It’s satisfying to know that a child will be spending a night tucked into a bed instead of sleeping on the floor. This is the work of the volunteers of St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Store at 580 S. Valley Drive.
Supported mostly by parishioners’ donations from the Holy Cross Catholic Church, the St. Vincent de Paul Society is a system of charitable giving in Las Cruces. While they’ve seen a downturn of both donors and shoppers coming to the store due to the New Mexico Department of Transportation (NMDOT) road reconstruction of Valley Drive, the need in our community continues. Since construction started, the St. Vincent financial ability to help has been cut nearly in half.
The organization is well-known for helping residents pay utility bills. Once help is requested, a volunteer from St. Vincent’s makes a short home visit to connect with the family requesting help. In the last two years, the Thrift Store, along with church donations, has been able to give back nearly $80,000 into the community.
“We don’t judge people who come to us,” explains Stephanie O’Dell, Vice President of Outreach and Home Visits, “We want to see if there are other ways we can help. Perhaps they don’t even have a table, or their children sleep on the floor. When we can help an empty apartment fill up with essentials for living, that’s where we know that we are making a difference.”
“It’s a type of a calling to know you want to help. There are 22,000 people living in poverty in Las Cruces, many of whom are children,” said Rita Arnett, president of the Holy Cross Conference of St. Vincent de Paul, which is a world-wide organization. “Living in poverty is stressful and wears people down - emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. We strive to uplift people in our own small way, with kindness as well as gifts of clothing, furniture and household items.”
Slacks go for 50 cents and a dress can cost a whole dollar and half. The store is meticulously organized by volunteers. A new volunteer, a librarian, has dived into sorting books to both make space and order. From art to dishware, DVDs to like-new purses, the community funneling in donations is generous, knowing that the goal is to help those with the utmost need.
For those coming to the Holy Cross offices, 1324 North Miranda, on Monday and Tuesday mornings, vouchers are given out for a whole family to receive clothing at the Valley Drive location. These vouchers can be renewed every three months, a boon for a family with growing children. And the need for children’s clothing is great.
“We have workers with Child Protective Services who call us and say they’ve just picked up a baby who has nothing, all their clothing was filled with lice, asking if there is anything we can give,” said Arnett, “of course we give what we can.”
What they sell at the store is what covers rent and minor expenses – like the ten dollars that a handyman charged for two hours crawling in their attic to find a leak - but everything else goes straight to those living in poverty for keeping the lights on – literally paying utility bills from El Paso Electric Company and Las Cruces Utilities.
If you can give, children’s clothing and good, usable furniture is desperately requested. “Pots and pans are never enough,” said Arnett. “But tables, chairs and dressers help make a home.”
And, if you might need help with financial assistance or help securing household items, please call (575) 526-1726 and leave a message. More information can be found at https://www.facebook.com/StVincentdePaulHolyCrossLasCrucesNM/
The NMDOT Valley Drive road reconstruction project is scheduled for completion in early 2020; in the meantime, the City of Las Cruces encourages residents to continue supporting local businesses and stores on Valley Drive. For the most up-to-date information please visit www.valleydrive.net.