TAOS, N.M. – There were not many jobs in Taos when Margaret Romero started looking for employment 25 years ago.
“No jobs in the town area,” said Margaret Romero. She found work with Taos Ski Valley, Inc. “Different departments, which I really enjoy.
Her Taos Pueblo family found work too. Her son, Charles Romero got his first job at 18.
“He was excited because he skied,” said Margaret Romero. “He sympathized with a lot of the children that came from the Pueblo. He helped a lot of the Natives out… gave them good equipment.”
Well known and well liked, Charles was known as Chuck at the ski area. Margaret Romero still gets emotional when she remembers his laugh.
“He was very open, very friendly,” said Margaret Romero.
Charles Romero died in 2021 after complications with Type 1 diabetes. He was 36 years old. To honor Charles, the Taos Ski Valley donated $25,000 to the Romero family to use to support the Taos Pueblo.
Today, dozens of kids from the Taos Pueblo are taking to the slopes in the Taos Ski Valley, thanks to the Charles N. Romero Program and the nonprofit Working on Wellness.
“A lot of the kids from the Pueblo are very excited because, they can’t afford the sport,” said Margaret Romero.
Margaret’s daughter is helping keep Charles’ legacy alive.
“Seeing them being able to experience this program, you know, that’s what makes my heart happy,” said Cheryl Romero.
Cheryl is Margaret’s daughter, Charles’ sister, and now she’s the Working on Wellness co-chair.
The program, designed for kids from the Taos Pueblo, provides outdoor opportunities for Indigenous youth. Cheryl Romero works alongside Sage Yardley, president of Working on Wellness. Yardley said the need for such programs became evident during the pandemic.
“They’re stuck in their rooms, they’re in the dark, they’re on their phones, they’re getting isolated,” said Yardley.
In 2021, the Charles N. Program launched with a little more than 20 kids. Today the program has two cohorts of different aged kids, more than doubling in size, illustrating the need.
Cheryl Romero also works for the Taos Ski Valley and hopes the skills learned extend beyond skiing. “You can learn to ski, but then you can also build a career here as well,” she said.
Creating connections, building confidence, and giving kids opportunities for constructive activities for all ages is the expanding goal of Working on Wellness.
“The smiles that the kids have on their faces every year since we started, has been so impactful for our community at the Pueblo,” said Cheryl Romero.
On the slopes, they’ll be doing it in Charles’ name.
“This opportunity to happen for [the kids]… it makes me feel good,” said Margaret Romero.
