Empty Stocking Fund

Who you’ve helped this year: A 46-year-old single mother in Santa Fe fell behind on her bills. Her two youngest daughters and 1-year-old granddaughter live with her. She takes care of her granddaughter during the day and works in the evening at Walmart. Her granddaughter has an autoimmune disease, so the family often travels to Albuquerque for treatments and doctor’s appointments. The Empty Stocking Fund helped her pay her mortgage.

Who it helps: Hundreds of people receive aid from the fund during the holiday season to help cover rent payments, medical bills, utility costs, car repairs, home improvements and other needs. Applicants, who must live in Santa Fe or Rio Arriba counties and must provide a Social Security number, are considered without regard to race, age, ethnicity, gender identity or sexual orientation.

How it works: Applications for funding are carefully vetted. Members of the Empty Stocking Committee review requests and meet with each qualifying applicant to examine records of outstanding bills or other needs, and to verify the applicant’s income. If a request is approved, the committee sends a check directly to the service supplier. The cap for most requests is $1,000.

2019 GOAL: $250,000

This holiday charity project of The Santa Fe New

Mexican, which began in 1981, is jointly administered each year by the Santa Fe Community Foundation, Enterprise Bank and Trust, the Salvation Army, Presbyterian Medical Services, The Life Link, Habitat for Humanity and the Housing Trust.

To donate: Make your tax-deductible donation online at santafenewmexican.com/empty_stocking or mail a check to The New Mexican‘s Empty Stocking Fund c/o the Santa Fe Community Foundation, P.O. Box 1827, Santa Fe, NM 87504-1827. Donors can request to remain anonymous.

If you can provide a service such as roofing or home repairs, contact Habitat for Humanity at repairs@ santafehabitat.org. If you can contribute food, clothing, toys, housewares, furniture, firewood, or other items or services, call the Salvation Army at 505988-8054.

DONATIONS:

Anonymous: $500

Karen and Wayne Barnes: $1,000 Markeeta Brown: $500

Capital High School Math Department: $130 Tom and Jan Collett: $250

Ernie and Laura Gutierrez: $200 Leonora Lopez: $100

Diane Lotti, in memory of Stella Lotti: $500 Mary Beth and Paul Pizzoli: $150

Lois and Bud Redding: $200

Matilda and Howard Rubin: $100 Daniel Yohalem: $400

Total: $4,030 Cumulative total: $142,527.46