Saranam is commemorating twenty-one years of helping families end their homelessness by naming their campus on the eastside of Albuquerque the Frances Thaxton Ash Campus.
Who is Frances Thaxton Ash?
The naming honors the community member responsible for our founding, Frances Thaxton Ash. Frances was raised in Albuquerque and left a lasting impact on her hometown upon her passing in 2001, donating her estate to her church of 94 years, Central United Methodist Church. With the directive to help families experiencing homelessness, Saranam was formed as a separate 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, with a unique plan to help families find a home, stability and a self-sufficient future. Saranam welcomed the first four families on February 24, 2004.
Dr. Andy Stoker, pastor of Central United Methodist Church said, “John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist movement, said don’t just send money, take it. Frances Thaxton Ash saw a need in her beloved Albuquerque and didn’t just send money, she took her gift and invested it in the lives of our beloved neighbors! It is my experience of the members of Central United Methodist Church seed a need and invest their lives toward transformation. The church I am privileged to serve insists on being and becoming a visionary organization since its founding — and, today, more than ever. Mrs. Ash was a light for us at Central; and, she continues to be a bright light for all who receive the love, care, and community of Saranam.”
An Impactful Dream
Frances’s dream has flourished and expanded into a thoughtfully designed, one-of-a-kind residential program with a strong educational component and supportive cohort model. Families live together in a 24-unit apartment complex on Albuquerque’s Eastside where they can grow in a safe, comfortable community environment. This campus, now named the Frances Thaxton Ash Campus, has housed families since 2005.
“Frances Thaxton Ash’s estate gift has left a lasting legacy of family stability, self-sufficiency, and hope. Her original gift planted the seeds that started Saranam”, said Tracy Weaver, Saranam’s Executive Director. She went onto say, “The legacy left by Ms. Thaxton Ash is one of opportunity and transformation.”
Program Successes
Since 2004, Saranam has served 191 families, including 409 children and 216 parents, and boasts a 76 percent success rate of families exiting the program into safe, stable living situations, setting the course for generational change. Ongoing longitudinal study data shows alumni families maintain a high, overall stability rate at 82 percent. During the program, families can focus on pursuing higher educational goals and learning how to live independently, improve parenting skills, develop community-building skills, find stable employment, and enjoy healthier lives. Frances’s dream continues to grow, as Saranam expanded to a second site at ADC Family Campus, and welcomed the inaugural cohort of nine families in 2024.
Timeline of Big Moments
Would you like to support or volunteer?
If you would like to support our organization contact Dianne Campbell at dcampbell@saranamabq.org or if you’d like to volunteer contact Sunny Homes at shomes@saranamabq.org.