ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — One could say that holiday cheer is usually infectious as you see pure joy on kids faces as they line up to see Santa Claus or light the menorah.

Unfortunately, this time of the year, that’s not the only thing that is infectious. Flu season is now in full swing but local organizations recently came together to spread the good and try to prevent the bad.

“We want to make sure that we’re there for the community as a destination point, not just for culture and celebration, but also for everyday needs, like health care,” Zackary Quintero, executive director of the National Hispanic Cultural Center.

Families came to the National Hispanic Cultural Center on Sunday to meet Pancho Claus – or Santa Claus – and get their holiday fun on but many also came to get protected.

“The main goal is for all New Mexicans to be proactive in the prevention and not just when they have to go to the emergency room. We want them to be proactive in seeking medical care regardless of if they have insurance,” said Monica Toquinto, coordinator for Ventanilla de Salud.

Being proactive includes getting flu shots or glucose testing. These are services the Mexican Consulate’s Ventanilla de Salud (Window of Health) offers for free.

“In the day-to-day, the community may not go, because of work or other things, to the Consulate. We try to bring all these services we do along with our partners to the communities,” Head Consul Patricia Pinzón said.

According to Pinzón, people are coming to the Consulate in Albuquerque not just for the Ventanilla but because they’re scared as they see more and more immigration raids nationwide and locally.

“It’s an opportunity to inform the community to let them know that they are not alone, that we are here,” Pinzón said.

The Mexican Consulate partners with University of New Mexico Health Science Services on Ventanilla de Salud. They see how the the fear of deportation or arrest is keeping people at home during a time when vaccine hesitancy is already high.

“In this particular administration, there’s even more fear among Latino populations for their relatives that are immigrants. That plays into interfacing with anywhere in the public. People have come to be afraid of what vaccines do and don’t do and we want to overcome that,” said Cosette Wheeler, executive director of Ventanilla de Salud.

Ventanilla de Salud is open Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Consulate. They offer other services, like legal help, every weekday.

To learn more about services at the Consulate of Mexico in Albuquerque, click here. For information about the Ventanilla de Salud, click here.

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — The holidays are filled with events and light displays, including the lighting of a tree in Albuquerque Civic Plaza that has a deeper meaning behind it.

People gathered Saturday to light an Angel Tree to honor New Mexico children who have been lost to abuse and neglect. Each of the tree’s ornaments contains the name and a photo of a New Mexico child who lost their life because of abuse and neglect.

“We want people to understand we’re never going to forget them. We’re going to be mentioning their name. I’m of a firm believer that the minute we stop speaking their name, that’s when they’re gone,” said Frank Montano, of the Guardians of the Children Rio Grande chapter.

Guardians of the Children motorcycle club has put on this Angel Tree event for the past 10 years.

“My prayer is that we don’t need to add anymore,” Montano said. “No child deserves to live in fear.”

Throughout the rest of the year, the guardians will work with the Bernalillo County District Attorney’s Office and the court system to help other kids who have become victims. That could mean escorting the child to court or school and providing protection and comfort to them.

“Most importantly, empower them to not be afraid. Because of all that, our conviction rates are extremely high,” Montano said.

Despite any stereotypes about bikers, Montano says this work is their most important.

“We use that word ‘adopt’ in our motorcycle family and we give them a road name. They wear a vest, they wear a patch very similar to ours, so they become one of us,” Montano said.