By Alisa Boswell

Portales resident Rose Robbins has been a volunteering guru since she moved to the community of Portales 13 years ago.

Over the years, she has volunteered with the Portales Women’s Club, Portales Kiwanis, the Roosevelt County Chamber of Commerce, the Eastern New Mexico University Athletic Club, MainStreet and the Portales Military Affairs Committee.

But being a member of the MainStreet Board has been one of the most fun and rewarding experiences, according to Robbins, who said she likes the aspect of a working board.

From left, MainStreet Executive Director, Sandy Vigil, board member Rose Robbins and board president Kamille Mountjoy look for community event ideas in the New Mexico Magazine Monday afternoon.

“We do the work. None of it is we show up for a meeting, then we go away. Everybody’s in it together,” she said of the MainStreet Board. “No matter what happens, we never give up on trying to come up with ways to encourage the community to get involved with downtown activities. That is probably the number one thing we do.”

And that right there is the very essence of the MainStreet program, said its executive director, Sandy Vigil. Every day is about “continuous education to the public about why you should shop local and why you should be part of the community,” she said.

There is also a sense of camaraderie with MainStreet volunteers, said Robbins, adding that when “we do something, we do it together.”

Vigil and board members come up with fundraising campaigns, community activities and other ways “to grow downtown involvement.”

One such activity coming up at the end of March is Fifth Fridays, which was reborn in September with live music, activities for adults and children, a car show, belly dancers and vendors in the Yam Theatre and rock painting.

Vigil said the organization is trying to bring in more activities for teens at the next Fifth Fridays, as well as a public art piece where attendees can all throw paint at a large canvas.

In the meantime, Robbins is the program’s lobbyist at the legislature and Vigil’s “Facebook guru.”

“She has always been, previously and now, my biggest cheerleader,” Vigil said. “To me, Rose is always that person.”

Check out Portales Main Street!