Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
If someone presses a cup of coffee into your hands this weekend, stops by your business with complimentary doughnuts, or washes your car but flat-out refuses any money for it, you may have experienced a “We Love Portales” moment.
Today, Friday, and Saturday, members of local churches involved in the Roosevelt County Ministerial Alliance will be engaged in a variety of projects all designed to give back to the community, according to Don Thomas, president of the Alliance and pastor at Central Christian Church.
Thomas said the idea for a We Love Portales weekend originated with Dave McFadden and Garnet Blaney, pastor and youth pastor, respectively, of Portales’ First Baptist Church, and was quickly embraced by the Ministerial Alliance, an organization open to religious leaders throughout the county.
“The premise for this project is twofold,” Thomas explained. “We want to do things that show Portales that the churches here love Portales, and we want to show Portales that the churches here love each other.”
The first official event is a free showing of “Finding Dory,” that takes place at 8:45 p.m. today in the Portales City Park. The Ministerial Alliance is helping underwrite the cost of the movie, and will also be providing free concession snacks and drinks to all who attend.
Friday will find volunteers from numerous churches scattered all over town, passing out water bottles, serving up complimentary coffee, doling out doughnuts, and even distributing low-energy light bulbs, Thomas said.
“Everyone goes to local businesses and begs, begs, begs,” Thomas said. “We want to go into local businesses and give back. We consider this a mission trip to our own town.”
Athletically inclined early risers are invited to the Portales Rec Center, 1001 W. 18th St., at 8 a.m. Saturday to participate in a 5K fun run hosted by We Love Portales to benefit the Rec Center. It costs $15 to enter, and you can register online at http://www.weloveportales.org ahead of time.
If you're not a jogger, but still have a good heart, you are invited to head to Central Christian Church from 8 a.m.-11 a.m. Saturday morning to lend a hand with the regular monthly food distribution sponsored by the United Way and Food Bank of Eastern New Mexico. Thomas said he is expecting members from many local churches to help out that day, and all interested volunteers are welcome and will be put to work.
Car washes are also scheduled from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. that day in the parking lots of First Baptist Church, 100 S. Ave. C, and Ace Hardware, 1300 S. Ave. D.
“These are free car washes,” Thomas stressed. “We will not take donations. We just want to bless you.”
At 5 p.m. Saturday, a team from the Baptist Children’s Home will be set up in City Park to serve a free meal open to all, and at 6 p.m. Thomas and others from Central Christian will lead a short outdoor church service in the park.
Bottom line: Thomas said he hopes that Portales will see that “we churches get along ... we are working on the same team.
“We don’t want to be churches that take from our town,” Thomas said. “We want to give to our town.”
Betty Williamson is behind any idea that involves free doughnuts. Reach her at: [email protected].
