Welcome to SUZYofNM.org SUZY stands for; Siblings Undertaking raiZing Younger siblings. Who is SUZY? Suzy was my younger sister. Suzy was a single mother of three sons and one daughter. Suzy was very dedicated to her children. She worked extremely hard to provide for her family. Suzy was not materialistic. She did not ask for much, but when she did it was because of sincere need. Suzy accepted whatever she received no matter how small with such an appreciative manner that all you could see is gratitude without her having to say a word. OUR STORY: My last words to my sister were “You will not die without honor and dignity; I will do something great with your name.” Why SUZY? In November 2012 Suzy passed suddenly due to an illness. The loss of my sister was a life-altering situation for our family. Two adult siblings were left to make family decisions for themselves and two minor siblings; for a child experiencing the loss of a parent that was extremely difficult. There were many questions and concerns. There were so many unfamiliar issues for my niece and nephew like; medical decisions, funeral arrangements, financial accounts, utilities, income taxes, and social security. Suzy was in the process of having my nephew’s bike repaired. Even something like that can be a struggle when left to deal with everything else. Suzy’s daughter has taken guardianship of her ten year old brother, with that came more questions and concerns. The transition of being-taken-care-of to "caretaker" is difficult if you do not have support. I am using our personal family experience as the foundation for obstacles that others may encounter in a similar situation. What is SUZY? SUZY, is a non-profit charitable organization. For me SUZY is my sister’s name and all she would have been. SUZY will promote the awareness and accessibility of resources that affect the well-being of a child. SUZY will provide services to help maintain family structure to support smooth transitions after the loss of a parent. How is SUZY? SUZY is currently self funded and currently seeking sponsors and donors. SUZY will have organized fundraisers. SUZY will be set up to accept donations in the future. When is SUZY? SUZY is on-going. Where is SUZY? SUZY is based in Albuquerque, NM. The area served will grow as SUZY grows.