Las Cruces event raises thousands for homeless youth

LAS CRUCES - A professional development group has helped raise more than $30,000 to support homeless youth in the community.

Leadership Las Cruces, a development program sponsored by the Greater Las Cruces Chamber of Commerce, raised the money to support Project Link, a Las Cruces Public School program to aid homeless students. 

Noe Rivera, 18, will graduate May 19, an accomplishment that may not have been possible without Project Link.

Rivera spoke Thursday at the Linking Hands-Helping our Homeless Youth fundraiser, put on by Leadership Las Cruces.

“I hope this program can go much bigger and help out other kids who were in the same situation as me,” Rivera said.  

Rivera was born in Juárez and was brought into the United States when he was 4 years old. He grew up living with his mom and four brothers until one day last year when his mom needed to return to Mexico. 

Rivera’s brothers accompanied his mother back to Mexico, but Rivera stayed to finish school. 

“He was able to stay with an aunt, but of course economics was very tight.” Yoli Silva, social worker for Project Link, said during the fundraiser. 

Silva said she had known Rivera for years, and when Rivera was young, he and his family were occasionally homeless.  

 “And that’s how I met Noe,” Silva said.  

The attention shifted toward Rivera’s wellbeing and schooling after his family’s departure. 

“So, it was like how can we help him to get to his goal?” Silva said. The goal of graduating high school. 

Rivera said the Project Link services that were provided were beneficial. 

“Helping me pay for my cap and gown, helping me pay for class fees and other stuff was really helpful,” Rivera said.  

Linking Hands

Linda Jackson, owner of the Chocolate Lady shop in Mesilla, attended the fundraiser.  

Linda’s husband Rick Jackson, CEO of the American Document Services company, said Linda placed his name on multiple auction items.  

“I know it’s for a good cause, but I don’t know if it’s good for me,” he laughed. 

In Linda’s defense, it was her husband’s idea.

“He said, if I see something I like, to bid for it. So, I’m doing that. I’m doing my duty,” Jackson said. 

The Jacksons won several auction items, and The Chocolate Lady was one of 53 businesses who donated items, including a basket filled with chocolate worth $100.  

“And of course everybody is fighting over it,” Rick Jackson said. 

The Jackson family was integral in the event as Jackson’s son-in-law, Shawn Martin from Leadership Las Cruces, hosted it. 

The Leadership Las Cruces program provides eight months' worth of classes to participants in an effort to equip them with valuable leadership skills, the Chamber’s support network and an understanding of local issues. By doing so, participants are expected to recognize and develop leadership skills for the better of the community.  

This year, 28 candidates were selected from professional, educational, governmental, nonprofit and business sectors for the program, and they decided to hold the fundraiser in support for homeless youth.  

“We found out there were a bunch of homeless youth in Las Cruces, and that Project Link was the organization that takes care of them. So, we decided to raise money and help them with clothes and raise a bunch of funds and supplies for them,” Martin said. 

Xchelzin Peña is a freelance writer and can be reached at xchelzin@gmail.com.