National Mission Institutions
National Mission Institutions (NMIs) are community-based organizations and social service agencies that were almost exclusively founded by women in the 19th century to serve marginalized communities and populations across the United States. Today, United Women in Faith remains connected to these community centers, colleges, and residences providing vital services in vulnerable communities. National Mission Institutions empower women, care for children, support seniors, educate youth, provide housing for domestic violence survivors, and offer residences for special needs children and youth. National Mission Institutions also advocate for the women, children, youth, and families in the communities they serve.
United Women in Faith assists more than 80 organizations across the United States through grants, technical support, and member involvement. Here is a list of these National Mission Institutes by state.
Only one NMI is located within the Mountain Sky Conference: Crossroads Urban Center in Salt Lake City, UT.
A second NMI, McCurdy Ministries is located in Espanola NM - across the New Mexico border from Pagosa Springs, CO.
McCurdy Volunteers in Mission - June 2026
The Pagosa Springs, CO UWFaith unit hosted a Volunteers in Mission trip to McCurdy Ministries June 20 through 25 of this year. Five women and two men attended the trip. McCurdy Ministries is a UWFaith National Mission Institute located in Espanola, NM. It serves the people of the Espanola Valley in a wide variety of ways including, a pre-school, counselling services, a Family Resource Service (including a clothing closet, food pantry, diaper bank and school supplies) , a wonderful Children’s Library and summer camp programs. During our time we acted as “Reading Buddies” for kids attending Camp Stars, which combines Vacation Bible School with STEM education and reading proficiency programs. We also painted outdoor benches near the Camp Stars facility. All of the McCurdy staff were so helpful and inviting. They were always there to answer questions or bring supplies. McCurdy Ministries was originally founded as McCurdy School in 1912 and was the first school in the Espanola Valley. We were honored to have a tour lead by the campus historian, Edith Brown, who shared the fascinating history of McCurdy and its relationship with the community of Espanola. During our visit we ‘adopted’ a wonderful woman, Suzie Trimble, from Highlands Ranch who had come down to McCurdy to volunteer by herself. Her aunt had been a long-time teacher at McCurdy and she shared many stories about McCurdy school. McCurdy has a wonderful on-campus guest building with comfortable bedrooms, a kitchen, eating area and family room space, making the logistics of housing, meals and transportation easy. There are jobs for people of all interests and abilities including, maintenance and construction, working in the library, working with children, sewing book bags and items for their gift shop, gardening and working on preparations for community events and outreach. For more information on McCurdy Ministries and planning a VIM trip, call (505) 753-7221 ex 210 or visit https://mccurdy.org.
Ohkay Owingeh Feast Day
In June a Volunteers in Mission team from Pagosa Springs, CO was working at McCurdy Ministries in Espanola, NM. We were honored to receive an invitation from Steve Martinez, the former Governor of the Ohkay Owingeh pueblo, to attend their annual Feast Day of St. John the Baptist. Mr. Martinez and his grandson met us at the pueblo and guided us through the pueblo explaining the dances that were occurring and telling us about the history of the Ohkay Owingeh people. Their tribe migrated from the north, perhaps out of the San Luis Valley in Colorado, in the 1200s and settled next to the Rio Grande River. In 1598, Spanish Conquistadors and Catholic Priests arrived and renamed the community San Juan de los Caballeros. So, San Juan Pueblo was the ‘official’ name of the pueblo from 1598 until 2005, when the pueblo petitioned the state of New Mexico to recognize their traditional Tewa name of Ohkay Owingeh, which means Place of the Strong People. An interesting aspect of the Feast Day is that it is held on the Feast of St. John the Baptist, but the dance commemorates a battle between the Ohkay Owingeh and a plains tribe who came from the north to raid the community. The Ohkay Owingeh were able to fight off the invading tribe and that is how they earned their name, the Strong People. That is why some of the regalia you see the dancers wearing in the photos include the large feathered head dresses more common in plains tribes than in the pueblos. The dances are also a reminder to the people that the pueblo has stood up to invaders in the past and in relationship with the Spanish conquistadors that they can do so again. It was wonderful to see the whole community out at the dances, youth, adults and elders. The smallest of children dancing alongside their mothers and there were seats of honor in the shade of the cottonwood trees for the elders. Following the dances we were we invited back to Mr. Martinez’s home to join in the feast, which Mrs. Martinez must have been preparing for days! Traditional food was served as family and neighbors stopped in to greet to family and join in the celebration. It was a very special invitation to join the Feast Day and we were honored and humbled by the Martinez’s hospitality.
