We believe that every aspect of what we make should reflect care and craftsmanship. Working with local partners who share our passion for our community, landscape and the makers behind each piece, is one of our favorite things. We are honored to highlight our longtime partners at Southwest Creations Collaborative (SCC) during our Meet the Makers event on November 13. For more than two decades, this women-led social enterprise has brought care and craftsmanship to various Los Poblanos projects, and most recently, our lavender eye pillows and tissue covers. To celebrate their remarkable work empowering women and strengthening families in Albuquerque’s South Valley, 10% of all sales from the evening will be donated to support Southwest Creations Collaborative and their mission to sew lasting change.
“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
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 some of the people behind Southwest Creations Collaborative and help support the amazing work they do in our local community.