History
Brian Pickard is forty-five years old and was born and raised in Clovis, New Mexico. Brian left teaching after twenty-one years because he
noticed a resilience issue within the community that could not be fixed. It is not the fault of a particular person or any one system, but society is struggling to recognize and handle the trauma that people deal with daily. It seems that systems are struggling to reach people because state laws and regulations prevent them from obtaining the help they need. Organizations and institutions are overwhelmed, and the rules and regulations make it challenging to accept outside help. What happens when people, especially kids, fall through the cracks
and do not attend school? Who is left to deal with these issues? The Neighborhood Resilience Project allows Brian to educate people about the effects of trauma and demonstrate how resilience is the answer to the challenges we face due to broken systems. The Neighborhood Resilience Project helps teach and empower all community members to understand the dynamics of trauma and how resilience is meant to engage, heal, and transform them.
Organizations and institutions are overwhelmed, and the rules and regulations make it challenging to accept outside help. What happens when people, especially kids, fall through the cracks and do not attend school? Who is left to deal with these issues? The Neighborhood Resilience Project allows Brian to educate people about the effects of trauma and demonstrate how resilience is the answer to the challenges we face due to broken systems.
The Neighborhood Resilience Project helps teach and empower all community members to understand the dynamics of trauma and how resilience is meant to engage, heal, and transform them.
The journey with the Neighborhood Resilience Project began unexpectedly—with a visit to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and introduction to Fr. Paul Abernathy. Fr. Paul, a veteran of the Iraq War, had dedicated his life to trauma work and community healing. Through the conversations, the group learned about the non-profit he was leading in Pittsburgh, a ministry rooted in addressing trauma and building resilience among those most affected by poverty, violence, and systemic barriers.
Since 2021, the relationship has continued to develop, often discussing the possibility of expanding the Neighborhood Resilience Project beyond Pittsburgh. About two and a half years ago, after another visit to Pittsburgh, with a renewed sense of purpose: to establish a Neighborhood Resilience Project here in Clovis, NM. With the support of a local church, a needs assessment was conducted—examining what services were already available, identifying gaps, and uncovering barriers that prevented people from accessing the help they needed.
Our Community
Clovis today is not the same town it was in the past. Crime and poverty have increased, and over the course of my twenty-one years of
teaching, Brian witnessed firsthand the growing challenges faced by students and families. These realities underscored the urgency of bringing the Neighborhood Resilience Project to Clovis. Inspired by the impact in Pittsburgh, there is a commitment to fostering the same kind of transformation here: building resilience, addressing trauma, and creating pathways of hope for our community.
Vision
We must transform our students by providing them with the resources and coping skills they need to overcome their current situations. Far too many young people find themselves in situations where they lack the tools to overcome drugs, violence, and life’s pressures. The Neighborhood Resilience Project provides students with the opportunity to learn how to build safe and predictable environments, reframing their worldviews from broken, distorted stories into strength-based futures, and equipping them to lead in the community now.
Impact
Trauma-Informed Community Development will be the primary focus of training for youth and the Clovis, NM, community, delivered through two perspectives (Youth Civic Leadership Institute and Trauma peer to peer). Brian raised $80,000.00, which has helped me to start the program in Clovis. Brian worked with Plains Regional Medical Center to provide Thanksgiving meals for forty-five families. Brian was able to provide $600.00 worth of underwear to the neighborhoods around Bella Vista and James Bickley. Brian gathered and distributed seven bags of clothing to the La Casita community. Brian is engaging with people all over the community. Brian has managed to gain numerous pieces of clothing and provide beds for the community.
The Neighborhood Resilience Project aims to engage people in their communities and understand their perspectives to help them heal through appropriate interventions, thereby transforming not just individual lives but the whole community, one neighborhood at a time.
Staff
Brian Pickard
Board
Bryan Ellis – President
Carlton Lewis – Vice President
Jarin Smith – Treasurer
Michael Hailey – Secretary
Joseph Ricks
Magdiel Contreras
Marie Giacobbe
Sahar Giacobbe
Stacie Dougherty
Tammy Phillips