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History

The concept of a “house of neighborly service” grew out of the work of Nobel Prize winner Jane Addams and the social work model of Hull House in Chicago.   Addams established the original settlement house in 1889 to, in her own words, “aid in the solutions of life in a great city, to help our neighbors build responsible, self-sufficient lives for themselves and their families.”  She literally lived where she worked, in the neighborhoods that she served.  Her key principle was to “believe in the fundamental dignity of all individuals and accord every person with equal respect,” with the radical perspective that problems in these communities arose from poverty and lack of opportunity rather than any flaw in moral character. 

Also in 1889, the Spanish Presbyterian Church (now Second Presbyterian Church) was founded by the Martinez family and Rev. James Menaul to serve Martineztown, a growing community on the hillside east of Albuquerque.  The city has long since grown around it, but the Martineztown/Santa Barbara neighborhood remains an historic bilingual community within the city of Albuquerque.

Beginning in 1920, the Presbyterian Church nationally sponsored 22 Houses of Neighborly Service in Spanish-speaking communities across the American Southwest.  “Casa de Amistad” was a concept particularly familiar in Spanish-speaking neighborhoods, where the value of family and community was strong. The idea was for a social worker to live in a house in the neighborhood that she served, addressing the needs of that community as voiced by its residents.  One of these was the Martineztown House of Neighborly Service (MHNS), which remains in its original location beside the Camino Real, now at the corner of Edith and Lomas NE.  At least seven others remain in Arizona, California, Colorado, and Texas, but MHNS is one of the oldest and longest-serving.

Consistent with its origins, the overall mission of MHNS has been to address the basic unmet needs of the underprivileged, the undocumented, homeless, and the poor with children.  Our primary goal has been “to support children, parents, caretakers and adults to become self-sufficient, productive and powerful members of society.” (6/3/2006; Sara Dein, Board President). 

MHNS has reinvented itself several times in the course of its history.  It provided a preschool and kindergarten before these were available in public schools.  When public kindergartens appeared this was no longer a need, and the kindergarten was closed in 1971.  Subsequently responding to community needs MHNS has provided boys’ and girls’ clubs, a senior center, a playground, adult education, translation and interpretation, tutoring, emergency assistance, a food pantry, and information and referral.  During the 1990’s and 2000’s, MHNS focused on pre-kindergarten and before- and after-school activities for children, a need subsequently met by city-funded programs at Longfellow School.  There is a cyclic history of other public services emerging (such as the Amistad senior center), and the need for this service from MHNS decreasing – which we regard to be a very positive development.

Martineztown House of Neighborly Service

808 Edith Boulevard N.E. (Corner of Edith and Lomas)

Albuquerque, NM. 87102

Phone: 505-242-4333

Email:  Marie Kenny, Intermime Director, MHNS – mhns@qwestoffice.neet