Giving Back: The Area’s Children’s Homes

Kate Sanchez
December 18, 2019

Giving Back:
The Area’s Children’s Homes

The Portales area’s children’s homes, The New Mexico Baptist Children’s Home and The New Mexico Christian Children’s Home, have worked for many years to provide hope to children and families in need, through ministry and loving support. While both facilities strive to provide a place where they will feel comfortable and encouraged, the two organizations do differ in some ways in achieving their goals, and both could use some support this holiday season and year-round.

According to Serenity Richard, the NM Baptist Children Home’s Portales Area manage of six years, the main mission of the home is to provide hope to hurting children and families. She says this is accomplished through various ministries such as the home itself, counseling for struggling families, the Christian Women’s and Christian Men’s job corps, and adoption services. “We are best known for our Children’s Home which has provided a Christian home to thousands of children over the last 100 years. In recent years, we have expanded our ministry to include family counseling which is provided at no charge to the community,” Richard says, “In addition, we provide the Christian Women and Christian Men job corps in which men or women can learn job skills or gain their GED in a supportive Christian environment.” She also comments that the home’s most recent addition to the ministry is an adoption arm which serves families seeking to adopt. As a privately funded organization, the NM Baptist Children’s Home works hard in their faithful stewardship of the funds donated and Richard says that prayer and support from the community is most vital any time of the year. “Our prayer and giving partners are critical to this endeavor,” she shares. When asked about specific needs, she also says aside from these things, that skilled volunteers who can help maintain buildings are very valuable.

Meanwhile, the NM Christian Children’s Home operates a little differently but serves many of the same purposes as the prior. In 1954, the home opened its doors to children in crisis, and today they do the same, by functioning primarily under three causes: residential homes, adoptive homes, and single-parent homes. From providing utilities and a home for these people, to offering scholarships for schooling, the Christian Children’s home continues to strive to raise children following the example of the family of Jesus. Allen Mann, the home’s Director of Public Relations, says that they receive several Liberian refugees who have escaped the civil wars in Africa, and in fact provided three football players to the high school state championship team, including the MVP of the game. The facility will hold Christmas for about 135 people this year and there’s always a need for items.

While the home has a lot of sponsors at Christmas time specifically, they also have a seasonal and year-round need for multiple items. With a working ranch on site, they raise their own beef and pork, but there’s always a need for food items like canned goods and cereals. Mann says food drives and canned drives are welcome. Additionally, things like toilet paper, liquid laundry detergent, and hair products (specifically Cantu, found in local Walmart in ethnic hair aisle) are constantly in great demand. Items like socks and underwear are probably one of their greater needs, adds Mann. “Size and gender doesn’t matter because we have ages newborn-18,” he shares. Additionally, there’s a great need at the home for bathroom towels and sheets (single bed, preferably deep pocket but twin works, as well). All kinds of clothing and furniture are welcome to be donated too.

Please visit their web sites New Mexico Baptist Childrens Home : https://www.nmbch.com/ and New Mexico Christian Children Home : https://nmcch.org/ for more information about their causes, volunteering, and donating to these special homes this holiday season and all year long!