Our Mission: Making Positive Possible

Our Mission

To engage troubled youth and their families in charting a proactive life course that will help them become meaningful and productive members of our community.

Our Vision

We envision a world where every youth has a safe refuge for the present, adult allies for the future and the basic skills they need to carve a healthy and positive path forward.

Our History

In 1976, the founders of New Day discovered that homeless and runaway youth in Albuquerque had no safe home or shelter facility to turn to for help. The only option available was the Juvenile Justice system, which was set up to deal with delinquent offenders, not homeless youth. Sending homeless children, whose only “crime” was being unwanted, to the Juvenile Detention Center was unacceptable.

New Day was thus founded in 1976 as a non-profit, community-based agency that was Albuquerque’s first and only runaway house. The objective of the program was to protect runaway and homeless youth, ranging from 11 to 17 years of age, in a residential setting with the ultimate goal of reuniting youth to their families, or locating a safe alternative.

In the years to follow, New Day developed many additional services at the request of our community to fulfill the needs of struggling, at-risk youth and families. Today, we continue to be here as responsive and responsible neighbors to do what is best for our youth and our community.

Our Board of Directors

John Nichols – Chair
Max Thrasher – Treasurer
Marisa Magallanez – Secretary
Eddie Duffy
Marie Dorrell
John Varoz

Our Leadership

Steve Johnson – Executive Director
Linda Diabo – Shelter Director
Pat DuBois – Clinical Director
Krista Parr – Administrative Director