By Jacey Blue Renner
From Texas Roots to New Growth in New Mexico
Having its origin story beginning with its Texas roots, as a completely independent arm of the Texas Ramp Project, the New Mexico Ramp Project is taking on the mission of providing home mobility solutions to those across the state who might otherwise be house-bound. Though it might seem a small ask, building these ramps, at no cost for those who need them most, is often life-changing.
The New Mexico Ramp Project, is a completely volunteer-staffed, non-profit, which creates an even heavier community lift. 2019 saw it established, and in 2020, current Executive Director Greg Hallstrom came on board to ensure its success. His background as a retired Army Lieutenant Colonel lends to his strategic and organizational approach, at the helm of New Mexico Ramps Project, creating long-lasting leadership driven teams and structured logistical systems.
“There are 1000s and 1000s of people that actually need accessibility into their homes, that generally need a ramp. They can’t negotiate stairs,” explains Hallstrom. The greatest gift: seeing the end to isolation once the ramp has been installed. It completely changes the social and daily dynamics of each recipient, who would likely not have the financial or other means to build it. Every volunteer, every build team leaves a long-lasting impression behind with the ramp.
With so many moving parts, across the vastness of New Mexico, and multi-region and county teams, these organizational foundations are key in bringing as many ramps to as many in need across the state. The New Mexico Ramps Project currently has 11 fabrication facilities in place, storing lumber and necessary tools, the largest of which is in Albuquerque, and 35 teams state-wide building. And while building teams are able to place about 200 ramps a year, there is always a waitlist, and the county’s volunteers really determine the pace and amount that can be built each year.
“Anything we can do to speed up the actual build process at the site, we’ll do at the fabrication site,” Hallstrom says. “Some of the teams in the outlying areas maybe do one a month or maybe one a quarter. A lot is contingent on how many builds they have, and how many volunteers they can get.”
Rural areas face the biggest challenges in volunteer recruitment. Not only is volunteerism diminishing nation-wide, but many of New Mexico’s remote areas, like Union and Harding Counties, present logistical and supply challenges.
Looking Forward
Reliant on grants and corporate partnerships, the New Mexico Ramp Project also welcomes in-kind individual donations. Additionally, summer of 2026 will host their Banquet and Silent Auction which celebrates the immense volunteerism of their core building teams and volunteers, but is a community-centered opportunity to support their long-term mission. With each individual ramp costing roughly $1600 to build, depending on size and slope, it’s up to Hallstrom to find all the funds and materials his teams need to cover every expense.
In August, the New Mexico Ramp Project will partner with regional favorite, New Mexico United, for a collaborating fundraising match against Lexington SC. For every ticket purchased through their direct link to the fundraiser, New Mexico Ramp Project will receive $5 that will support their continued community missions and accessibility builds.
Hallstrom’s long-term goal: strengthening and consolidating the infrastructure of his organization. With three main components to navigate, the fabrication facilities and building teams, administrative arm, and housing for traveling volunteer service organizations like AmeriCorps, Hallstrom would like to unify these initiatives in one singular space.
As it stands, the tyranny of distance takes away from some of the organization’s time efficiency, especially at his Albuquerque locations. Meeting with the University of New Mexico’s School of Architecture to discuss designs on how best to create a space where all arms could co-locate, Hallstrom hopes to send his visions of cohesion out into tangible reality, developing a future modular space that could be replicated in any needed area of the state.
How You Can Help
“We need trained team leaders. Our team leaders, their job is to put the project together, organize volunteers, supervise the ramp build, and do all the paperwork. We’re always looking for volunteers in the leadership role,” Hallstrom says.
Though the New Mexico Ramps Project holds volunteer partnerships with the University of New Mexico’s work-study program placing 1-3 students into roles, and traveling Americorps volunteers, they are always in need of more assistance, especially in Las Cruces, Doña Ana and Rio Arriba counties, and less populated regions of the state, where volunteers are harder to find, like Union and Harding counties.
From leadership roles to build teams, social media and communications, IT and accounting, the New Mexico Ramps Project is always looking for volunteers who have the time to invest in our community and have skillsets to share. Through a strengthened and more robust support system comes more ability to pull families facing mobility challenges from their waitlist, which currently sits around 300-400 waiting.
“A lot of times there are tears, there’s all sorts of things when we give the ramps to the recipients. Because they can get out,” says Hallstrom. “The effect it has on lives because these folks are really isolated.”
To learn how you can involved, how to join a build team, or provide your donation, visit:
nmramp.org or email [email protected]. To purchase your August New Mexico United tickets, visit: https://newmexicoutd.group/NMRP26.
