1. ANNUAL
YARD SALE
Las Cruces Chapter No. 20,
Order of the Eastern Star, will
hold its annual yard sale from
7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday,
Aug. 5, and 7:30 a.m. to noon
Saturday, Aug. 6, at the Aztec
Masonic Lodge, 180 E. Boutz
Road. Please no early birds.
For more information, email
redhead18@me.com.
ECKANKAR EVENT
Eckankar, Religion of the
Light and Sound of God, will
hold a free discussion from 11
a.m. to noon Saturday, Aug.
20, at Ramada Palms de Las
Cruces, 201 E. University Ave.
The topic will be “Beyond
Astral Projection.” For more
information, call 524-2580 or
visit www.eckankar-nm.org.
DOK ARTIST
The Daughters of the King
will host a show by DOK art-
ist Jane Madrid from 2 to 4
p.m. Saturday, Aug. 27, at
St. James Episcopal, 105 St.
James St. Refreshments will be
served. Other artists interested
in showing their art or crafts
should call Barbara Borrett at
524-6933.
ACTS RETREAT FOR
MEN
An ACTS (Adoration,
Community, Theology and
Service) Retreat for men ages
21 and older will take place
Sept. 8-11 at Immaculate
Heart of Mary Cathedral, 1240
S. Espina St. The free retreat
is an opportunity to deepen
your relationship with Jesus
and build lasting relationships.
For more information, call
524-8563.
CATHOLIC
CHARITIES
MARKETPLACE
The Catholic Charities
Marketplace is partnering with
artesans and farmers from
around the world, Mexico
and the borderlands bringing
unique, handmade gifts and
treasures to the Las Cruces
area. Marketplace partners are
receiving a fair wage for their
work. The Catholic Charities
Marketplace is located at 2205
S. Main St., Suite B, and is
open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Tuesday through Saturday. If
you’re interested in partnering
with the marketplace,
contact Claudia Trueblood
at 523-7577 or cmt@
catholiccharitiesdlc.org.
EASTERN STAR
MEETINGS
Las Cruces Chapter No. 20,
Order of the Eastern Star, will
not hold meetings during the
summer. Meetings will resume
Aug. 16 with a potluck din-
ner at 6:30 p.m. followed by
the meeting at 7:30 p.m. All
members in good standing are
invited to attend.
CHRISTMAS IN JULY
Unity of Las Cruces is
celebrating “Christmas in July”
during which gifts will be
collected and donated to the
children in Jardín de los Niños
the last week of the month.
Items include clothing, toys
and general school supplies.
Everyone is welcomed to visit
the church, 125 Wyatt Drive,
to get a tag from the tree and
bring back the wrapped gift
to put under the Christmas
tree. For more information,
call 523-5592 or visit www.
unityoflascruces.org.
SUMMER
FEST CHORUS
REHEARSALS
Douglas Weeks, minister
of music at St. Paul’s United
Methodist Church, has formed
a Summer Festival Chorus to
prepare a performance of the
Brahms’ Requiem for the 10th
anniversary remembrance of
9/11. Rehearsals will be from
7 to 9 p.m. each Thursday
throughout the summer at
the church, 225 Griggs Ave.
Copies of the choral score
along with a rehearsal CD will
be available for $5. For more
information, call 526-6689.
PEACE LUTHERAN
PRAYER GROUPS
Peace Lutheran Church,
1701 Missouri Ave., is provid-
ing two prayer groups. A cen-
tering prayer group will meet
weekly at 9:30 a.m. Saturdays
and will include 20 minutes
of meditation. A prayer group
focused on support, heal-
ing and gratitude will be
held at 4:30 p.m. Mondays,
in Classroom 107. For more
information, call 522-7119.
SPIRITUAL HEALING
Our Lady of Guadalupe
Prayer Center, a Roman
Catholic community, offers
spiritual healing programs
and ministry. Holy Mass is
held weekdays at 11:15 a.m.
at 5480 Lassiter Road. Also
on Mondays, the Healing
Prayer Team meets to pray
for anyone who is interested.
If you or someone you know
would like to meet with the
team, call 647-1117 for an
appointment.
DIVORCE CARE
Morning Star UMC, 2941
Morning Star Drive, will hold
a 13-week, video-based dis-
cussion and support group
for those suffering from the
pain of separation or divorce
at 6:30 p.m. Mondays.
Participants can enroll at any-
time for the free group, and
child care will be provided.
For more information, call
521-3770.
BOOK STUDY
AND PROSPERITY
DISCUSSION
Unity Church of Mesilla
Valley, 125 Wyatt Drive, will
hold a book study group for
“Atom Smashing Power of
Mind” by Charles Fillmore,
co-founder of Unity, at 10
a.m. Tuesdays. New members
are welcome to come explore
another facet of Practical
Christianity in action. The
church will also hold pros-
perity discussions at 9 a.m.
Saturdays. For more informa-
tion, call 523-5592 or visit
www.unityoflascruces.org.
DIVORCECARE
Sonoma Springs Church,
3940 Sonoma Springs Ave.,
now offers an ongoing
DivorceCare support min-
istry from 7 to 8:30 p.m.
Wednesdays. The ministry is
devoted to helping people find
support, healing and becom-
ing whole again. Child care is
available. For more informa-
tion, call 526-4907.
BIBLE COURSE
John Anderson at Holy
Cross Church, 1327 N.
Miranda St., will hold a
course based on the writings
of the apostolic fathers from
7 to 9 p.m. Mondays in the
church’s gathering space.
Bring your Bible and a friend.
For more information, call
523-0167.
Friday, July 29, 2011 Las Cruces Bulletin Church | D7
Church News
Continued from previous page
ages 4-11
Cornestone
Baptist Church
5301 Cortez Dr., Las Cruces, NM
575-532-0902
FREE VACATION
BIBLE SCHOOL
Making a difference in people’s
lives is, for some, the best reason to
get up in the morning.
That is what volunteering for
the Catholic Charities store of Las
Cruces provides for Alfonso Simen-
tal, a legally blind man who has been
turned away from other businesses
due to his disability.
“I love this place, my managers
and co-workers are very supportive
of me,” said a smiling Simental.
As part of his responsibilities,
Simental works at the front of the
store greeting and helping custom-
ers as well as sorting through the do-
nated items.
The Catholic Charities Store is
a nonprofit organization that seeks
to give back to the community by
accepting a wide range of new and
used items and refurbishing them at
low prices.
Walking along the aisles, small
strips of orange tape may catch the
eye, which is just one way in which
Simental said his co-workers help
him out.
“The bright colors help me see
where I’m going so I can walk around
on my own,” said Simental of feeling
the independence from relying on
others.
Glancing around the store will
reveal clothes, furniture, household
wares, home appliances, a soon-to-
be children’s corner filled with books
and toys and many other hidden
treasures.
One area of the store is dubbed
the “marketplace,” dedicated to sell-
ing the unique and homemade crafts
of vendors from the Southwestern as
well as six different areas in Mexico.
Catholic Charities Executive Di-
rector Claudia Moncada-Trueblood
said these special items may seem
expensive compared to the “second-
hand” sections of the store, but the
story behind their creation is worth
the price.
Ever-persistent violence in south-
western border towns is making it
increasingly difficult for vendors
who rely on tourism to sell their
goods and, Moncada-Trueblood
said, selling their goods is a great
opportunity for these businesses to
enterprise.
Filled with intricately designed
aprons, tablecloths, placemats, back-
packs and more, every item is hand-
made and different in its own way.
“Our goal is to eventually work
with other Catholic Charities around
the country to create opportunity
for more vendors in the area who
are struggling,” said an ambitious
Moncada-Trueblood .
Another big emphasis the store
promotes is to always “reuse and
recycle,” said Store Manager Araceli
Landeros, as she pointed out all the
different recycle bins the store sep-
arates things that cannot be used
into.
“Most things are sorted into dif-
ferent departments, so we try to
make it as easy as possible for people
to find what they are looking for,”
Landeros said.
Even with hardworking volunteers
such as Simental, the No. 1 thing the
store is in desperate need of,Landeros
said, is more volunteers.
As a line formed outside the door
waiting for opening time, Lande-
ros said the store usually stays busy
throughout the day and the need for
help is strong.
“Even someone giving one hour
of their time can help out more than
they would ever know,” Landeros
said.
The store also offers a pickup ser-
vice on Saturdays, in which a truck is
sent out to collect donation items of
a larger nature.
The Catholic Charities services
10 counties in southern New Mexico,
providing a range of services to those
in need including legal services, so-
cial action, emergency assistance, fi-
nancial education and networking.
Both Landeros and Moncada-
Trueblood said one of their best mo-
ments of working for the Catholic
Charities is when someone is happy
from finding something they oth-
erwise wouldn’t be able to afford,
which happens nearly every day.
“We can’t forget the reason for
the store, is to help those that really
just wouldn’t be able to afford (to
buy things) anywhere else,” Lande-
ros said.
If you need assistance or would
like to donate or volunteer, call
523-7577.
Way more than just a thrift store
Catholic Charities spread smiles and positivity
Las Cruces Bulletin photo by Rachel Christiansen
Alfonso Simental and Nina Sanchez prepare for a busy day at
Catholic Charities, 2205 Main St., Suite B.
By Rachel Christiansen
For the Las Cruces Bulletin
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