A free directory of 1434 places to get help in and around Grant County, New Mexico: shelter, food, recovery, health care, benefits, legal help and more. Kept up to date by the Silver City Gospel Mission.
Found someone who may have diedUse when someone finds a person who is not moving, not breathing and may have died, at home, outside, in a car, a camp or a public place.
Grieving a death and needs supportUse when someone is grieving the death of a family member, friend, child or partner and wants comfort, a group, or counseling.
A veteran's family member needs helpUse when a spouse, child, parent or caregiver of a veteran or service member needs benefits, health coverage, counseling, money help or burial help.
NM Health Care Authority - Income Support Division (Grant County office)
State burial assistance (up to $200) for people on assistanceconfirmed October 2026
Benefits · Death and burial
The state may pay up to $200 toward funeral costs for someone who was getting state financial or medical assistance, when the estate and legally responsible relatives cannot pay and no one else will. Family or the funeral home can request it.
Where: 3088 32nd St Bypass, Suite A, Silver City, NM (map)
Who it's for: Person who died was receiving state financial/medical assistance; resources available for the funeral under $600 (counts cash, burial insurance, Social Security/VA death benefits); spouse or parents of minor unable to pay. Claims decided within 30 days.
Bring: Death certificate, funeral home bill, info on any insurance or death benefits
Support for families after a homicide or violent deathconfirmed October 2026
Mental health and crisis · Legal help, courts and re-entry · Death and burial
Free advocacy for families after a murder or other violent death: explains the police and court process, support groups (some virtual), and referrals for counseling, legal help and money help. Cannot pay for burials. English/Spanish.
Support after miscarriage, stillbirth or infant deathconfirmed October 2026
Mental health and crisis · Children, youth and families · Death and burial
Phone and email support, online support groups and chats, peer companions and free resource packets for families whose baby died during pregnancy, at birth or in early infancy. Spanish support (Esperanza).
Online support chats for parents who lost a childconfirmed October 2026
Mental health and crisis · Death and burial
Peer support after the death of a child of any age: live online chat rooms most evenings (special rooms for suicide loss, infant loss, no surviving children), private Facebook groups and free webinars. Nearest in-person chapter is Albuquerque.
24/7 support line for families of fallen military membersconfirmed October 2026
Mental health and crisis · Veterans · Death and burial
Free 24/7 helpline, peer mentors, grief support groups and casework for anyone grieving the death of someone who served in the military (any cause of death, including suicide or illness).
Who it's for: Family members, friends and fellow service members grieving the death of anyone who served in the U.S. Armed Forces, no matter how or when they died.
Free headstone, marker or medallion for a veteran's graveconfirmed October 2026
Veterans · Death and burial
VA provides a government headstone or marker (or a medallion for a private headstone) for an eligible veteran's grave in any cemetery, including private and unmarked graves. Apply with VA Form 40-1330.
Who it's for: Veterans not dishonorably discharged and service members who died on active duty (minimum service rules apply). Spouses/children only in national, state or tribal veterans cemeteries.
Bring: Copy of DD214 or other discharge papers (not originals); VA Form 40-1330
Veterans burial allowance and plot allowance (incl. unclaimed veterans)confirmed October 2026
Benefits · Veterans · Death and burial
VA pays part of burial and funeral costs for eligible veterans (about $1,032 burial plus $1,032 plot allowance for deaths on or after Oct 1, 2026), and pays whoever buries an unclaimed veteran. Can also cover transport to a national cemetery.
Who it's for: Whoever paid the funeral costs (family, friend, funeral home or organization) for a veteran not dishonorably discharged who died of a service-connected cause, under VA care, or while getting VA pension/compensation, among other conditions
Bring: Death certificate, funeral receipts, veteran's discharge papers
Free help with advance directives and end-of-life planningnot yet confirmed: call first
Seniors and disability · Death and burial
Free info, workshops and referrals on advance health care directives, end-of-life choices and NM's End of Life Options Act. Volunteer speakers present locally (a Silver City group held a session at the Bayard library in 2025). Not medical or legal advice.
Baca's Funeral Chapels & Baca's Silver City Crematory
Funeral home and crematory (including direct cremation)confirmed October 2026
Death and burial · 2 miles from Silver City
Silver City funeral home with crematory: traditional funerals, cremation, memorial and graveside services, and pre-arrangements. Helps families arrange military funeral honors for veterans. Ask for the price list and lowest-cost option.
Indigent burial or cremation assistanceconfirmed October 2026
Benefits · Death and burial · 2 miles from Silver City
Under NM law the county of residence pays for burial or cremation of an indigent person when no family or estate can pay (statute allows up to about $600). Does not cover viewing or funeral services. Families, funeral homes or the Office of the Medical In
Funeral home and crematory in Santa Clara (by Fort Bayard) serving Grant, Hidalgo, Luna and Catron counties. Burial, cremation, veterans services and help getting death certificates.
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs - Fort Bayard National Cemetery
Free burial for eligible veterans and familyconfirmed October 2026
Veterans · Death and burial · 9 miles from Silver City
VA national cemetery next to Santa Clara. Eligible veterans (and spouses/dependents) get a free gravesite, opening and closing, vault/liner, headstone or marker and a burial flag; space for casket and cremated remains.
Free readjustment counseling for veterans and familiesconfirmed October 2026
Mental health and crisis · Veterans · Death and burial · 110 miles from Silver City
Free, private counseling for combat veterans, military sexual trauma survivors, and their families, including PTSD, grief and family counseling, plus help connecting to VA benefits. Separate from VA medical records. Walk-ins welcome.
GriefShare at Las Cruces First (in person and online)
Christian grief support group, including an online optionconfirmed October 2026
Mental health and crisis · Faith and community · Death and burial · 113 miles from Silver City
Weekly 13-week grief recovery group with videos and discussion, run by Las Cruces First church. Its Monday group meets online, so people in Grant County can join from home. You can join partway through.
Survivors of Suicide loss support group (8-week peer group)confirmed October 2026
Mental health and crisis · Death and burial · 113 miles from Silver City
Community task force that runs peer-led 8-week closed support groups for people who lost a loved one to suicide, followed by free monthly drop-in dinners for graduates. Also offers suicide prevention trainings.
Mesilla Valley Hospice - Center for Grief Services2 services
Free grief counseling and support for the communityconfirmed October 2026
Mental health and crisis · Death and burial · 113 miles from Silver City
Grief counseling for adults, children and families after a death or other big loss, open to the whole community whether or not hospice was involved. English and Spanish.
Hours: By appointment. Public groups (registration required): Thu 10am Grief Cafe; Thu 1pm Parents of Adult Children; Thu 4pm Open Group; 1st & 3rd Thu 11:15am Spanish group
Who it's for: Grief support groups (including a Spanish-speaking group) are open to the public, no hospice connection needed; registration required. Individual, family and phone counseling are for Mesilla Valley Hospice families.
Hospice care and La Posada inpatient hospice unitconfirmed October 2026
Medical care · Seniors and disability · Death and burial · 115 miles from Silver City
Nonprofit hospice and palliative care for southern NM: care at home, in nursing homes or at La Posada, the only dedicated inpatient hospice unit in southern New Mexico. 24/7 nursing.
Who it's for: People with a serious illness and a life expectancy of about 6 months or less (palliative care for serious illness too). Home hospice mainly Dona Ana County; La Posada unit serves southern NM.
UNM School of Medicine - Anatomical Donation Program
Whole-body donation to medical scienceconfirmed October 2026
Death and burial · 230 miles from Silver City
People can will their body to the UNM medical school. UNM pays in-state transport (with limits), embalming and cremation; ashes are returned to family or scattered after about 18-24 months. A no-cost option only if planned ahead.
Who it's for: Adults who sign up ahead of time; UNM can decline (e.g., after autopsy, accident, homicide, suicide, some diseases, obesity). When funds are tight it only accepts donors within 60 miles of Albuquerque.
Bring: Signed, notarized consent form completed by the donor before death
Online community forum for suicide loss survivorsconfirmed October 2026
Mental health and crisis · Death and burial
Moderated online forum where people who lost someone to suicide can post and read support from other survivors any time, plus free healing emails for bereaved parents and resources for children and teens.
Healing Conversations (free visit with a fellow suicide loss survivor)confirmed October 2026
Mental health and crisis · Death and burial
Connects people who recently lost someone to suicide with a trained volunteer who is also a loss survivor, for a one-time visit by phone, video or in person. The NM chapter also holds International Survivors of Suicide Loss Day events each November.
Who it's for: Anyone who has lost someone to suicide
Money to help crime victims with medical, counseling, funeral and lost wage costconfirmed October 2026
Domestic and sexual violence · Benefits · Legal help, courts and re-entry · Money and banking · Death and burial
State fund that repays crime victims for costs not covered elsewhere, such as medical and counseling bills, lost wages, funeral costs and relocation after violent crime. Apply within two years of the crime.
New Mexico Office of the Medical Investigator (OMI) - Decedent Affairs
Release of remains, family burial and indigent burial guidanceconfirmed October 2026
Death and burial
Statewide office that investigates sudden, unattended or unnatural deaths. Decedent Affairs explains how to release a body to a funeral home, how to do a family burial, death certificates, and county indigent burial programs.
Birth/death certificates by phone (VitalChek)confirmed October 2026
ID and documents · Death and burial
Order NM birth/death certificates by phone or online through VitalChek: $26 (regular mail) or $44.50 (next-day UPS) for a birth certificate, plus service fees; 3-5 day processing. By mail with Form 607 is $10. Death certificates only from Santa Fe.
Report a death and $255 lump-sum death paymentconfirmed October 2026
Benefits · Death and burial
One-time $255 payment to a surviving spouse (or certain children) of a worker with enough Social Security credits. Reporting the death also starts survivor benefits and stops checks that would have to be paid back.
Who it's for: Surviving spouse who lived with the deceased or was getting benefits on their record; otherwise a child eligible for benefits on the record
Bring: Deceased's Social Security number, death certificate, your ID
Suicide loss support groups (virtual groups open statewide)confirmed October 2026
Mental health and crisis · Death and burial
Free, peer-led, nonreligious support groups for adults who lost someone to suicide. Virtual groups on the 2nd Monday 7pm and 3rd Saturday 1pm are open to people anywhere in NM; in-person groups and a mothers' group meet in Albuquerque.
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs - National Cemetery Scheduling Office
Schedule a veteran's burial in a national cemeteryconfirmed October 2026
Veterans · Death and burial
National line that books burials at VA national cemeteries such as Fort Bayard. A family member or the funeral home calls with the veteran's discharge papers.
Some help people need still isn't available in Grant County, like inpatient detox, a local public defender office, and help applying for disability. See the list, and tell us if your organization can help fill one, or if you know of help we've missed.
📞 We need volunteers to keep this guide up to date
Phone numbers, hours and services change all the time. Volunteers call each place to make sure its listing is still right, so no one makes a trip for nothing. You can do it from home, on your own schedule. An hour a week makes a real difference.
For other organizations: this directory is free to use and share. Download the whole directory (spreadsheet, updated live).
Please credit the Silver City Gospel Mission, and remember that hours and services change: call ahead before sending someone.
Kept by the Silver City Gospel Mission · 111 S. Texas St., Silver City, NM 88061 · 575-388-5071 · Updated October 28, 2026.
Information comes from the providers themselves, public sources and our staff. It is offered as a help, not a guarantee; please call ahead.