In Albuquerque’s South Valley, La Plazita Institute stands as a living example of how community and culture can heal. For more than two decades, the organization has created spaces for youth, families and returning citizens to reconnect with who they are and where they come from.
Founder and Executive Director Albino Garcia Jr. explains that La Plazita grew out of a moment of conflict that revealed a deeper need for understanding and healing. A little over 20 years ago, after a fight broke out among students and parents outside a neighborhood school, Garcia was asked to help calm the situation.
He gathered the young people involved and began what he called a talking circle, naming it “T-MAC, Thugs Making a Change.” What started as a way to bring peace to one group of students evolved into an organization grounded in the philosophy La Cultura Cura, meaning “culture heals.”
Garcia envisioned La Plazita as “an institute of nontraditional leadership,” built by people with lived experience. “Culture gives you the sense of identity, ownership, belonging,” says Garcia. “So if you’re going to ask them to drop the gang, you need to replace it with something genuine and authentic.”
Over time, La Plazita has grown into a vital part of the community. Its garden has flourished for more than 20 years, offering fresh, homegrown produce to about 300 people every week.
The Institute also hosts events like Hoodies for the Homeless, a day full of music, art and activities, and the Traditional Healing Festival, where healers from Mexico and across the Southwest share curanderismo practices with the community.
All of La Plazita’s programs are offered free of charge. The organization relies on grants, donations and partnerships to continue its work.
Community members can support La Plazita by donating funds and volunteering at events. Every form of support helps strengthen their mission of cultural healing and self-determination.
“Every penny counts toward the food that we give away,” says Garcia. “Every penny donated goes directly to our people, to our staff, to do the work free for our community.”
At La Plazita, the focus is not on one person, but on collective healing. It is a place where culture is medicine and where community itself becomes the source of transformation.
To learn more about La Plazita Institute, visit laplazitainstitute.org.
La Plazita Institute
831 Isleta Blvd. SW, Albuquerque, NM 87105
(505) 508-1802