10 ways to help during the holidays in Las Cruces

LAS CRUCES - For many, the holiday season is a joyous time — a time for meals with family, children smiling and presents under the tree. But for less-fortunate families in our community, the holidays can be stressful. Of course, it is also a season of giving, and Las Cruces suffers from no shortage of opportunities to be charitable this time of year.

Mike Cook from the Las Cruces Bulletin rounded up dozens of ways to help during the holiday season and shared his list with the Sun-News to ensure it gets to as many residents as possible. We've selected 10 to share.

Toys for Tots

U.S. Marine Corps Reserves Toys for Tots of Doña Ana County collects new, unwrapped toys for boys and girls ages 0 to 14 in 150-plus donation boxes that went up countywide Nov. 1. Most needed are girls’ makeup, soccer balls, basketballs, games and other toys for ages 8 and up, and cash to buy toys.

The program is coordinated by Rotary Club of Las Cruces and El Perro Diablo Marine Corps League Detachment #478 of Las Cruces, through Las Cruces, Gadsden and Hatch school districts.

Contact Patty Groth, 575-202-6185, and U.S. Marine (ret.) Joe Montoya, 575-571-7728. Email las.cruces.nm@toysfortots.org. Visit http://las-cruces-nm.toysfortots.org/local-coordinator-sites/lco-sites/donate-toys.aspx and Las Cruces Toys for Tots on Facebook. Mail donations to Rotary Club of Las Cruces, P.O. Box 1912, Las Cruces, N.M. 88004.

Jack and Peggy Petrowsky started Toys for Tots in Las Cruces in 1998, providing toys to 65 children. It provided 16,000 items (11,000 toys, plus books and stocking stuffers) to 5,400 children countywide in 2021.

Coats for Kids

The 29thannual Las Cruces Coats for Kids needs new or gently used coats for children ages birth to fifth grade, sizes infant to adult XL. Take cash donations to Community Action Agency of Southern New Mexico, 3880 Foothills Road, suite A, Las Cruces; mail to Community Action Agency, 3880 Foothills Road, Las Cruces, N.M. 88011; donate online at www.lascrucescoatsforkids.com. Drop off coats at 101 Gold radio, 101 Perkins Drive; Comet Cleaners, 1) 2001 E. Lohman Ave., 2) 22497 N. Main St., 3) 555 Utah Ave.; D2 Designs, 101 Perkins Drive, suite B; US Bank, 1) 277 E. Amador Ave., 2) 901 E. University Ave., 3) 3790 E. Lohman Ave.

Call Coordinator Alycia Jameson at 575-621-4612. Every donation is doubled by Anderson Foundation. Coats for Kids has provided more than 60,000 coats in the past 28 years.

Salvation Army

Salvation Army Las Cruces Corps needs toys, canned or pre-packaged food and frozen turkeys. Deliver to 1590 California Ave. or call 527-524-1044. Send donations to Salvation Army, P.O. Box 1423, Las Cruces, N.M. 88004.

Emergency services for families in need:

• Food: Noon-3 p.m. Thursdays
• Used clothing, utilities, rental assistance: 8 to 10 a.m. Wednesdays. ID and utility bill required to prove Doña Ana County residency.

Volunteer for holiday bell ringing (Monday, Nov. 7-Saturday, Dec. 24) at 1590 E. California Ave., or contact Capt. Michael Evans at 575-524-4713 and michael.evans@usw.salvationarmy.

Project Link

Las Cruces Public Schools’ Project Link Homeless Educationprogram serves about 600 temporarily or permanently homeless students and families each school year. It needs donations of blankets, new winter coats (teenage male, female sizes S, M, L, XL, XXL; sizes 5T to 16 for boys, girls); warm clothing, warmups with long sleeves, beanies, gloves, socks, underwear (all sizes: boys, girls, juniors); diapers (sizes 1 to 4); shampoo, conditioner, body wash, lotion, toothpaste, feminine products, laundry soap, wipes; bath towels, washcloths, snack bags.

Take items to Project Link office at Valley View Elementary, 915 E. California St. Mail check, made out to MKV Project Link, to 505 S. Main St., Suite 249, Las Cruces, N.M. 88001 ATTN: Finance Department. Contact Ray Banegas, 575-527-6688 and rabanegas@lcps.net; Cecilia Montoya, Carla Solis Holguin, Margarita Solis and Juliette Paez-Pearcy at 575-527-5858.

Children's Reading Alliance

CRA Parents Support (Children’s Reading Alliance) local nonprofit engages families and community in childhood literacy through its Raising Readers Together branches: First Teacher/Primer Maestro parent support program, Reading Buddies and the distribution of thousands of children's books into local households.

Donations of new or gently used books for children ages birth to 8 (no religious books) are welcome. Donate at www.childrensreadingalliance.org. Contact info@cralc.org or 575-522-3713.

Project Linus

Project Linus needs new, washable, handmade quilts, afghans and fleece blankets to give to local children who are ill, traumatized or otherwise in need; also accepted are blanket-making materials, postage stamps, cash donations and gift cards to Jo-Ann Fabrics and Crafts. Drop off fabric, yarn and other donations at Sew What’s New, 3961 E. Lohman Ave. #9; Be Sew Creative (formerly Bernina Sewing and Design Center), 1601 E. Lohman Ave.; Joann Fabrics, 1711 E. University Ave.; Threadbear fabric store, 2204B S. Main St. Mail donations to Susan Stoltzfus, P.O. Box 116, Mesilla Park, N.M. 88047. Contact Stoltzfus at 575-526-3695 and sgstolt13@gmail.com. Visit www.projectlinus.org and on Facebook.

Dress the Child

The 35th annual Rio Grande Rotary Club Las Cruces Dress the Child program buys new clothes and shoes for children in need. In 2021, the program served 150 children, 300 in 2020 (both years’ numbers were reduced because of COVID-19, 537 in 2019, 15 in 1984 (the first year).

Participating children are chosen by the Las Cruces and Gadsden school districts; each receives $130-$150 in new clothes and shoes, which many have never had before.

Mail donations to LCRGRF Dress the Child, P.O. Box 550, Las Cruces, N.M. 88004, or deliver to Julie Koenig, First New Mexico Bank, 3000 E. Lohman Ave. Contact Doug Boberg at 575-644-9469 or drboberg@gmail.com.

Tutti Bambini Children's Store

Tutti Bambini Children’s Store, a nonprofit that opened in 2013, sells gently used children’s clothing, toys and more. Proceeds benefit local and border-area outreach programs for children challenged by poverty and special needs. Donations of items to sell and cash donations are welcome; especially needed are children’s clothes, sizes 2T to 8, all sizes of coats, heavy jackets, pajamas, clothes for ages nine months and older and Christmas toys.

Open 11 a.m.-4 p.m., Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday; 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday. 300 El Molino Blvd., (near the intersection of Alameda and Main).

Contact Sister Beth at 575-640-1997 or daddiosister@yahoo.com, or Jeanne at 575-556-9752. Visit www.meetlascruces.com/Tutti-Bambini-in-Las-Cruces.html, or on Facebook at @tuttibambinilc.

Christmas Shoe Box Project

The 11th annual Christmas Shoe Box Project is currently underway for children in Palomas, Mexico. Southern New Mexico churches, groups and local N.M. Department of Health employees take shoeboxes filled with gifts for children, as well as coats and blankets, to Palomas each December.

Shoebox items: toy cars, balls, dolls, stuffed animals, kazoos, yoyos, etch-a-sketches, jump ropes, slinkies, simple baby pull toys (no toys with batteries, toy guns or knives); school supplies (pencils, pens, blunt scissors, pencil sharpeners, stamp/ink pad sets, solar calculators, coloring books, stories in Spanish); hygiene items (soap, combs, toothpaste, toothbrushes, lotion, washcloths, etc.);

Also: socks, underwear, warm hats, mittens/gloves, tee shirts, barrettes, toy jewelry, inexpensive watches, hard candy, lollipops (put candy in plastic baggies).

Pick a boy or girl for each shoebox (or small plastic container), ages 2-4, 5-9, 10-14. Tape identifying label to box top. If box is wrapped, wrap lid separately for border inspection. You may add a note in Spanish in each box. Take filled boxes and loose items to the New Mexico Public Health Office, 1170 N. Solano Drive, by 5 p.m. Friday, Dec. 16. Contact Angie Sanchez Corral, 575-528-5123, angie.sanchez@state.nm.us.

Foster a Senior

The third annual Foster a Senior Program hopes to provide 50 care packages ($30 each) to seniors at a Las Cruces facility. Mail donations of any amount to Alzheimer’s Association, New Mexico Chapter, P.O. Box 21400, Albuquerque, N.M. 87154.

Donate these items for care packages: puzzles, toothbrushes, hand sanitizer, lotion, fuzzy socks, adult coloring books/colored pencils and tissues. The deadline for donations is Tuesday, Dec. 14. Contact Pam Rodgers, 575-647-3688, parodgers@alz.org, to drop off donations or have them picked up.