Reentry. Housing. Youth. Community. Built for people who survived hard things and deserve a real shot at what comes next.
EIN 42-3070369 · NM Filing #3243614 · 501(c)(3) Tax-Exempt Nonprofit
What do you need right now?
In danger right now? Call 911. Need help tonight? Call or text 211, free and 24/7.
Reentry & HomelessHousingYouthWomen57 Career IdeasAlbuquerque NMFrom Survival to PurposeReentry & HomelessHousingYouthWomen57 Career IdeasAlbuquerque NMFrom Survival to Purpose
1 in 3 women experience intimate partner violence in their lifetime — CDC NISVS37.6% of New Mexico women report intimate partner violence — CDC NISVS2,960 people were homeless in Albuquerque on one night in Jan. 2025 — NMCEH Point-in-Time Count30.3% of homeless Albuquerque women cite domestic violence as the cause — NMCEH 2025New Mexico's incarceration rate is 647 per 100,000 people — Prison Policy InitiativeNew Mexico's 3-year recidivism rate reached 39.2% in FY2024 — NM Legislative Finance Committee13.9 per 1,000 NM children experienced maltreatment in 2024 — over 40% above the national rate — NM LFC1 in 15 children witness intimate partner violence every year — OJJDPNearly 150,000 children experienced homelessness nationwide in 2024 — HUD37% of NM teens report persistent sadness or hopelessness — NM Youth Risk & Resiliency Survey 2023Formerly incarcerated people face 27.3% unemployment vs. 5.8% overall — Prison Policy InitiativeThe lifetime cost of intimate partner violence in the US is nearly $3.6 trillion — CDC, 20181 in 3 women experience intimate partner violence in their lifetime — CDC NISVS37.6% of New Mexico women report intimate partner violence — CDC NISVS2,960 people were homeless in Albuquerque on one night in Jan. 2025 — NMCEH Point-in-Time Count30.3% of homeless Albuquerque women cite domestic violence as the cause — NMCEH 2025New Mexico's incarceration rate is 647 per 100,000 people — Prison Policy InitiativeNew Mexico's 3-year recidivism rate reached 39.2% in FY2024 — NM Legislative Finance Committee13.9 per 1,000 NM children experienced maltreatment in 2024 — over 40% above the national rate — NM LFC1 in 15 children witness intimate partner violence every year — OJJDPNearly 150,000 children experienced homelessness nationwide in 2024 — HUD37% of NM teens report persistent sadness or hopelessness — NM Youth Risk & Resiliency Survey 2023Formerly incarcerated people face 27.3% unemployment vs. 5.8% overall — Prison Policy InitiativeThe lifetime cost of intimate partner violence in the US is nearly $3.6 trillion — CDC, 2018
The Mission
NOT CHARITY. TRANSFORMATION.
Bulletproof Grace Foundation exists because too many people ask for help and get silence, a maze of paperwork, or nothing at all. We were formed because we didn't believe that was good enough — not for the returning citizen rebuilding a life, not for the family in crisis, not for the young person without a mentor, not for anyone standing at the bottom asking "what do I do now?" So we built the answer we wished existed: real guides, real resources, and real people who walk with you — not just toward you — until you don't need us anymore.
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THE WORK.
Platforms
OUR TOOLS.
Guide Preview
LEARN IT. BUILD IT. OWN IT.
The Founder
The Memoir
BULLETPROOF GRACE
Shot. Left for dead. But chosen for purpose. Joel "JB" Brown's story, from survival to founding Bulletproof Grace Foundation.
📖 Releasing November 11
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Support the Mission
HELP SOMEONE RISE AGAIN.
Your support funds reentry, housing, youth programs, and community resources in Albuquerque.
Starting over is one of the hardest things a person can face — whether you're coming home from incarceration, coming out of homelessness, or displaced and rebuilding from nothing. BGF walks alongside you from day one — connecting you to housing, employment, and community.
What we do: Resource navigation, warm referrals to partner agencies, peer support, emergency shelter and housing connections, and access to our full business guide library.
Our approach: We don't just hand you a list — we sit with you and help you build a real plan forward, no matter where you're starting from.
📞 City of Albuquerque Homeless Help Line — the starting point for shelter, meals, health care, and outreach across the city.
🛏️ Albuquerque Opportunity Center (Heading Home) — men's overnight shelter, call (505) 344-4340 to check bed availability (9am-3pm daily).
🏠 HopeWorks — day shelter, housing navigation, and behavioral health services, one of NM's largest homeless service providers.
⛪ Joy Junction — New Mexico's largest emergency shelter, accepts men, women, and families; call (505) 877-6967.
👩👧 Barrett Foundation — shelter for single women and families, 6-month stay, (505) 246-9244.
🍽️ Good Shepherd Center — shelter, meals, and a Housing Voucher Program (Permanent Supportive Housing / Rapid Rehousing) for men, (505) 243-2527.
🛡️ S.A.F.E. House — emergency shelter for domestic violence survivors, (505) 247-4219.
🧭 NM Coalition to End Homelessness — statewide housing navigation and policy resource, (505) 225-3491.
⚖️ New Mexico Legal Aid — free for low-income, no income limit for domestic violence cases. Call 1-833-LGL-HELP (1-833-545-4357) 💼 Modest Means Helpline — (505) 797-6013, for people who make too much for Legal Aid but still can't afford a lawyer
🔁 NM Corrections Reentry Division — official AA/NA, anger management, GED, CDL, and culinary programs 🤝 NM Reentry Center — peer-run support for substance use recovery and housing in Albuquerque
🧹 New Mexico Legal Aid — Expungement Clinics — free clinics held periodically statewide to help clear eligible records under NM's Criminal Record Expungement Act; call 1-833-LGL-HELP to ask about the next clinic date. 📄 NM Courts Self-Help — expungement forms & eligibility info directly from the state court system. 🏢 NM Corrections Reentry Division — case managers can confirm whether your record qualifies before you file anything.
💼 NM Workforce Connection — state job center with a specific reentry employment track; ask for their fair-chance employer list. 🏗️ Indeed — Second Chance Employer search (Albuquerque) — filtered search for local listings that explicitly welcome applicants with a record. 🚛 Industries known to hire regardless of record: CDL/trucking, construction, warehouse & distribution, restaurant/food service, and staffing agencies like Labor Ready/PeopleReady. 🤝 NM Reentry Center — keeps direct relationships with local employers who hire returning citizens.
🪪 NM Motor Vehicle Division — replace a lost/expired NM ID or driver's license; bring whatever documents you have, they can help even with partial paperwork. 📜 NM Vital Records — order a replacement birth certificate, needed for almost everything else. 🪙 Social Security Administration — free replacement Social Security card at your local SSA office. 🏢 NM Corrections Reentry Division — can help start this paperwork before release so it's ready when you come home.
Before the interview:
✅ Practice a short, honest answer about your record — 2-3 sentences, no more. Own it, then pivot to what you've done since.
✅ Bring copies of your ID, Social Security card, and any certifications or program completions — even informal ones.
✅ Research whether the employer is "second-chance friendly" before you apply (see the list below).
✅ Line up 1-2 references who can speak to your character now, not just your work history.
During the interview:
✅ If asked directly, be truthful and brief — don't over-explain or apologize repeatedly.
✅ Redirect quickly to your skills, reliability, and what you bring to the job.
✅ It's okay to say "I made a mistake, I've grown since then, and I'm ready to work" — one clean sentence beats a long story.
Know your rights: Under NM's Criminal Offender Employment Act, most public employers can't ask about your record on the initial application — this is often called "Ban the Box." Private employers can still ask, but the same honest, brief approach works everywhere.
Ban the Box (public employers): New Mexico's Criminal Offender Employment Act prohibits most public (government) employers from asking about criminal history on the initial job application. The question can only come up later in the hiring process, once you're already being seriously considered.
Private employers: This law does not cover most private businesses — they can ask about your record on an application. If they run a formal background check through a third-party company, federal law (the Fair Credit Reporting Act) requires them to notify you and get your written permission first.
If you're turned down because of a background check: The employer must give you a copy of the report and a chance to dispute anything inaccurate before finalizing the decision against you — this is called "adverse action" notice, and it's federally required.
You generally do not have to disclose: Arrests that didn't lead to conviction, sealed or expunged records, or juvenile records, in most cases — but rules vary by employer and industry (some licensed fields ask broader questions).
This is general information, not legal advice. For your specific situation, New Mexico Legal Aid (1-833-LGL-HELP) can walk through what you're required to disclose.
🏨 Joy Junction — New Mexico's largest emergency shelter, families and individuals, no ID required to get started. 🍞 Good Shepherd Center — men's shelter, meals, and case management in Downtown ABQ. 🏘️ HopeWorks (formerly St. Martin's Hospitality Center) — shelter, day services, street outreach. 🏠 Barrett House — emergency shelter for women & children experiencing homelessness. 📞 211 New Mexico — free, 24/7, bilingual line that places you at the nearest available shelter bed tonight.
🔑 St. Elizabeth Shelter (Santa Fe) — accepts felony history, transitional housing program. 🏘️ Albuquerque Housing Authority — Section 8 vouchers & housing counseling; ask specifically about their record-friendly landlord list. 🤝 Sol Housing — local nonprofit, keeps relationships with landlords who work with people who have a record. 🇺🇸 HUD-VASH (Veterans) — (505) 265-4116, housing vouchers for veterans regardless of criminal history, through NM VA & ABQ Housing Authority. 🏢 NM Corrections Reentry Division — case managers can connect you directly to landlords already vetted for reentry housing.
💡 LIHEAP (Low Income Home Energy Assistance) — NM Human Services Dept, helps pay heating/cooling bills, apply through the YES NM portal or call 1-800-283-4465. 🏦 NM Mortgage Finance Authority — emergency rental assistance, down payment help, and affordable housing listings statewide. 🧾 Salvation Army ABQ — (505) 842-7766, rent & utility assistance for households facing shutoff or eviction. 📞 211 New Mexico — also connects to emergency rental/utility assistance funds as they open, since availability changes throughout the year.
🔑 HopeWorks — security deposit assistance for people exiting homelessness or shelter into their first apartment. 🛋️ Storehouse New Mexico — free furniture bank, helps furnish a new place from nothing. 🏘️ Albuquerque Housing Authority — ask about their move-in cost & deposit assistance programs alongside voucher services.
🔌 PNM (electric) — ask their customer assistance team about deposit waivers for households moving from homelessness or transitional housing. 💧 Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority — low-income assistance programs for water/sewer deposits and past-due balances. 🧾 Salvation Army ABQ — (505) 842-7766, can help cover a first-time utility deposit alongside rent assistance.
📄 Renter's Rights & Eviction Prevention — what your landlord can't do, how the eviction process actually works, and where to get emergency help before it's too late.
BGF connects youth to free programs, mentorship, sports, arts, and entrepreneurship resources across Albuquerque.
If you're in danger right now, call 911.
🛡️ Being hurt, threatened, or unsafe?Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline — 1-800-422-4453, free, 24/7, talks with kids directly, available in over 170 languages. 📋 NM Statewide Central Intake (CYFD) — 1-855-333-7233, New Mexico's official line for reporting abuse or neglect of a child.
💙 Having thoughts of suicide, or just not feeling okay?988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline — call or text 988, free, 24/7, talks with kids and teens too. 💬 Crisis Text Line — text HOME to 741741 if it's easier to text than talk. 💜 NM Crisis & Access Line — 1-855-662-7474, 24/7 free crisis counseling for New Mexicans of any age.
You are not in trouble for asking for help. These lines are free and made for kids and teens too.
🧠 Manzanita Counseling Center — the only fully free counseling clinic in Albuquerque, works with kids, teens & families 💜 NM Crisis & Access Line — 1-855-662-7474, 24/7 free crisis counseling, or text "NAMI" to 741741
🏳️🌈 The Trevor Project — free, confidential crisis support for LGBTQ+ young people; call 1-866-488-7386, text START to 678-678, or chat online, 24/7. 🌈 Transgender Resource Center of New Mexico — support groups, resources, and community for trans & gender-diverse youth and families. 💬 Trevor Project Lifeline — 1-866-488-7386, same free crisis support, direct call line.
📄 Talking to Your Kid — A Parent's Guide — how to spot behavioral changes, signs of vaping or substance use, real scripts for hard conversations, when to call a professional, crisis lines & therapist resources, and videos that can help you learn to talk to your kid.
BGF connects women rebuilding after domestic violence, crisis, or incarceration to resources, community, and economic opportunity — no judgment.
🆘 S.A.F.E. House — New Mexico's largest domestic violence shelter. 24/7 hotline, up to 90 days of lodging. 🏠 Barrett House — emergency shelter for women & children experiencing homelessness. 🤝 Enlace Comunitario — bilingual domestic violence case management & legal support. 🔑 Crossroads for Women — housing & therapeutic services for women emerging from incarceration. 👩 YWCA New Mexico — women's empowerment programs, including Henderson House for women veterans.
Need to get away from Albuquerque? The New Mexico Coalition Against Domestic Violence can place you at a confidential shelter anywhere in the state — your location stays private. Call the statewide hotline above, or reach a shelter directly:
📍 Santa Fe — Esperanza Shelter: (800) 473-5220 📍 Las Cruces — La Casa: (575) 526-2819 📍 Farmington — Family Crisis Center: (505) 564-9192 📍 Roswell — Roswell Refuge: (575) 627-8361 📍 Rio Rancho — Haven House: (800) 526-7157 📍 Belen — Valencia Shelter: (505) 864-1383 📍 Taos — Community Against Violence: (575) 758-9888 📍 Silver City — El Refugio: (575) 538-2125
📕 Your Safety Plan — A BGF Guide (free, confidential PDF) — recognizing the danger signs, planning while still at home, leaving safely, staying safe afterward, protecting your kids, digital safety, legal protections, and a full resource list, plus a fill-in safety plan worksheet.
...and the full business guide library. Want one of our business guide PDFs? Tap here to email us and we'll email it to you — free.
⚖️ Enlace Comunitario — bilingual legal advocacy specifically for domestic violence protective orders and custody cases. 📋 New Mexico Legal Aid — no income limit for domestic violence cases; helps with protective orders, custody, and divorce. Call 1-833-LGL-HELP. 🏛️ NM Courts Self-Help Center — free forms and guidance for filing a protective order without a lawyer.
💼 YWCA New Mexico — job readiness training and empowerment programs built specifically for women rebuilding their careers. 🎓 NM Workforce Connection — free job training, resume help, and interview prep, with women-specific career counseling available. 🔑 Crossroads for Women — vocational training paired with housing for women coming out of incarceration.
👶 NM Early Childhood Education & Care Dept. — childcare assistance program (CYFD subsidy) that helps cover the cost of daycare while you work, train, or job search. 🧸 NM Child Care Assistance — apply online through YES NM; income-based sliding scale, prioritizes single parents. 📞 211 New Mexico — can connect you to local childcare vouchers and waitlist openings as they come up.
This is not about one man. This is about every person in Albuquerque who is surviving and has not yet found their purpose.
"Don't wait until you get shot for your hero to activate."
— Joel Brown, Founder · Bulletproof Grace Foundation
Why We Exist
Because survival is only the beginning.
Too many people in Albuquerque are surviving every single day — but nobody told them that surviving was supposed to lead somewhere. To purpose. To stability. To something they could pass on to their kids.
We exist for the returning citizen who just got out and has no idea where to start. For the young person who never had a mentor. For the mother rebuilding her life after crisis. For the family that does not know what free programs exist in their own city.
We are the shield that stands between you and the obstacles.
What We Do
👩
Women in Transition
Empowering women who are rebuilding their lives after domestic violence, incarceration, or crisis.
👶
Youth & Families
Connecting Albuquerque youth and families to free programs, mentorship, and opportunity through The Village ABQ.
🏠
Transitional Housing
Connecting people in housing crisis to shelter, resources, and stable support so they can get back on their feet.
🔓
Reentry & Homeless Services
Supporting returning citizens and people experiencing homelessness or displacement with resources, connections, and a roadmap to rebuild their lives with dignity.
The Story Behind the Foundation
It started in the barber chair.
For over 15 years, Joel Brown ran All Eyes On Me Barber Shop on Central Avenue in Albuquerque. In that chair he heard everything — judges, senators, returning citizens, struggling parents, and young people with nowhere to turn.
The same story kept coming up over and over: "I didn't know that was available to me." Resources existed. Programs existed. Help existed. But nobody could find it.
In 2025 Joel founded Bulletproof Grace Foundation — not to be the hero of someone else's story, but to hand people the tools to be the hero of their own.
Community Impact
✦Hosted U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján at All Eyes On Me Barber Shop for a community dialogue on gun violence and youth safety
✦Hosted judges from the NM Black Judicial Council for civic engagement events and policy conversations
✦Built The Village ABQ — a free mobile-first community resource platform with 10 categories and 60+ verified resources for Albuquerque families
✦Created a 57-guide business and career library — free to download for returning citizens, entrepreneurs, and anyone starting over
✦Published Bulletproof Grace: From Survival to Purpose — a memoir documenting the journey from hardship to mission
Director of Finance
Finance, and a bigger purpose.
Lahjoyah "Joy" Brown serves as BGF's Director of Finance, bringing structure and accountability to every dollar that moves through the foundation. Clean books and honest reporting aren't just good practice to her — they're how a young nonprofit earns the trust it needs to grow.
Her approach to the work is rooted in her faith — she leads with Jesus Christ as her inspiration, seeing the stewardship of BGF's resources as its own form of service to the community.
She recently completed the Financial Management Essentials certificate through NonprofitReady to sharpen the systems BGF depends on as it grows.
Board Member
Business sense, family commitment.
Yapet "Kotto" Brown joined BGF as a Board Member, bringing a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration & Management from Iowa Wesleyan University and real business strategy experience to the foundation's leadership.
Kotto is also a member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. — one of the historically Black fraternities within the Divine Nine — guided by its cardinal principles of Manhood, Scholarship, Perseverance, and Uplift.
As Joel's brother, Kotto isn't just supporting BGF's mission from the outside — he's building it alongside him.
Help Us Build a More Bulletproof Albuquerque
Your donation goes directly to reentry assistance, transitional housing support, youth programs, and community resources that change lives every day in Albuquerque.
There are so many free resources in our community — but families on one side of town can't always find what's available on the other. That felt wrong to me. Every family in Albuquerque deserves the same access to the same resources, no matter what neighborhood they're in. That's what The Village is for.
— Joel Brown, Founder
The Village ABQ
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Free City of Albuquerque Programs
Programs offered by the City of Albuquerque — free or very low cost — for youth and families. Tap any link to go directly to the program.
📞
Don't know where to start? Call or text 211 — free, 24/7, bilingual. They connect you to any program in Albuquerque.
Learn a skilled trade and get paid while you train. No student debt. Real career. Programs for youth starting in high school all the way to age 24.
✅ What is a paid apprenticeship?
You work for a real contractor and get paid from day one. You attend classes one night a week. No student loans. Guaranteed pay raises. Health insurance and pension included. These are life-changing career opportunities.
Every shirt makes an impact. Every purchase helps change a life. Unisex fit, sizes S to 4XL, breathable premium cotton blend.
🤏 Pinch or double-tap to zoom
Free Apprenticeships
🎓 Free Apprenticeships — NM & TX
EARN WHILE YOU LEARN.
Every program below is a registered apprenticeship — you earn a wage from day one, training is free, and you graduate with a nationally recognized credential. No student debt.
🏛️ NM State Apprenticeship Office — the official statewide directory of every registered apprenticeship in New Mexico, all trades.
⚡ IBEW / NECA Electrician Apprenticeship (NM JATC) — 5-year Inside Wireman program, paid from day one, pension and medical included, statewide (Albuquerque-based).
🔧 UA Local 412 — Plumbers, Pipefitters & HVAC-R Union — 5-year apprenticeship, 10,000+ on-the-job hours, covers all of New Mexico plus El Paso, TX.
🔌 PNM Lineman Apprenticeship (Power Pros) — utility line worker, relay tech, meter tech, and substation electrical tech apprenticeships across PNM's NM service territory.
💻 CNM IT Apprenticeship (NMITAP) — Tech Support Specialist, App Developer, Cybersecurity, or Network Support, Albuquerque.
🧱 AGC New Mexico — Carpentry, Masonry, Cement Finishing, Craft Labor, and Glazing, statewide.
⚡ IEC Electrical Apprenticeship (Las Cruces) — 4-year electrical program, 720 classroom hours + 8,000 on-the-job hours.
🤝 Workforce Connection of Central New Mexico — free apprenticeship counseling and supportive services, Albuquerque metro.
🏗️ ABC New Mexico — Carpentry, Electrical, HVAC, Masonry, Sheet Metal, Telecommunications Technician, and Plumbing, Albuquerque-based training facility.
🔩 SMART Local 49 — Sheet Metal Workers — free 4-year apprenticeship, HVAC/architectural sheet metal/welding/fabrication, no student debt; apprentices earn roughly $59,000 total compensation in year one, building to $86,000+ by year four. Albuquerque training center.
🏛️ Texas Workforce Commission — Apprenticeship Finder — the official statewide directory of every registered apprenticeship in Texas, all trades.
🏗️ ABC Central Texas — Carpentry, Concrete, Electrical, HVAC, Pipefitting, Plumbing, or Sheet Metal, Central Texas/Waco.
🏥 Workforce Solutions for the Heart of Texas — Certified Patient Care Technician, Early Education, and Multi-Craft Core Curriculum trades pre-apprenticeship, Waco area.
🌆 BridgeYear Houston — free apprenticeship and certification placement help for Houston-area careers, no degree needed.
🏗️ Texas Construction Career Pathways (TCCP) — free 3-week apprenticeship readiness program (Austin, Houston, DFW) leading into union construction apprenticeships. Includes childcare, transportation, and cellphone stipends. A criminal background does not automatically disqualify applicants.
🇺🇸 Apprenticeship.gov Job Finder — the U.S. Department of Labor's official search tool covering every registered apprenticeship nationwide, filterable by trade and ZIP code.
Start Here
NOT SURE WHERE TO START?
Answer three quick questions and we'll point you straight to the guides that fit — out of all 57.
Question 1 of 3
What are you looking for right now?
Question 2 of 3
How much time can you put in each week to get started?
Question 3 of 3
Do you have a criminal record or gap in employment you're working around?
57 guides — business startups, career training, certifications, and a full Digital Marketing Series. Every guide is free to download.
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Step 1 — Choose Your Guide
Why We Built This
A lot of people need help and direction — but don't have a mentor or anyone they feel comfortable asking questions. When I started my business, nobody told me anything. I had to learn on my own, and I had to fail on my own.
So we built this — you don't have to fail. We gathered the questions and answers you need to give yourself a real shot. And if you still run into a problem, we're here. Always.
— Joel Brown, Founder
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Don't See Your Career Here?
This library keeps growing. If there's a career or business you want a guided path for that isn't here yet, tell us — we'll build it.
