Casa de Mariposa Fire

On October 18, Casa de Mariposa caught fire, erasing months of progress and setting back the grand opening by months. Many of our supporters were as excited as we were about Crossroads’ latest project, Casa de Mariposa, a 15-unit apartment building in Albuquerque that will house women, creating an independent living experience after completing a program at Crossroads for Women. At the time of the fire, Crossroads was in the process of renovating the apartments to begin housing community members in November.

Most importantly, no on was harmed by the fire and because of the quick and professional work of the Albuquerque Fire Department, the fire was quickly contained and more damage was prevented. However, despite the efforts of the firefighters, substantial damage was done to the building, and parts of the units will have to be stripped to the studs and build again. Below are some of the pictures that best illustrate the extent of the damage. Inspectors are still working to identify the full scope of the damage to Casa de Mariposa and will likely complete their work in the coming weeks. Once the damage is fully assessed, Crossroads will forge ahead with its goal to create a space to house women in our community.

Accepting the setback has been difficult for the staff of Crossroads and the women who were eager to call Casa de Mariposa their home. Weeks before the fire, local artist Nani Chacon painted a mural on the east wall of Casa de Mariposa that depicted five butterflies flying through the air. Miraculously, the flames and smoke did not touch these butterflies, which for years have been the symbol of Crossroads for Women. Many of us have decided to take this is a sign that Casa de Mariposa is here for the long haul. Through community support and the resolve of the women and staff, we will rebuild what was lost and complete the Casa de Mariposa project.

If you are interested in contributing to the Casa de Mariposa fire fundraiser, please visit out donation page, here. All contributions are tax deductible.

Crossroads for Women is a 501(c)3 organization, EIN: 85-0448641. Donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. If you would like to make a gift of stock, please contact us at info@crossroadsabq.org.

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