Doña Ana County Treasurer Eric L. Rodriguez began working with a local nonprofit, to print and mail tax bills in an effort to shop locally and provide New Mexicans with jobs. The contractor handling the printing is Adelante, a local nonprofit organization that provides support services for people with mental, physical and developmental disabilities, as well as seniors and disadvantaged populations across New Mexico. Adelante’s work positively impacts over 65,000 people across New Mexico annually. For example, the nonprofit has operated the food and transportation services for six senior centers in Doña Ana County the last five years.

Adelante Enterprises, the business services division of Adelante, provides printing, packaging, janitorial, mailing, scanning, fulfillment, document storage, call center operation, warehouse management, and shredding services to businesses and governmental agencies.  Following a social enterprise model, the nonprofit provides valuable business services while providing employment for people with disabilities.

Five people are standing in a line around mailing equipment, smiling for the camera. There are two women on the left and three men on the right. They are holding mailing supplies.
Some of BPM’s dedicated employees.

The contract recently awarded by the County Treasurer’s Office will be operated through Adelante’s Bulk Printing & Mailing division. Adelante has run a mailing business for over 30 years, and the Bulk Printing & Mailing operation opened as an offshoot of that business, printing over 15 million of pieces of mail since opening in 2016. A majority of the employees at Adelante Bulk Printing & Mailing have a disability, but still earn a good wage, averaging over $11 an hour.

The Treasurer’s Office values keeping business dollars in New Mexico whenever possible. Adelante maximizes that value by also providing benefits to the community. Treasurer Eric L. Rodriguez says, “I am excited to work with an organization that has such a positive impact in our community. This contract with Adelante will reinforce that impact across Doña Ana County.”

Adelante CEO, Mike Kivitz explains, “Adelante’s purpose is to ensure that the people we support and our organization are a community resource. Contracts like the recent printing work awarded by the Doña Ana County Treasurer help us provide valuable jobs for people with disabilities and support our mission. We greatly appreciate County Treasurer Eric Rodriguez for entrusting us with this contract, allowing us to once again demonstrate what great employees that people with disabilities can be. This is a wonderful way to acknowledge National Disability Employment Awareness Month.”

By working with Adelante, Doña Ana County is helping provide jobs for people with disabilities. That is important work because currently 81% of adults with developmental disabilities do not have paid employment in the United States. For more information about Adelante, visit www.GoAdelante.org or to find out more about their business services, visit www.AdelanteEnterprises.com.