Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Church members aim to have outreach throughout city, state.
By Kurt Munz-Raper
STAFF WRITER
PORTALES — The Society of St. Vincent de Paul has been around since 1845, but it’s a new venture for Portales.
Ines Rodriguez, president of the St. Vincent de Paul Society in Portales and member of St. Helen Catholic Church, said the non-profit organization is getting ready to help those in need.
“Our main mission is to help people who are less fortunate,” said Rodriguez. “A lot of people donate items and we do a thrift store.”
Bernadette Smedley, a member of the church, is also volunteering with the society.
“Previous priests had been wanting to do this,” said Smedley. “Father Charles (Ugochukwu) actually brought it to fruition. It’s a matter of getting it going. It’s also gonna help younger people with ministry and help get them in the right direction. We don’t just reach out to our parish. It’s a community-wide outreach.”
Smedley said she is considered the “jack of all trades” in terms of what she hopes to bring to the society.
“Whatever they need, I will try to give them,” said Smedley. “If I don’t know it, I will try to learn it.”
Rodriguez said money donated to the society will be used to help residents in need pay for utilities and gas.
The thrift store managed by the society at St. Helen resumes operations next week, Rodriguez said. The store will be open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays.
“We’re also like a little resource center. We are limited in funds but we rely mostly on donations and mostly just to help people,” said Rodriguez. “I know people are busy with the holidays. As soon as Christmas is over we’re gonna go on full force and do the best that we can.”
Rodriguez added members of the society from across the state will meet for training in January at Santa Rosa to discuss doing the appropriate paperwork and keeping the books in order.
“We’ve had a good response,” said Rodriguez. “We’ve had household items and appliances (donated). And if we can’t help, we go out and find somebody who can.”
The society already received donations for food, clothes and shelves.
Rodriguez said the society is also reaching out to other organizations such as the Community Services Center and Head Start.
Rodriguez and Smedley both said the thrift store allows residents to collect items for a donation. The society will also serve food at no cost or suggested donation.
“I hope that it’s a very successful society so we can help those less fortunate,” said Rodriguez. “We’re just trying to get established so we can start getting ready to help.”
“We just want to reach as many people as we can,” said Smedley. “We want to spread the word as much as help people. And we want to build up our membership also.”
Smedley said she hopes the society’s efforts will strengthen connections.
“The first thing is the ultimate goal of any Christian — to get closer to God, and to do that we need to get closer to each other,” said Smedley. “It’s what we all need. We all need to trust each other.”
Those in need or interested in volunteering can contact St. Helen Catholic Church at 575-356-4241. Rodriguez asks those willing to donate items bring them in good condition.
