At Los Poblanos, we believe that every detail of what we make should reflect care—for our community, our landscape, and the hands that craft each piece. For more than 20 years, we have partnered with Southwest Creations Collaborative (SCC), a remarkable women-led social enterprise based in Albuquerque. The talented team at SCC cuts and sews our lavender eye pillows and lavender tissue covers, ensuring each piece is made with the same intention and integrity that guides our work here on the farm. Over the years, we have collaborated with SCC in a variety of ways, and we are continually inspired by the vision of its founder, Susan Matteucci, who built a model of empowerment and community that continues to shape lives.
“Southwest Creations Collaborative has always been such an inspiration to us at Los Poblanos. The way they empower women and strengthen families really helped shape how we think about our own mission—preserving Los Poblanos as a place that supports people, culture, and community. They’re such an important part of Albuquerque, and truly one of the unsung heroes of this city.”
— Matt Rembe, Executive Director, Los Poblanos
We are delighted to welcome SCC to our Meet the Makers event at the Farm Shop on Thursday, November 13, where guests can learn more about their mission and craftsmanship. Ten percent of all sales during the event will be donated to support their important work.
Founded in 1994 by Susan Matteucci, Southwest Creations Collaborative began with a small group of women sewing together at San José Parish. Over the past three decades, it has grown into a thriving contract manufacturing operation producing apparel, home goods, uniforms, and soft goods for clients across the country. Today, SCC employs forty-five workers at living wages, offering consistent, year-round work and investing deeply in programs that strengthen families and open doors to education.
Unlike traditional manufacturers, SCC reinvests its sewing revenue into community programs that transform lives. About seventy percent of its annual operating budget is funded through production contracts, while profits support on-site childcare, adult education, and family engagement programs that help parents and children thrive together. Their model demonstrates that when women have access to stable work, quality childcare, and education, the effects ripple across generations.
The impact is extraordinary: more than 250 employees trained and employed, $19 million paid in wages to the local economy, and 350 children cared for through on-site childcare that still costs just twenty-five cents per hour. Through its Hacia: Toward the University program, SCC has supported over 16,000 students, parents and educators, with ninety-eight percent of participating seniors graduating from high school and ninety-five percent attending college.
Operating from the South Valley Social Enterprise Center, SCC has become a national model for how purpose and profit can work together. Every product they sew—including those made for Los Poblanos—represents far more than skilled craftsmanship. It represents a woman earning a dignified living, a child gaining an education, and a community investing in its collective future.
Join us on November 13 to meet the remarkable makers behind Southwest Creations Collaborative and help support their mission to sew lasting change—one beautiful piece at a time.