New Mexico
Goodwill Industries of New Mexico bringing thrift store, job services to Carlsbad
Store plans ribbon cutting at end of February and grand opening in March
About 17.6% of New Mexicans lived in poverty as of 2022, according to the latest data from the U.S. Census Bureau.
That’s the fourth highest poverty rate in the nation, after Virginia at 17.9%, 18.6%in Louisiana and 19.1% in Mississippi.
That rate equated to 364,725 people in New Mexico living below the federal poverty line, defined last year by an individual income of $14,580, gradually increasing to $50,560 a year for a family of eight.
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Poverty can put people at risk for mental illness, chronic disease, higher mortality and lower life expectancy, read a report from the U.S. Center for Disease Prevent and Health Promotion.
“Poverty is a multifaceted issue that will require multipronged approaches to address. Strategies that improve the economic mobility of families may help to alleviate the negative effects of poverty,” the report read.
In Carlsbad, a statewide organization is bringing one possible solution to Pierce Street, where Goodwill Industries of New Mexico plans to open a thrift store by the end of February.
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Construction at the location, 1108 W. Pierce St. was underway with a ribbon cutting scheduled for Feb. 29.
The building will be 23,000 square feet and occupy the space previously housing Union Home and Industrial.
The store will employ 18 local workers, said Goodwill Chief Executive Officer Shauna Castle, and will sell donated, lightly used home goods and clothes to fund the nonprofit’s free workforce programs also held at the location.
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The Carlsbad store will be Goodwill’s 18th location in New Mexico, and if it’s successful Castle said another could be opened in Hobbs.
Goodwill already has stores in Chaves and Curry counties in eastern New Mexico, along with six other counties in the northwest region of the state.
The organization’s services are also available in every other New Mexico County, except Doña Ana, Otero, Lincoln, Sierra, Grant, Luna and Hidalgo counties in the southwest region.
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Goodwill’s programs put 1,550 people into jobs as of 2023, Castle said, and helped 21,000 others through its other services.
“We’re really excited to be able to come to Carlsbad,” Castle said. “We want to be sure we’re serving the entire state.
Chief Services Officer Sesha Lee said Goodwill’s “Good Jobs” program will help find jobs through the Carlsbad location for anyone 16 and older.
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She said as Goodwill’s operations get started in the city, these programs will be tailored to the unique needs of the community.
That will also include various worker and life skills training, Lee said, and support services for veterans including rent help for homeless vets.
Goodwill presently offers training for production assistants for TV and film, along with other job readiness programs, a reintegration program for unhoused veterans and employment aid for low income seniors aged 50 and up.
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“Employment is a need across the board,” Lee said. “Services will continue to be developed, customized things for particular industries.”
In Carlsbad, that could include help finding construction jobs, work in the oilfield or even at restaurants in the city.
Castle said Goodwill executives planned to meet with Carlsbad and Eddy County officials and business leaders in the coming weeks to determine what is needed in the community and how the organization can meet demand.
“Through our services, people can rise up out of poverty,” Castle said. “While there are some great jobs in the oilfield, a lot of people are still not finding jobs.”
She Goodwill was also interested in partnering with Southeast New Mexico College, which recently established its independence from the New Mexico State University system, in an apparent move to focus on workforce training.
“That would be a relationship we would want to develop,” Castle said. “There is this big shift from the four-year degree to the trades. It’s how do we bridge that gap.”
Adrian Hedden can be reached at 575-628-5516, achedden@currentargus.com or @AdrianHedden on the social media platform X.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – The Rail Yards Market celebrated the state’s rich indigenous culture and history over the weekend through artistry, food, and craftsmanship. Some of the many attractions included a variety of southwestern jewelry pieces, handmade leather goods, as well as contemporary beadwork and artwork showcasing centuries-old traditions.
The Ry-Dale Largo Dance Group also performed traditional Navajo dancing styles. “I think it’s really important for everybody to get out and mingle and sit next to each other and create art. It really forms a sense of community, and it’s nice to just sit and create with people next to you that just really enjoy doing art,” said Lisa Richards, beading instructor.
Organizers say the Rail Yards Market sits on Tiwa land, emphasizing their pride in uplifting indigenous voices through their vendors and partners.
VALENCIA COUNTY, N.M. – Valencia County Fire Department responded to a serious UTV crash after two people suffered major injuries in the Rio Puerco area.
The Valencia County Fire Department one patient was flown to the hospital with critical injuries. A second patient went by ambulance with serious injuries.
The fire department said this was the second serious ATV or UTV crash its crews handled that day.
Earlier in the day, units responded to an ATV crash that sent two children to the hospital with multiple traumatic injuries.
The fire department urged riders to wear helmets, stay off roadways and make sure children do not operate ATV or UTV vehicles without supervision.
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