Volunteers from Gateway Church, New Life Fellowship, Pioneer United Church and Holy Name of Mary Catholic Church hosted the Ministerial Alliance sharing event at the Rio Grande County Annex Building on Dec. 22.

DEL NORTE — The Ministerial Alliance hosted a Christmas give-away celebration at the Rio Grande County Annex Building on Dec. 22, boxing up winter clothes, canned goods and Christmas toys for more than 130 families.
The line formed before 9 a.m., including people picking up boxes for other family recipients. Inside the annex, the room hummed with volunteers from Gateway Church, New Life Fellowship, Pioneer United Church and — for the first time this year — Holy Name of Mary Catholic Church.
Thanks to a $3,000 grant from the Colorado Trust, event organizers accumulated more toys, and they reported increased donations from other sources too. With more than 90 minutes remaining, pastors agreed to allow two gifts per child, and they made arrangements for surplus toys to be distributed during the Christmas dinner at the annex.
Leftover canned goods returned to the Gateway Church pantry after the event, and Pastor Joe Archuleta said they would distribute leftover bread as part of the “bread ministry” at New Life Fellowship.