Homepage
Letter from the Editor
As we look across our vibrant borderland community, it is easy to see that the true heartbeat of our work lies in the everyday connections we share.
We believe that every act of kindness creates ripples of hope across our community. Whether it is volunteering your time, sharing a meal, or offering a smile, your compassion helps us build bridges of understanding and empowerment.
Every time someone steps through our doors to learn, to teach, to share a plate of food, or simply to lend a listening ear they add to the collective strength of our borderland. These moments may seem small on their own, yet together, they weave a powerful tapestry of mutual support and resilience.
Thank you for being the light in our community, for showing up for one another, and for proving day after day that compassion knows no borders.
With gratitude,
Mary Carter
Editor & Executive Director
Women’s Intercultural Center
Unpacking New Magic at WInC’s Little Library!
The morning sun always casts a golden glow across the front entrance of the Women’s Intercultural Center. At the heart of our entrance stands our Little Free Library, a bookshelf that holds big dreams, quiet inspiration, and deep connections for our borderland community.
Lately, its shelves had grown a bit sparse, patiently waiting for the next wave of stories to share. Yet thanks to our incredible partners at Walmart, our Little Library received an incredibly special delivery this week!
Unpacking the box was like opening a treasure chest built for our borderland community. For our youngest readers, we have stocked the shelves with bright, joyful favorites, including the Bluey Awesome Storybook Collection alongside the heartwarming "Baby Race" edition, plus a classic Wizard of Oz coloring book ready for afternoon creativity.
Pop culture and story time come together in our new, beautifully illustrated Big Golden Books featuring beloved figures like Glinda, Wednesday Addams, and Taylor Swift. The pages are bound to bring immediate smiles to kids and collectors alike.
And as autumn fills the air and holiday gatherings approach, we have not forgotten the cooks and bakers! We have added the latest issues of Taste of Home and Food Network Halloween magazines, filled to the brim with fun, easy-to-do recipes to make with the whole family.
Whether you are looking to discover a new bedtime story with your children, pick up festive recipe ideas for the weekend, or share a favorite book you have already finished, our shelves are ready for you.
Stop by the Women’s Intercultural Center today to grab a book, leave a book, and help us keep our borderland community reading!
How a Lost Sign Sparked a Tradition
Sometimes a missing banner is just a blank canvas waiting for a spark.
When harsh desert weather took down our original building sign, it left behind an empty, weathered space on our walls. Yet as we so often see here at the Women’s Intercultural Center, challenges have a unique way of opening the door to unexpected beauty and collaboration.
In the Fall of 2024, our wonderful visitors from Creighton University’s Schlegel Center for Service and Justice (SCSJ) stepped up with an extraordinary gift: the gift of art. What began as a simple plan to paint our name onto the wall quickly blossomed into something much deeper, a legacy of comunidad and reflection in action.
With paintbrushes in hand and open hearts, that first cohort collaborated with our community, pouring their creativity and spirit into the brickwork.
That single afternoon transformed into something enduring. Now, every visiting Creighton cohort leaves their mark on our walls, lending their hands to blend the iconic Creighton Bluejay with the vibrant, rich colors of our borderland. It is a visual celebration of partnership, shared values, and the bridges we build across miles.
Thank you to all the Creighton SCSJ Bluejays—past, present, and future—for turning a blank wall into a time-honored tradition at the Women's Intercultural Center!
Small Moments, Big Impact
Our front desk is the very first place a person turns to when they need a listening ear and a helping hand.
Just the other day, that front door opened to welcome an older community member and her caregiver, who stepped inside looking for emergency food assistance. In moments of uncertainty, walking through unfamiliar doors can feel daunting, yet our volunteers are always here to meet every visitor with dignity, warmth, and immediate care.
We were able to hand her a well-stocked food box right away. And true to community care, our front-desk volunteer took the extra time to sit down with them to share valuable information about larger food pantries in the area and guiding them through additional community resources they could access moving forward. It was a moment of relief, reassurance, and shared strength.
Behind these quiet, transformative moments lies a humbling reality: our emergency food boxes rarely receive continuous funding. This vital lifeline is due to the incredible generosity of our WInC participants and the local community, neighbors helping neighbors.
To everyone who drops off canned goods, donates items, or gives what they can to keep our shelves stocked: thank you. You are the reason we can step in, bridge the gap, and make moments of relief like this possible for the borderland.
A Stunning Día de los Muertos Altar
Our Yarn Art Class is always creating something amazing, and this stunning Día de los Muertos altar is no exception! Their passion shines through in every single detail, from the vibrant colors and intricate yarn work to the heartfelt remembrance embodied in every piece.
You can watch their breathtaking creation right here:
Thank you to the Yarn Art Class for sharing your beautiful, heartfelt work with us and keeping our community's traditions alive with such incredible creativity and soul!
Surprising Families with Veggie Food Boxes
There is something truly special about bringing farm-fresh, locally grown produce straight to the tables of our WInC participants. Thanks to our wonderful partners over at La Semilla Food Center, we had the joyful privilege of distributing fresh veggie food boxes directly to families in our community!
Eight boxes immediately went to local homes where they will make a healthy, delicious difference.
Inside each box was a vibrant harvest packed with local nutrition and care, sourced directly from regional farms:
- Chestnut Mushrooms from Full Circle Mushroom rich in antioxidants and perfect for a warm sauté or vegan menudo.
- Garlic Chives, Summer & Butternut Squash, and Opal Basil from Growing with Sara bringing flavor, essential vitamins, and healthy antioxidants to home-cooked meals.
- Hakueri Turnips from De Colores Farms & Foods providing bone-strengthening calcium and magnesium.
- Quince from Morning Glory Farms packed with vitamin C and essential minerals.
- Okra from Big Moon is a major source of fiber and digestive support.
- Pumpkin from NMSU loaded with potassium and magnesium to keep hearts strong.
Partnerships like this demonstrate the power of community care and the joy of sharing wholesome food grown right here in our region. A huge thank you to La Semilla Food Center and all the local farms for helping us nourish and uplift our borderland families!
Community Alert: Get Informed & Make Your Voice Heard!
Civic engagement is the cornerstone of a resilient, thriving community. Here in our borderlands, staying informed about local developments and infrastructure planning ensures that our neighborhoods participate in decisions that shape our future.
That is why we want to highlight an upcoming opportunity to learn, ask questions, and share your perspective. Innergex is hosting its second community Open House to discuss the proposed Desert Valley Energy Storage project in Vado, Doña Ana County.
📅 Event Details
- Date: Thursday, November 5, 2026
- Time: 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
- Location: Vado Community Center, 180 La Fe Ave, Mesquite, NM 88048
- Details: There will be light refreshments, and the Innergex team will be present to answer your questions directly.
Why Attend?
Learn firsthand about regional developments and ensure our community's voice is part of the conversation. When evaluating projects of this scale, it is important to weigh all sides:
- Potential Pros: These facilities can improve local power grid reliability, store energy to help prevent rolling blackouts during peak usage and potentially bring regional economic investments or tax revenues to the county.
- Potential Cons: Community members often raise important questions regarding the physical footprint and land use, potential visual or noise impacts near residential zones, and the necessity of strict emergency safety protocols concerning battery fire risks and environmental hazards.
Your voice matters in weighing these factors for our specific region!
We encourage you to attend, bring your neighbors, and participate in an open, meaningful dialogue about our community's energy future.
Inside the 2026 WInC Halloween Celebration!
The 2026 WInC Halloween Celebration was truly one to remember! Our WInC community came together for a fun-filled day of creativity, laughter, delicious food, and festive spirits. From the wonderful costumes to the Halloween boxes prepared for everyone to take home, the Center was full of excitement and joy.
One of the highlights of the celebration was our costume contest, where participants impressed everyone with their imagination making it difficult for our judges to select the winners. Our winners were:
🎃 First Place: Alma captured the top prize with her stunning and authentic Catrina costume.
🎃 Second Place: Isabel earned second place with her fabulous portrayal of Cruella.
🎃 Third Place: Stella took third place with her beautifully crafted gypsy costume.
Throughout the event, participants enjoyed great food, wonderful company, and plenty of Halloween fun. The smiles, laughter, and sense of community made this celebration especially meaningful.
A special thank you to our visiting students from Creighton University, whose generosity and hard work helped make this event even more memorable by preparing Halloween boxes filled with treats and goodies for our participants.
Thank you to everyone who joined us, dressed up, shared in the festivities, and helped create another wonderful memory at the Women's Intercultural Center. Together, we continue to build community, celebrate one another, and make every season brighter.
Step by Step to Citizenship
Step inside the dedication and heart of our Thursday Spanish Citizenship Class, and you will find an inspiring community of learners driven by big dreams and incredible focus!
These resolute participants have already reached a massive milestone, mastering 99 out of the 128 civics questions on their path to naturalization. With every single session, they are bringing their goals closer to reality.
And they are not slowing down! We are moving fast, and soon our students will launch into full interview simulations. These practice sessions ensure every student walks into their official Naturalization Interview feeling completely confident, well-prepared, and ready to shine.
There is truly nothing quite like witnessing the hard work, focus, and resilience of our community here at the Women's Intercultural Center. We are beyond excited to stand beside them every step of the way and celebrate the beautiful moment they officially become Naturalized U.S. Citizens.
Keep up the amazing work, everyone, your hard work is an inspiration to us all!
A Creative Week in Art Class!
Beautiful colors are truly blooming in this week's art class! The creative energy in the room has been nothing short of magical, with participants of all ages gathering to sketch, mix paints, and bring their unique masterpieces to life.
Every canvas tells a vibrant story of nature and seasonal warmth. From brilliant swallowtail butterflies and radiant hummingbirds fluttering across the page to cozy autumn scenes complete with plump pumpkins and classic red trucks; our community's incredible talent is shining brightly through every single brushstroke.
Keep creating, keep inspiring, and keep letting your colors shine, everyone!
Scissors, Skills, and Smiles
Scissors, skills, and smiles are in full swing in our haircutting class! There is an incredible, focused energy in the room as our participants dive deep into the fundamentals of the craft.
From taking careful notes and learning all about proper cutting angles right from the whiteboard to experiential practice stations with mannequin heads, everyone engrossed in the learning process. Watching step-by-step live haircutting demonstrations has been key, and it is wonderful to see everyone building confidence and gaining practical new skills together session after session.
Keep up the amazing work, everyone, we love watching your confidence and talent grow!
First-Time Votes, Lifelong Impact
Every vote cast is a powerful act of self-advocacy, yet there is a distinct kind of magic that comes with casting your very first ballot.
Rita and Judith, like many first-time voters, walked in with a heart full of commitment and a few natural questions about how the voting process works. Taking that initial step into civic participation can feel overwhelming when facing unfamiliar forms, candidates, and procedures.
Our volunteer sat down with Rita and Judith to break down the entire voting experience step-by-step. To help them feel fully prepared and empowered, we printed out an official sample ballot customized for their address. We also gave them a nonpartisan candidate voter guide from the League of Women Voters, giving them clear background information on the candidates and issues up for decision. Together, we walked through what to expect when stepping up to the voting booth so they could build their plan with complete confidence.
Watching them exploring their ballots and realizing the direct impact their voices will have in this election was a deeply inspiring moment.
📋 Make Your Plan to Vote!
Preparing before heading to the polls is the best way to make your voice heard. You can view your customized sample ballot by entering your address at Vote.org Ballot Information or Ballotpedia Sample Ballot Lookup.
How to Check Your Official Sample Ballot & Voter Status
1. Find Your Official Local Election Information: You can check your voter registration status, polling locations, and official local sample ballots through your state or county election authority website.
2. Review Candidate Guides: Nonpartisan resources like your local League of Women Voters guide or official state voter information pamphlets provide background details on candidate experience and ballot measures.
3. Bring Your Notes: Most voting locations allow voters to bring a printed sample ballot or written notes with them into the voting booth to help guide their choices.
Stop by the Women’s Intercultural Center if you need help looking up your sample ballot or navigating your voting resources, we are always here to support our community!
Navigating Hurdles Together
Administrative processes can sometimes throw unexpected roadblocks in our way.
Recently, young Melany faced a stressful situation when she lost her residency card and needed to submit a Form I-90 to obtain a replacement. Fortunately, because she had a clear copy of her original card, submitting the initial application went smoothly.
However, a new challenge arose when her biometrics appointment notice arrived in the mail. Although Melany is 18 years old, she had never gotten a state ID or driver's license, leaving her without a primary method of identification required for the appointment.
Knowing how crucial it is to meet these deadlines, Melany and her mother turned to the Women’s Intercultural Center for guidance. Our volunteer immediately assisted them in:
- Contacting USCIS: We assisted them in reaching out directly to USCIS to explain the situation and find out the exact steps needed to proceed safely.
- Securing an Alternative ID: We helped secure an appointment for Melany with the Mexican Consulate so she could obtain a Mexican passport to serve as valid, accepted identification for her biometrics appointment.
- Looking Ahead: We also provided guidance and strongly encouraged them to make getting a state ID a top priority as soon as her new residency card arrives, ensuring future processes will be smooth and worry-free.
Trusted neighborhood resources matter so much for individuals like Melany and her mother. Whether it is filling out paperwork or troubleshooting unexpected administrative hurdles, our doors are always open to help find solutions every step of the way!
Full Circle Moments
It is heartwarming to experience a true "full circle" moment.
This week, we had the absolute joy of welcoming back an incredibly special member of our extended WInC family: Alma. She stopped by the Center just to catch up, see how everyone was doing, and drop off a generous donation to support our ongoing community programs.
For those who may remember, Alma's journey with us began as a resolute participant in our English Citizenship Classes. Through hard work, dedication, and perseverance, she successfully achieved her dream and officially became a Naturalized U.S. Citizen a while back.
Seeing her walk back through our doors, not just as a proud citizen, but now giving back to help the very programs that helped pave her way is the living definition of community. We lift each other up, we grow together, and we build a stronger future hand in hand.
From all of us at the Women’s Intercultural Center, thank you so much, Alma, for your continued love, generosity, and for showing us all what community resilience truly looks like!
Another Citizenship Success
There is nothing sweeter at the Women’s Intercultural Center than celebrating another incredible milestone on the path to naturalization! This week, we are sending our biggest, most heartfelt congratulations to Edgar Espinoza for successfully passing his U.S. Citizenship interview and exam!
Edgar’s journey is a beautiful story of teamwork and patience. He attended our Citizenship classes right alongside his wife, Patty. Even though they submitted their N-400 applications at the exact same time, Patty got her interview and became a Naturalized Citizen well ahead of him. Naturally, Edgar worried and wondered why his application was taking longer despite filing at the same time.
Our volunteer reassured him, explaining that processing times often depend on individual agent caseloads, and encouraged him to stay patient and trust the process. And sure enough, his day finally arrived!
Because of his late work schedule, Edgar could not come in for one-on-one interview simulations, but the interactive group practice we did during class gave him the knowledge and confidence he needed. To make sure he was fully prepared, our volunteer organized all his required documents into perfect order for his appointment.
When the big day came, he passed! Edgar even made sure to call the Center right after to thank us for all the guidance and support. Now, the only step left is his official Naturalization Oath Ceremony, where he will proudly take the pledge and receive his certificate.
We are so incredibly proud of you, Edgar! Thank you for letting us be part of your journey.
