The Art of Community Transformation

La Fonda Announces an Employee Focused Foundation

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La Fonda on the Plaza has a long-standing tradition of giving back to the community we love. For over 100 years our employees have been the bedrock of our success. We are thrilled to announce the launch of our new foundation focused on supporting the needs of our amazing team and their families!

CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT LA FONDA FOUNDATION

What is La Fonda Foundation?

La Fonda Foundation was established in early 2023 and is committed to promoting upward economic mobility, improving the standard of living, and driving systemic change within the microcosm of hourly wage workers in New Mexico’s hospitality industry. The Foundation seeks to create a positive impact by collaborating with local philanthropic organizations, implementing innovative strategies, and offering complementary services to foster meaningful change and positive outcomes, first for the hourly wage earners of La Fonda on the Plaza and, over time, leverage the success of the efforts at La Fonda on the Plaza to a broader effort aimed to New Mexico’s hospitality industry in general.

The Core Values of La Fonda Foundation are:

1) We are led by data and not sentiment.

2) We are an organization leveraging the great work of community partners, a foundation that does not need credit or publicity for our work.

3) We are an entrepreneurial organization, willing to take risks, knowing that risk creates an opportunity for discovery and change.

Read La Fonda Foundation Impact Report here.

Programs and Services:

English as a Second Language (ESL): Classes are held onsite, at La Fonda on the Plaza, for employees to attend on a drop-in basis. Everyone is welcome regardless of their proficiency in English. A certified tutor from Literacy Volunteers leads the classes, which are held on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 330 to 430 PM in the La Fonda Foundation office. Participants receive their hourly wage for attending classes.

Online High School Diploma: The Foundation has partnered with Santa Fe Public Library's 100% Online High School program. The tuition costs $1,500 per student. However, this partnership allows our employees to complete the program on scholarship, making it free of charge. The self-paced program is done entirely online by computer or smartphone, making it convenient for students to implement it into their everyday lives. La Fonda has provided employees with access to onsite computers that they can use whenever necessary. Finally, each student is matched with a counselor who provides support to ensure the success and completion of the program.

Connecting Hourly Wage Earners to Opportunities: Several times a month, various community partners are invited to come to La Fonda's employee cafeteria to meet with the staff and discuss the services and resources that they provide. We do it on-site and during work hours to eliminate barriers that may keep employees from connecting with the resources needed. An example of this is Homewise, an organization that provides homebuyer education, individualized financial coaching, real estate services, and mortgage lending. They visit La Fonda every month and meet with the individual employees who are interested in pursuing home ownership.

General Support: Many employees need to be connected to other organizations for support in areas such as housing, food, health care, transportation, and childcare. La Fonda Foundation provides wrap-around services to connect hourly wage earners with this support. These services include making phone calls, accompanying employees to meetings, helping them find solutions and information, and acting as their advocate.

Paid High School Internships: We are collaborating with Apple, Santa Fe Public Schools, and Santa Fe Community College to deliver a work-based learning program for juniors and seniors in high school. The program will run from June 1st to July 31, 2024. This paid internship is an excellent opportunity for students to intern and contribute to developing an app for the hospitality industry, acting as a resume builder and exposing them to technology-based jobs. Learn more here.

Foundation Leaders

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