Commentary: LAS CRUCES, NM — As the area’s only locally owned and operated solar provider, Sunspot Solar Energy has a commitment to give back to the community. Local owners Janet and Mellow Honek work with their crew to identify local organizations that need volunteer manpower for projects, and lend a hand whenever possible. In the past six weeks, Sunspot employees have provided help for La Casa, Inc., Diersen Charities, Inc., and the Mesilla Valley Community of Hope.
On July 18, the Sunspot crew worked to provide some general maintenance and landscaping services for La Casa, Inc., a local shelter for domestic abuse victims. “It’s great to have the people of Sunspot Solar help us out with the day-to-day upkeep of our facility so that we can continue to focus on our main mission,” said Anthony Garcia, Maintenance Supervisor at La Casa, Inc. “We’re always so busy, it is a blessing to have their support.”
Diersen Charities, Inc., is responsible for helping men and women return to society from state and federal prisons, and offers temporary residences to those working to start a new life. Parent organization Dismas Charities, Inc., operates 30 state and federal residential re-entry centers around the nation for nearly 7,000 former inmates. On July 27, volunteers from Sunspot removed a huge tree from the facility that was interfering with the plumbing. About a week later, the Sunspot crew returned to demolish multiple bathrooms that resulted in upgrades to meet Federal ADA compliance standards.
As recently as August 10, Sunspot volunteered to help remove debris at Camp Hope at the Mesilla Valley Community of Hope, which has a mission to promote dignity and empowerment among the homeless population. “We rely on the support and assistance of the local community to help us get things done,” said Executive Director Nicole Martinez. “Good corporate citizens like Sunspot are very much appreciated, and we hope will serve as an example for other area businesses to get involved.”
Janet Honek of Sunspot agrees with Martinez on volunteerism within the business community. “We encourage other community-minded businesses to help make a difference,” she said. “There’s so much that can be done in the community, and we believe that all businesses can share occasional surpluses, whether it’s extra supplies or a day or two of team-building labor.”
Sunspot Solar Energy, LLC, was founded by a group of Las Cruces professionals determined to bring efficiency, quality and local service to the design and installation of photovoltaic systems to the area. To date, Sunspot has installed more systems in the area than any other company, and continues to support many organizations throughout the Mesilla Valley.