By Kate Sanchez
At the United Way of Eastern New Mexico, their mission is uniting neighbors and changing lives as they raise money to put back into the community and connect people with services available. All these tasks are achieved through their human resources referral line (211), grants, and volunteers, amongst other things. But 2020 has proven to be a challenge for the local United Way and other nonprofits, as it has for just about everyone, when it comes to the challenges of Covid-19.
Just as small businesses have been hit hard and have had to re-work how they manage their dealings, all of the local nonprofits have had to do the same, and it’s been no walk in the park. From utilizing drive-through options, contactless services, and having to buy proper PPE, nonprofits have taken a huge hit over the course of the year. Erinn Burch, director of the United Way of Eastern New Mexico, says that their organization has really struggled due to these Covid-19 restrictions. One of the biggest challenges for the United Way of Eastern New Mexico, as well as many other organizations is the struggle to move their mission online and having to move their work to remote communications. “The face-to-face contact isn’t there, and that makes it very challenging,” Burch says, “We’re all standing under a waterfall of change coming down on our heads…for the United Way and other small nonprofits it’s hard to capture that emotional attention that we are typically able to.”
The United Way of Eastern New Mexico, as well as several other organizations depend on the face-to-face presentations in workplaces and hold events to encourage support from businesses and individuals in the community. However, without these resources available, the United Way alone has taken a 15-20% hit in 2020 from previous years. Burch says “mom and pop non-profits” have suffered immensely during the pandemic, when considering the decrease in things as simple as folks dropping off a small check to donate when participating in a weekly meal program. “It’s just fact, having drive-through only, has decreased money given…some are losing $1,000’s per week of revenue,” Burch says, “Organization’s easy ways of giving got disrupted and many don’t know how to go about it now.”
The United Way of Eastern New Mexico typically fundraises in the fall for the next year, and Burch says they have struggled to move online with these tasks as well. While the organization has received many generous gifts to help people during this trying time and has been able to help over 400 families with utilities since April, the director says their numbers are down and hopes that people will think about local nonprofits this giving season. “We are all hearing and feeling the ‘shop local, support small business’ message right now. My sister message would be to also give local and support your area’snonprofits this year. We work to serve the community and we are all really facing some challenges right now.”
In addition to the United Way of Eastern New Mexico, Burch has provided a list of local organizations that could use some support this year. She uses Consigning Women, in Portales, as an example. Their store allows for Angel Ministries to raise money for the homeless, as well as rehab of those with substance abuse, and low-income individuals and families. Because “non-essential” businesses have been shut down orbeen forced to decrease their retail foot traffic, shopping in their store has taken a hit and their income in turn, or money to donate, “has hit a wall,” as Burch describes, “An organization like that could really benefit from people remembering them right now.”
Click below to view the list of organizations that could use your help this year and, in the months, to come:
