The Interfaith Coalition on Homelessness (ICOH) is holding its Winter Collection Drive between now and Feb. 1. They are seeking food and clothing donations to help unhoused and those at risk of losing housing in the community.
“As winter approaches, many in the Española Valley face bitter cold without stable shelter,” an ICOH press release states. “Rising living costs, reductions in SNAP benefits, and limited access to healthcare make this winter especially difficult.”
The organization is based in Los Alamos but works with congregations there and in Española. Half of the locations will collect shelf-stable food and toiletries, and the other half will collect cold weather items and clothing.
Food items include things like shelf-stable dairy and non-dairy milk, canned meat, soup, cups of noodles, cooking oil, granola bars and cereal. They are also accepting baby formula donations and snacks for toddlers like Cheez-Its and other crackers.
They also need toilet paper, paper towels, dish soap, laundry detergent and cleaning supplies.
Clothing items include gently used and new socks, gloves, beanies, sweaters, sweatshirts, jackets and sturdy closed-toe shoes. They will also accept emergency blankets and winter sleeping bags. ICOH is also seeking the donation of new underwear for men and women.
McCurdy’s Family Resource Center, Española Pathways Shelter and Inside Out Recovery will distribute the collected items on a weekly basis.
Cold weather items like sleeping bags, blankets and clothing can be donated at Valley View United Methodist Church, 827 Spruce St., Española.
Other collection sites for cold weather items are located in Los Alamos and White Rock:
Bethlehem Evangelical Lutheran Church, 2390 North Road, Los Alamos
First United Methodist Church of Los Alamos, 715 Diamond Drive, Los Alamos
United Church of Los Alamos, 2525 Canyon Road, Los Alamos
White Rock Presbyterian Church at 310 Rover Blvd., White Rock
Food and toiletries can be dropped off at the following locations:
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Los Alamos and Pajarito Wards), 1967 18th St., Los Alamos
Los Alamos Jewish Center, 2400 Canyon Road, Los Alamos
The following locations will accept all items:
Unitarian Church of Los Alamos, 1738 N. Sage Loop St., Los Alamos
White Rock Baptist Church, 80 NM-4, White Rock
For more information, updated lists of congregations accepting donations and progress reports, visit the ICOH website at https://icohnm.org