Last year’s coin collection buckets. Courtesy photo

BY RAO GARIMELLA

2021 has sped by and we are upon another holiday season with as great a need as ever in the communities of Northern New Mexico.

Encouraged by the generous response of the Los Alamos community, in 2020, several businesses and community members are organizing the Coins 4 Christmas drive to benefit Self Help Inc. Since 1969, Self Help, Inc. (https://selfhelpla.org) has provided consultation and
advocacy, emergency financial assistance and seed money grants to residents of Los Alamos, northern Santa Fe, Rio Arriba, and Taos counties. In 2020, Self Help Inc. helped 452 families (1101 household members) distributing $106,781 dollars. (Source:
https://selfhelpla.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/2020-Annual-Report.pdf)

From now until December 31, you can bring your coin collections and loose change to Re/Max in Los Alamos and Pig+Fig Cafe in White Rock who have generously agreed to host collection buckets for the drive. Not only that, owners Chris Ortega of Re/Max Los Alamos, and Laura Crucet of Pig+Fig Cafe have kindly agreed to match up to 500 dollars in donations at their locations! Also, Enterprise Bank and Trust has agreed to accept coin deposits at all their tellers (please tell them it is to benefit Self Help). Finally, if you cannot make it to any of these locations, please email, call or text to have us come pick it up at your home (contact details below).

So shake out your pockets, dig inside your wallets, empty your purses, clear out your car trays, scour your kitchen drawers, trade your kids’ coin collections for notes or whatever else you can do to collect as much change as you can. Of course, if, unlike the rest of us, you are super organized and have all your change in your coin jar, then you have it easy! Finally, organize or encourage your kids to organize a neighborhood drive for coins to make it easy for your block
residents to donate.

Please email Rao Garimella at raovgarimella@gmail.com or call at (505) 577-7537 with any questions or to arrange for a pickup. Questions about the charity work of Self Help Inc. can be directed to director@selfhelpla.org.