United Way starts fundraising drive

United Way has kicked off its annual campaign to ask area residents to support local non-profit organizations.

But this year, the organization is putting a more personal spin on its efforts by inviting regional residents and business operators into the various non-profits to see how they operate.

“I’ve been at United Way for 13 years, and it doesn’t matter how much I really think I know an organization; when you take the time to walk around inside and talk to them, you always learn something,” said United Way Executive Director Erinn Burch. “There’s no better way to get that. The best way to understand what these organizations are really doing is to visit them and talk to them and get your questions answered.”

ARISE Sexual Assault Services Director Leigh Ana Eugene said she believes it is important for locals to personally visit her organization to see what it’s about, because people can be hesitant or uncomfortable taking advantage of a business of that nature.

“From our perspective, it’s always good to bring people in to see it’s not a hospital environment; it’s more of a homey environment,” Eugene said. “We don’t have many people who just come through to visit, so it’s exciting and a good thing to bring people in for that reason.”

People will have the opportunity during the organizational tours to not only go inside and see the organizations but ask as many questions about them as they would like to.

“I love that Erinn is putting this on this way, because it does give people the ins and outs, and it shows that we’re not so scary,” Eugene said.

The annual campaign to ask residents for donations has been happening for 55 years, according to Burch, who said without donations, organizations such as Meals on Wheels, the Food Bank of Eastern New Mexico and ARISE Sexual Assault Services could not provide services.

“Your coworkers and your neighbors, we don’t know what’s going on inside their home or how they’re struggling, but you can bet their lives have been touched by one of these organizations,” Burch said. “I applaud everyone who gives to United Way, because it is just flat out giving to make these services happen. There’s great power in that.”

Burch said what a lot of people in Clovis and Portales do not realize is that these non-profits serve a four-to-six-county area, because they are the only ones of their kind in the entire eastern New Mexico region, making them important to many people’s livelihoods.

Food Bank Director Dianna Hernandez said her organization gave out 2,000 pounds of produce to families in one day last week.

“Us doing that in the community means that people who may have it out of their reach to get fresh produce, hopefully us putting that in front of them helped leave a few dollars for other things,” she said. “I think United Way is so important for us smaller non-profits, because with them helping us raise funds for our organizations, that means we can put our time and energy into running our organizations and focus on what we’re actually supposed to be doing.”

The following Clovis organizations can be toured 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday:

• Clovis Meals on Wheels — 1200 N. Thornton Street

• ARISE Sexual Assault Services — 408 N. Norris

• American Red Cross — 1200 N. Thornton Street

• Food Bank of ENM — 2217 E. Brady

• Habitat for Humanity Restore — 716 Gidding Street

• Oasis Children’s Advocacy Center — 1523 W. 13th Street

The following Portales organizations can be toured from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sept. 18:

• Habitat for Humanity — 620 W. 1st Street

• ARISE Sexual Assault Services — 1412 S Ave. O Ste. B

• NM Christian Children's Home — 1356 New Mexico 236

• Multiple Agencies — Portales Chamber of Commerce 101 S. Ave. A

These include: Portales Meals on Wheels, Hartley House-Domestic Violence Shelter, American Red Cross, Girl Scouts of NM Trails, Food Bank of ENM, NM Christian Children Home

The following Clovis organizations can be toured from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sept. 23:

• Girl Scouts — 501 Commerce Way

• Hartley House — 900 N. Main

• GLU Factory — 1200 N. Thornton Street

• Friends of Cannon — 1200 N. Thornton Street

• Special Olympics — 1200 N. Thornton Street