Meet Colin Moore from New Mexico!

Hi, my name is Colin Moore, and I’m the newest intern for the Gallup branch of ATD Fourth World! 

I was born and raised in Gallup, New Mexico. My parents both moved here from different states for teaching jobs. I’ve been heavily involved in the community theater in Gallup since before I was born. (My mom was in My Fair Lady while pregnant with my twin brother and I). I’ve always enjoyed finding new ways to give back to the community.

I found out about ATD through a friend posting their physical ad online, which stood out because they were very clear about being a force for local change and community outreach, which also made it unique to all the other places I applied. So I applied kind of on a whim and started to look more into what ATD was about.

As I started to learn more about the organization, its roots in France, the fact that they’ve been working throughout the world for over 60 years, their work with the United Nations, it was crazy to think an organization like this actually did work in Gallup, which seems so small in comparison to the rest of the world.

What especially drew me in was that the work emphasized dignity for the people we help. It’s not just about giving someone a loaf of bread, and saying “that’s good for today,” it’s about growing in the community, and making sure that people can take care of themselves before learning to take care of others.

The more I learned about ATD, the more it felt like something worth being a part of.

Growing up in Gallup you see the effects of poverty, just walking down the street, people with no job, no skill, no one who truly believes in what they’re capable of. So when I was given the opportunity to join a group that works to change that, I jumped at it.

The internship so far has been incredibly informative, not only about poverty in other areas of the world, but also in our own community.

It can be devastating to see the real face of suffering at such a high level, especially in a community you grew up in. But through ATD I’ve learned to have hope, hope that given the right tools anyone can change their situation, and that the people who make it through the roughest times can become the strongest allies in the continued fight against poverty.

Now that my internship is almost over, I’m excited to be more a part of ATD, and grow not just as a person, but as a facilitator of hope. Seeing programs like Stronger Together starting to take off, and seeing the effect Story Gardens can have on our community, gives me hope that there are people in this world, and in this community, who truly care and want to see a positive change, not just in where we live, but in the people who live there, so that we can all go forward together in dignity.