WRPC NEWS RELEASE

White Rock Presbyterian Church hosted its successful Not Just Junk in Your Trunk rummage sale on Saturday, October 23. This event raised money and awareness for the Afghan Resettlement Program in Northern New Mexico.  WRPC is teaming up with several other local churches to sponsor at least one Afghan family who will resettle in Santa Fe in the coming months through a program directed by Lutheran Family Services.  The event’s organizer, Joyce Haven, a member of White Rock Presbyterian Church said, “It was a great community event which ran smoothly due to the support of the community and all the volunteers.”

The rummage sale netted over $1000 through donations for used goods as well as for spaces rented out to local vendors who sold crafts, baked goods, and gently used items. Pastor Deb Worley of White Rock Presbyterian Church was thankful for the community response to this event.

“This was a wonderful opportunity to BE the Church, and generate funds, awareness and much goodwill in the community!” she said.

Some of the large items that did not sell at the Saturday sale were given to WRPC’s sister church, The Navajo House of Fellowship at Bread Springs, NM for distribution to elderly or shut-in people on the Diné Nation. White Rock Presbyterian Church has a long-standing partnership with this small reservation church and their pastors, Fred and Lorraine Thomas.

In addition to raising money, church volunteers signed up eight visitors at the rummage sale who are interested serving on a team to assist Afghan evacuees. The team will assist refugees in transitioning to life in the United States.  Please contact Rheta Moazzami, pianist at WRPC  at rhetamoazz@gmail.com  or John Clough at cluffermon@gmail.com of White Rock Methodist Church for more information or if you would like to join the team WRPC is forming.

In addition to WRPC’s team, several other churches and social organizations in Los Alamos are forming Afghan resettlement teams through the direction of Lutheran Family Services. Lutheran Family Services will assist about 400 Afghan families to resettle in New Mexico. One hundred of those families will make their new home in Northern New Mexico.  L.F.S. offers a variety of opportunities to help arriving Afghan families, including cultural mentoring, English tutoring and job placement training.   All who serve on a family resettlement team must attend an on-line orientation class, which is being offered on November 4.  You can find more information about assisting Afghan refugees at https://www.lfsrm.org/programs-and services/refugees/albuquerque/.

White Rock Presbyterian Church thanks its neighbors and community who generously donated to help Afghan refugee families be welcomed to New Mexico. Watch for upcoming ongoing opportunities to partner with WRPC in this effort.