Heinrich To Discuss Building Healthier Communities, Host Workshop with Facebook For Small Businesses In Doña Ana County

LAS CRUCES, N.M. - U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) will be in Doña Ana County on August 24 and 25 to address food insecurity, childcare, veteran homelessness, and promote small business opportunities in southern New Mexico.

On Wednesday afternoon, Senator Heinrich will participate in the ribbon cutting for La Semilla's Farm Fresh Mobile Farmers' Market in Las Cruces. Using a retrofitted school bus, La Semilla will transport produce from local farms, including their own farm, to communities without access to healthy and affordable food options. This community-driven effort will combat food insecurity, increase access to healthy foods for families and children throughout Doña Ana County, and support the local agriculture industry.

Later in the afternoon, Senator Heinrich will convene a roundtable discussion at Mesilla Valley Community of Hope (MVCH) to discuss how Las Cruces became the first community in New Mexico to achieve functional zero for veteran homelessness. Senator Heinrich will meet with local and federal agency representatives, advocates, and individuals who were helped out of homelessness to highlight MVCH's services, including case management, disability and income assistance, and housing assistance.

Senator Heinrich will also tour La Clinica de Familia's (LCDF) Early Head Start-Child Care Partnership Center in Las Cruces, which helps care for children while their parents work or further their education at New Mexico State University and Doña Ana Community College.  In March of 2015, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services awarded LCDF a total of $1.3 million in Early Head Start-Child Care Partnership and Early Head Start Expansion grants to expand their childcare services. In addition to the grant, Senator Heinrich announced last September more than $1.1 million for the general LCDF program to provide affordable health care through a system of seven medical clinics, five dental clinics, three school-based clinics, behavioral health services, and Early Head Start, Healthy Start, and Promotora programs across Doña Ana County.

On Thursday morning, Senator Heinrich will host a workshop for small businesses with Facebook in partnership with the Las Cruces Green Chamber of Commerce. The seminar Boost Your Business is open to the public and aims to help local small business owners discover new tools and strategies to optimize their online presence and engage customers through the world's largest social media platform. Facebook representatives will facilitate presentations by a panel of small businesses, and discuss effective promotion strategies, how to identify and engage with customers, and share Facebook tips, tricks, and suggestions.

Later on Thursday afternoon, Senator Heinrich will tour Alaska Structures in Las Cruces, which employs more than 200 people and manufactures state-of-the-art, energy-efficient shelter structures and other technologies for our military. Senator Heinrich has worked to ensure that the U.S. Department of Defense invests in energy efficient technologies to reduce cost to the taxpayer and reduce vulnerabilities of our troops. This resulted in a new, large contract for Alaska Structures with Holloman's Basic Expeditionary Airfield Resources (BEAR) Base. Alaska Structures is a prime example of how our state's military bases benefit our local economy and support good paying jobs.

***Press interested in attending should RSVP to press@heinrich.senate.gov or call (202) 228-1578***

Las Cruces - Wednesday, August 24, 2016
WHAT:  La Semilla Mobile Food Market Ribbon Cutting
WHEN:  noon to 12:50 p.m.
WHERE:  Klein Park, 155 N Mesquite St, Las Cruces, N.M. 88001

WHAT:  Roundtable at Mesilla Valley Community of Hope
WHEN:  1 to 2 p.m.
WHERE:  Mesilla Valley Community of Hope, 999 West Amador Ave, Las Cruces, N.M. 88005

WHAT:  Tour of La Clinica de Familia's Early Head Start-Child Care Partnership Center
WHEN:  2:10 to 3 p.m.
WHERE:  La Clinica De Familia, Myrna's Children's Village Building 500, 4101 Sam Steel Way, Las Cruces, N.M. 88003

Las Cruces - Thursday, August 25, 2016
WHAT:  Facebook Workshop for Small Businesses
WHEN:  10 a.m. to noon
WHERE:  Las Cruces Convention Center, Exhibit Hall 2, 680 East University Ave, Las Cruces, N.M. 88001

WHAT:  Tour of Alaska Structures
WHEN:  1:30 to 2:30 p.m.
WHERE:  Alaska Structures, 301 Rea Blvd, Las Cruces, N.M. 88007