United Way to open office in Portales

PORTALES — Fear not, Portales: You will soon be able to receive a wide range of assistance without having to travel 17 miles north.

United Way of Eastern New Mexico will soon be opening an office in the community building of Portales’ First Presbyterian Church.

“We need some new doors and things like that, I’ll be ordering some signage soon, so we’re really hoping that by the end of the month we’ll be in the building, as far as having all that done, etc. Then we’ll go from there to figure out some office hours and other kinds of things,” UWENM Director Erinn Burch said.

The Clovis-based organization offers assistance to Portales residents such as providing attire for job interviews and financial assistance for rent and utilities, but in the past hasn’t had a place to facilitate those transactions.

“If you have your own space, you just go, ‘Let’s have a meeting,’ and then you just do it. When you don’t have your own space, you go, ‘Let’s have a meeting, but let me call three places and see if they’re available,’ ” Burch said.

She added that the Portales office will bring with it the opportunity to expand some UWENM programs, including the Women’s Initiative Network, which encourages women to volunteer.

“The women’s Initiative Network donations that come out of our membership, that’s the main pot of money that we do direct financial help to clients out of. By having the availability of seeing more Portales clients, now we wanna have a little more money in the pot, specifically for Portales clients.”

As UWENM comes closer to opening the office, it will add more information to its website. Potential volunteers can stay updated at: volunteerenm.org