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What Once Was Will Be Again

June 19, 2020 By Melinda Olivas 2 Comments

What Once Was Will Be Again

By: Melinda Olivas

Another blog about COVID-19 and its effects, you ask? Well, it does play a significant role in the lives of people around the world. Here we go; I’m going to take you back to the time of Tobosa’s final gatherings before the quarantine, and social restrictions were put into place.

Let’s start in February, the month of love. Our CEO, Rosy, had recently watched the film “The Peanut Butter Falcon.”

Without giving too much away, the movie is a modern Mark Twain adventure, where a young man, Zak, with Down syndrome runs away from an assisted living facility. He meets a wayward fisherman (also on the run), and the two share a memorable journey to achieve Zak’s dream of becoming a professional wrestler. If you haven’t watched it, I recommend you add it to your list! This movie will have you laughing while pulling at your heartstrings.

Inspired by the storyline and how it went hand-in-hand with our mission, Rosy wanted to invigorate the workforce of our organization; we decided to have a movie screening! We set up our Training Center as a theater, and people brought snacks to munch on, it was a success even with the few stragglers that came in after the show started (haha). The screening took place on the morning of Valentine’s Day; of course, we couldn’t let the day end without a party. That’s not how we roll! Everyone was to meet at the Roswell Adult Center for a Valentine Celebration with food and dancing. It had been a minute since we got our boogie on, but all who attended had a blast! People were socializing, filling their bellies, taking photos, and grooving to the beats by DJ GC (aka Andrew Garza). Thinking about it now gives me chills, who knew those moments would be some of the last that our Tobosa family would be able to get together.


Rounding out the month of February, we had two more events; I’ll begin with our 3rd Leap Year Time Capsule. It all started (hold on, let me do some mental calculation) oh yeah, eight years ago with Tobosa’s first burial of a leap year time capsule in 2012. We asked the employees and individuals of Tobosa to bring in items that were personal, sentimental, or just something they thought might be obsolete in the next four years. We’ve been digging up memories and burying the soon-to-be past every leap year that followed. This year’s dig up, however, was quite an experience.

First of all, for some reason, we had a hard time figuring out if we had even buried one during the last leap year. We would go back and forth amongst each other, saying, “yes, I think we did” or “no, no, I’m sure we didn’t.” Once it was determined we did bury one, we had to remember exactly where we hid the little sucker. Luckily we came across some photos (those factored in the conclusion we had buried one) that showed us where we hid the capsule. Finding the hidden treasure was an adventure because our “X” did not mark the spot; after four years, it had disappeared (go figure).

On the day of the unveiling, a few of us went out early to see if we could find the exact place. I don’t want to toot our own horn, but I will, with some Tobosa ingenuity, we found it on our first try. No surprise, we’re awesome like that! We covered it back up enough so no one would notice, but not too much so that it wouldn’t cause another struggle. It’s always amazing to see what comes out of that capsule, but this time there were notable items from some outstanding people we had lost over the past four years. There were tears of joy remembering those sweet souls.

Now we wait, 2024 we’ll see you soon!


During a month, people rejoice love and kindness; there is no better time to host our 2nd Annual Providers Appreciation Luncheon.

Some might be thrown off by the word “providers,” this event is to honor and thank people and businesses in our community who have shown their support to our organization. The event was held again at The Fraternal Order of Eagles, and with more time to plan, the decorations were superb thanks to Veronica! Portofino catered a delectable lunch, and the speakers did an excellent job expressing their appreciation to our guests.

Whether it’s Tobosa’s adult services or our children’s services through Little Steps Learning Center & Los Pasitos Early Intervention, people show up and step up! As a non-profit organization, we don’t always have the leisure to thank our supporters year-round; nonetheless, we will continually make an effort to show our gratitude whenever possible. Overall, it was a lovely event, and we look forward to thanking, entertaining, and recognizing more of our supporters in the future.

2020 Honorees

Zoo Day was the last event put on by Los Pasitos and Little Steps in March. Now, this happened to fall on Friday the 13th; I’ll let you decide if the superstition that this day is unlucky holds any truth. An invitation was open to families, children, and adults who are supported and receive services throughout Tobosa. Plans were set, and everyone was to enjoy personal tours, animal presentations, and pizza! Nobody was sure how many people would be in attendance because this was the Friday before Spring Break and the outset of COVID-19 in our state. There was still a lot of confusion about the virus, and we were in the early stage where people were advised about social distancing.

Not to mention, the few days prior, the weather had been in the upper 70s, but this day we woke up to 60 something degrees, clouds, wind, and rain. This was not the business for an outside event, but we all know how unpredictable NM weather can be.

We stayed optimistic and did not cancel, and as you may have guessed, the turnout was not what we had hoped. Unbeknownst to all the end had come, that would be our final gathering.


Here we are, three months later. We’ve had to cancel our annual events like the EI Easter party, Adopt-A-Highway clean-up, Stepping Out for Children, Summer Bash, and possibly our Tobosa Classic golf tournament. Sure, we were able to Zoom our Overall Staff Meeting and the Friendship Visit with Journey of Hope (The Ability Experience), but it’s not the same. You can see, but you can’t feel the joy and excitement of others that are sharing that specific moment with you. You can’t capture the memories with photos with the people who mean the most to you. Yes, one day, all the orders will be lifted entirely, and people will be allowed to congregate again, but will it be like old times? Will people be hesitant to slap you a congratulatory high-five for air mailing all four bags in a cornhole game? (By the way that is some of the entertainment we have at our Summer Bash) Only time will tell, but I do hope we can all return to normal, whatever that normal was to you pre COVID-19. I know I’m counting down the days not only to get back to the office but also to be able to catch up on some quality time with my Tobosa family & friends!

Until then, be safe, be healthy, be kind!

Filed Under: Events Tagged With: community, COVID-19, little steps, Los Pasitos, memories, social distancing, tobosa, together

Grand Central Tobosa Station

June 3, 2020 By Melinda Olivas 2 Comments

Grand Central Tobosa Station

By: Jacob Dicello

Grand Central Terminal in New York City. Photo: Courtesy of Grand Central Terminal

You remember. We all took for granted some things that, pre-COVID-19, were so common that we did not even consider them. Remember when? We moved into the new Tobosa administration office, bumping into one another in the hallway and politely saying, “Oh, I’m sorry, excuse me,” and then as soon as we passed thinking to ourselves, Get outta my way, Jerk! Remember when? The new office was like Grand Central Station. Remember when? You could always walk into the Tobosa office and find papers flying, phones buzzing, copiers whooshing, chatter, and laughter? As a matter of fact, my desk was the first thing you saw when you walked into the office. I had a front-row seat for all the action. Everyone, from the CEO to random people off the street, thinking they were going to get an eye exam, came flying in those doors. I could not take more than two or three steps before running into someone, and the restroom was always occupied when I needed it the most. I heard every emotion capable of audibility daily; anger, laughter, frustration, love, indifference, and fear, to name a few. Sometimes I thought to myself:

How can they expect me to get any work done around here with all these distractions?
Photo by: Energy Resourcing

Then pfffft…just like that, all the commotion was gone. One day my supervisor, Jessica, met with me and said, “Take your computers, your desk, and your stationery and go work from home. We will let you know when you can come back.” Finally, my dream had come true (or so I thought). I get paid to stay at home and work. I get to stay in my PJ’s all day. The peace and quiet that I thought I craved had finally become a reality. I thought to myself; I get to hang out with my little dog, Abraxas, all day long. She is going to be so happy. Things had finally turned in my favor, and life was great. I replied to Jessica by saying, “see ya!” Then, the work from home began.

  • Abraxas
  • Home Office
  • Unexpected Guest: Pink Floyd

I will start with Abraxas, my dog. Even though now I am home and Abraxas can go outside anytime, she still sleeps all day, except every 30 minutes when she wakes up to bark at me until I give her a treat. It is a constant battle. I find myself saying over and over, “No, no more treats, go outside!“. That warm and fuzzy feeling you are supposed to obtain from a small dog is not something she readily provides during this time. Now that I am home all day, she does not care. I am just an annoyance to her. So out the window goes the puppy love. That is ok. We are adjusting, but I still get to work from my home without all the distractions, right? 

Well…

I often find myself staring blankly at my computer screen. There is no laughter, chatter, anger, frustration, phones buzzing, papers flying, or copiers whooshing, and I never run into anyone in the hallway. It’s just me and my computer screen. Distractions I once felt were a thorn in my side are replaced by the disturbance of loneliness in my head. The occupied restroom is replaced by both of my toilets having plumbing issues because I am here all day using them. Until I can get a plumber over here, I have to turn the water switch off to the toilet after each usage. Great! (I hope you can sense the sarcasm in my tone because I am laying it on pretty thick.) In an unexpected twist, a funny thing went through my head the other day, I actually asked myself:

How can they expect me to get any work done without all the distractions at the office?

Oh my goodness, it finally happened! I had become accustomed to the hustle and bustle of Grand Central Tobosa Station. You know, like when you can’t get your workday started without that cup of coffee. The activity and noise at the office had become the caffeine for my workday.    

As we entered into 2020, Jessica Dunn, Director of Program Supports, wrote an article called “Rolling into a New Location in the New Decade”. In it, she wrote about her feelings of “separation and being away from family for a few months” when describing our recent move of offices, specifically when the Nursing department and Team Coordinators were separated from the Tobosa Administration for the first time in its’ history. A distance of 0.9 miles divided the departments at that time, but the social distancing restrictions were not in effect that we are enduring today. In comparing the two situations, if Jessica felt so disconsolate when our offices were separated by a mere 0.9 miles, I can only imagine the feelings of detachment Jessica is experiencing now. I wonder how others are dealing with it?

Inspirational Window Challenge: Teams at Deborah, Cedar, Sherrill Ln.
  • “Once You Choose Hope, Anything’s Possible”
  • “Count Your Blessings”
  • “We Are All In This Together”

Please do not get me wrong. I am proud of the fact that Tobosa is adhering to the social distancing restrictions very seriously. I was teaching a MANDT recertification class the same day most of us received the sobering news that our lives would turn inside out. Rosy, Tobosa CEO, and Dori, the HR Director, were in my class, and we knew our lives would drastically change due to the Coronavirus quarantine. The news stopped us in our tracks, and, as a group, we discussed it. Of course, with my tendency to open mouth and insert foot, I looked right at Rosy and asked the toughest question of all, “What are you going to do with Tobosa?“ right in front of the whole class. I may as well have turned the heater up to 90 degrees and put a spotlight on her. Now, for anyone that knows Rosy, you know that she is always under control and, even if she is sweating it out she doesn’t show it, but this was a whole new level of distress for the leaders of organizations and, to quote George Strait, it came “Out of the blue, clear sky.” Many questions, very few answers and the need to act quickly is a tough combination. Rosy looked up at me, and although her facial expression was facetiously saying, Thanks, Jake, for putting me on the hot seat, she gave the most real and honest answer she could give, “I don’t know.” True to form, though, she figured it out and acted quickly. Rosy and her team of Directors made tough decisions, decisions that I would later be thankful for, and stood firm in the face of adversity. This adversity has also made me realize that we have some brilliant and dedicated Directors at Tobosa, and we also have Carlos (Sorry Carlos, I couldn’t resist that one). Tobosa was ahead of the curve to help flatten it. I may be lonely, and a little stir-crazy working from home with this social distancing, but it is much better than the restrictions that a major health issue would pose. Safety is always the first concern that the leaders of Tobosa have in mind. For that, I feel grateful and will gladly do my part to help keep everyone safe. 

As I was praising the Tobosa leadership, I noticed an even mightier group in the Tobosa family: its workforce on the front lines. Let’s face it, as much as COVID-19 and its restrictions have changed my work life; I was told to stay home, away from danger. How brave am I? Not hardly. I just retreated to safety. Our Tobosa staff who are responsible for working directly with the kiddos and individuals that we support did not receive a cozy proposition to stay home and work. They are the brave ones. How scary it must be for those who are needed and asked to continue putting themselves in the line of fire.

Tobosa Developmental Services
  • Little Steps Learning Center
  • Los Pasitos Early Intervention

When the news first broke, I was afraid, if I were asked to keep going to work with people directly, I would have stomped my feet and cried, but not the frontline workers. They know who they are. They rose in the face of this adversity and kept on directly supporting. We all like to say we are dedicated to the individuals, children, and families that we support. Still, every once in a while, a situation arises where the real Superheroes must rise when the rest of us shrink back to security. To those of you who continue to rise and step forward,   

As if one twist in this journey wasn’t enough, I am going to present another. I have observed that the very thing that pushed us all away from each other, physically, has become the thing that has bonded us tighter, mentally, and emotionally. We have learned many different ways to accomplish our goals and duties, even when a standard approach is no longer an option. Sometimes, we face adversity because we need to change. At times, adversity forces us to dig deep and find a new way, but the new way is often better. When I look around Tobosa as a whole, I am very proud of how we all have adjusted. What I learned about myself, and the rest of the Tobosa family is that we are dedicated to Tobosa and its mission.

We empower people with developmental delays or disabilities, and their families, to independently fulfill their life goals and dreams.

Whether we are in Grand Central Tobosa Station, at home alone, in one of the residences, in the classroom or any other setting, we are going to adapt and do whatever we need to do to support each other. We prove, daily, that we will overcome anything, even an invisible, airborne foe. After all, we have Superheroes among us.

Support Our Superheroes!

Filed Under: Recognizing great work Tagged With: COVID-19, essential workers, frontline, mission, pulling through, social distancing, superheroes

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Roswell, NM 88201

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