able to narrow down all the usual'donor speak’ to one sentence… "Casa Esperanza is worth something."

I was so excited to hear Earle's affirmation, I asked a couple ofour other donors the reason they give and I want to share those commentswith you.

Dara Ambriz from Cardinal Health wrote:“I volunteer my time with Casa Esperanza becauseI believe in the mission and I enjoy helping thisorganization serve families who are impacted bycancer. Having a family member being diagnosedwith cancer, I know personally how scary it is notonly to receive the diagnosis, but then have totravel away from home for treatment has to beadded distress. Casa Esperanza is such a warm andcomfortable place that residents feel like they are athome and I can only believe that positively impactstreatment. I also encourage our employees tovolunteer because the volunteer projects arewell organized and it is always a great teambuildingexperience. Our employees have helped withpainting rooms, yard work, the guest chef programand decorating the house for the holidays.Employees can see the impact immediately whetherit is a smile on the residents faces or a rejuvenated room.”

And Jan Turri wrote…” Chris and I were first invited into the CasaEsperanza family through our own family,Johnese and Michael Turri. Donating time andmoney is personal. Our decision to support Casacame first and foremost from being ASKED to doso by someone we love and trust. It wasimportant to them which made it important to us.Once we came into the Casa family, our heartswere touched deeply by everything Casa doesto support and guide families who really need it.When I went through cancer I had an amazingsupport team of family and friends and acomfortable, safe place to stay when I was inAlbuquerque. I know if I had not had familyliving in Albuquerque, I would have needed

Friends and Band AidsCasa Esperanza. Every time I walk into CasaI am reminded of why we choose to give...thereis energy of loving support and personal privacy.I always feel “at home” and that kind of energyis what it takes for families to get through theups and downs of facing cancer.We donate our professional services and Chris’art to support Casa Esperanza because sometimeswe don’t have the cash to give at the level we would like.The Art for Hope Auction also offers us a fun wayto invite others into the Casa Esperanza family.Now that we are part of the Casa family, we wantothers to give because we believe in the organizationand what you do for people throughout New Mexicoand we really appreciate it."

Jan closed her comments with “it felt really good tothink about it and to realize how important it is foreach of us to simply reach out and ASK someone elseto give to something we believe in. No gift is too smallwhen it is given in love.”

Jennifer Lowe wrote “I volunteer at Casa becauseof the support and encouragement Casa gives its guests. Having had a serious illness myself, the need for supportand love from other people helped me heal physicallyand emotionally. I did not need to travel outside myhometown for treatment, but for guests of Casa theymust leave their families, friends and home to receivetreatment somewhere else. That makes Casa Esperanzaan extra special place for me. I am honored to volunteerfor Casa Esperanza as the Chair of the Art for HopeAuction committee.”

Recently, my grandson fell and skinned the entire side of hiship, knee and lower leg. I ran to get my little box of band aids and realizedthere weren't many left in the little box. We washed, dabbed and dried hiscuts then used all the band aids I had in a very sparing way, but it was clearthere weren't going to be enough. I got to thinking about what happenswhen we, as a non-profit, do not have enough. This is a difficult timeeconomically. You can make a difference for Casa Esperanza and the othernon-profits you continue to support. T h eend of the tax season is now upon us.A s J a n w r o t e w e a r e ASKING you toplease take a little time and send whatyou can. Then there will be enough.It is up to you and me. Thank you.

by Maryle J. Barber, Director of Developmentmjbarber@casaesperanzanm.org

Annual Report 2010 page 10

S A V E T H E D A T E

The Employees of San Felipe Casino Hollywood delivertheir hard earned donation. Thank you one and all.

Stephanie Mora receives herPatient Navigation certificatefrom Dr. Freeman of theHarold P Freeman PatientNavigation Institute in Harlem,NY.

Annual Report 2010 page 11

CASA ESPERANZA, INC. ENDOWMENT FOUNDATIONFiscal Year Ending June 30, 2010 Fiscal Year Ending June 30, 2010

Revenues RevenuesGrants 72,783 Car Donation Program (net of cost of sales) 308,898NM Dept of Health 136,800 Event Income 48,949Program Income 236,849 Contributions & Support 24,275Contributions & Support 96,945 Investment Return 127,641Foundation Support 205,126 Interest Income 20,339Event Income 32,977 In-Kind Income 83,053Interest income 307 Total Revenue $613,155Other Income 7,899In-Kind Income 63,386 ExpensesTotal Support and Revenue $853,072 Program (Support to Casa Esperanza, Inc.) 205,126

General & Administrative 123,945Expenses Fundraising 263,073Program 631,707 Depreciation Expense 1,073General & Administrative 128,544 Total Expenses $593,217Fundraising 27,773 Increase (Decrease) in Net Assets $19,938

Total Expenses before Depr 788,024Change in Net Assets before Depr $65,048 Casa Esperanza Endowment Fnd Long-Term Investments

30-Jun-10 FMV

Depreciation Expense 74,056 Money Market Funds 30,017Increase (Decrease) in Net Assets -$9,008 Equity Funds 740,328

Fixed Income & Mutual Funds 479,829 Total Investments $1,250,174

Average Return on Investments = 12%

Volunteer numbers for 7/1/09 – 6/30/10: 996 volunteers gave 2,990 hours. Additionally, Board and Advisory Board membersgave 388 hours (up from 289 hours last year – a 33% increase).

Copies of the full 2010 audit for the consolidated Casa Esperanza, Inc. and Casa Esperanza Endowment Foundation areavailable from the organization office (see page 12 for contact information).

Revenues

Grants9%

NM Dept ofHealth16%

ProgramIncome28%

Contributions& Support

11%

Other Income1% In-Kind

Income7%

Interestincome

0%Event Income

4%

FoundationSupport

24%

Expenses

Program80%

General &Admin. 16%

Fundraising 4%

CASA ESPERANZA, INC.Post Office Box 40472Albuquerque, NM 87196-0472

Return Service Requested

NON-PROFITORGANIZATIONU.S. POSTAGE

PAIDALBUQUERQUE, NM

PERMIT #599

Annual Report 2010 page 12Our Mission

Casa Esperanza - New Mexico's home away from home providing a caringcommunity to support and serve families facing cancer.

Casa Esperanza (Tax ID #: 85-0356946) is a registered 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation.All contributions are tax deductible. Casa Esperanza does not telemarket, participate indoor-to-door solicitation or campaign via chain letters or e-mail appeals.

Casa Esperanza receives a portion of its funding from a contract with the New MexicoDepartment of Health. Casa Esperanza is a member of the NM Cancer Council which createand implements the Comprehensive Cancer Plan.

Casa Esperanza is a Combined Federal Campaign designated charity. Our CFC # is 60462. Member: National Association of Hospital Hospitality Houses. To learn more about NAHHH

and other special places such as Casa Esperanza go to www.nahhh.org. Member: Albuquerque Cancer Coalition, an alliance of cancer support agencies, hospital

treatment centers and governmental agencies to inform, to educate and to advocate on behalfof NM cancer patients and their families. Their website is www.nmcca.org/acc.

Affiliate: NM Cancer Care Alliance, providing NM cancer patients with local access to latestexperimental treatments available. Their website is www.nmcca.org.

Member: Chambers of Commerce in Albuquerque, Belen, Clovis, Alamogordo, Los LunasAlbuquerque Hispano and the American Indian Chamber.

Member: Albuquerque Better Business Bureau. Reach us at:CASA ESPERANZA

PO BOX 40472ALBUQUERQUE, NM 87196-0472

1005 YALE NEALBUQUERQUE, NM 87106

505-277-9880 Fax: 505-277-9876e - m a i l : info@casaesperanzanm.org

www.casaesperanzanm.org

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Casa Esperanza has a terrific website maintained by Shelly Liebman. Be sure to check it out for themost current and up to date pictures and information on past and upcoming events, how to donate on-line (secure site) and how to become involved at CE. Our website is: www.casaesperanzanm.org

C a s a E s p e r a n z a S t a f fEileen Cook CEOMaryle J. Barber Development DirectorCrystal Bojorquez GHAR AssistantMonica Bojorquez Guest Services TeamMichelle Case GHAR AssistantJessica Clauson Administrative DirectorGina FitsEmons Give Hope a Ride Dir.Mike Gallegos Facilities ManagerYuliana Granillo Guest Services TeamAnita Harrison Administrative AssistantMary Loyd Finance DirectorDesiree McBrayer BookkeeperCathy Moore PNP Asst. DirectorStephanie Mora PNP/Guest Services Dir.Sarah Trujillo Guest Services TeamPatricia Virgen Guest Services Team Mgr