The Empty Stocking Fund helps local families in need during the holidays, providing essential support for various expenses.
Santa Fe: The Empty Stocking Fund, a project by the Santa Fe Community Foundation and The Santa Fe New Mexican, has been around for 43 years. It’s all about helping folks in the community during the holiday season. Each year, they assist hundreds with things like rent, medical bills, and utility costs.
To qualify for help, you need to live in Rio Arriba or Santa Fe counties and show proof of identity. They don’t discriminate based on race, age, or gender identity. Right now, though, they’ve paused applications because they’ve received so many requests.
This year, they aimed to raise $475,000, but they’re already looking at over $500,000 in requests. It’s clear the need is huge!
The fund has been running since 1981 and is managed by the Santa Fe Community Foundation. If you want to pitch in, you can make a tax-deductible donation online or visit their office in person. They’re open Monday to Friday, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
People have been really generous this year, with many anonymous donations coming in. Some notable contributions include $1,000 from Lauren and Larry Prescott and $515.46 from Michael Anthony Roybal in memory of his family.
So far, the total raised is $332,756.58, which is a great start, but they still have a long way to go to meet the community’s needs.
