Farmington business owner spurs fundraising effort for Childhaven during holiday season

• Edie Crow, Owner of Zenity Insurance in Farmington, was able to obtain a $10,000 grant for the Farmington nonprofit through the Liberty Mutual and Safeco Insurance Make More Happen campaign, according to a news release.
• Andrea Peña, Childhaven Development Director, told The Daily Times Crow has been someone in the community that has been supporting the nonprofit through donations and volunteering, especially for those children in the emergency shelter.
• Crow said she developed a connection to Childhaven since touring the facility in the past and seeing how workers help children in the community.

FARMINGTON — An area business owner's effort to raise money for Childhaven has led to a total of $40,000 being donated to the nonprofit by the community.

Edie Crow, owner of Zenity Insurance in Farmington, was able to obtain a $10,000 grant for the Farmington nonprofit through the Liberty Mutual and Safeco Insurance Make More Happen campaign, according to a news release.

Crow received an initial amount of $5,000 and grew the donation to $10,000 through a local awareness campaign.

The Farmington nonprofit helps organize mental health treatment for child victims while seeking justice if a citizen is accused of a violent or sexual crime. It also operates an emergency shelter.

Childhaven Development Director Andrea Peña told The Daily Times that Crow has been someone in the community who has been supporting the nonprofit through donations and volunteering, especially for those children in the emergency shelter.

Peña added she it is exciting to see the power of one person.

Crow’s donation spurred others, including Star Collision and Four Corners Cancer Center, to donate $10,000 each during Childhaven’s Pledge for Children fundraising campaign.

“I truly believe this is what community fundraising should be. It should be community members, working to support important organizations,” Peña said.

Crow said she developed a connection to Childhaven since touring the facility in the past and seeing how workers help children in the community.

She told The Daily Times she had a” bad childhood” at times and believes there were times she should have benefited from an organization like Childhaven.

Crow said it felt amazing to be able to raise the funds for the children who need the services.

In the past, she tried to volunteer to cook for the children in the shelter but was not able to due to the COVID-19 pandemic starting to hit the area.

She has also purchased food and other items in the shelter, at one point buying one child a week’s worth of new clothing as he arrived at the shelter with only the clothes he was wearing.

“I felt like I just wanted to do something for them,” Crow said.

Childhaven is in the middle of its Pledge for Children campaign, Peña said. The nonprofit decided to not select a fundraising goal as the COVID-19 pandemic has made it difficult for everyone.

The nonprofit was thankful for last year’s drive which brought in $90,000 when it typically raises about $40,000 to $50,000.

Donations can be made at www.childhavennm.org.

Joshua Kellogg covers breaking news for The Daily Times. He can be reached at 505-564-4627 or via email at jkellogg@daily-times.com.

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