These are the kinds of help people in our county can't find close to home. Each one is a chance for an organization, business, church or neighbor to step in.
How to use this page
This page is for anyone who wants to help: organizations, businesses, churches, funders, elected leaders, reporters and neighbors. Each card below is one kind of help our county is missing.
Start with "At a glance" below: every gap in one sentence, grouped by kind of need.
Open a gap. Each card shows what's here now (green) and what's missing (orange), who goes without, what would fill it, and who could help. "How we know" lists our sources.
Look at the ideas. Each idea says who would do what. Press one to see the details.
Press a button to tell us how you can help. Each one opens a short form, already filled in with the gap.
What each button does
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From "Where Grant County needs more help," kept by the Silver City Gospel Mission: help.silvercitygospelmission.org/HelpGaps · 575-388-5071 · October 29, 2026
Open: no one is filling this yet
Year-round transitional housing
There is no year-round place where a working adult or a family can stay for a few months while they save to move in.
What's here now
Sierra House (the Mission) takes women and children.
El Refugio takes survivors of domestic violence.
SPIN runs sober-living homes for men in Silver City and Deming (one week sober to enter). A women's home in Deming was not yet open when last listed.
SPIN's overnight shelter is night-by-night, not a place to stay for months.
What's missing
Nothing year-round is open to a father with children or a two-parent family.
Nothing is open to a single adult who is working toward housing but is not in a recovery program.
The Town bought the former Army Reserve Center on Pine Street after applying to use it for homeless housing, but has no firm plan for it yet.
Who goes without
A dad with two kids, or a man who just started a job, has nowhere to stay long enough to save a deposit.
What would fill it
A year-round program of 6 to 24 months with a case manager.
Family rooms that keep fathers, children and two-parent families together.
A plan for the Pine Street site that includes transitional housing.
Who could help
The Town and County
A shelter
A housing nonprofit
Churches
School district homeless liaisons
A state housing funder
Ideas that could help
Family rooms for dads and kids· a church or organization with rooms and the Mission
A church or organization with rooms would
Set aside a room or two where a father with children, or a two-parent family, can stay for a few months
The Mission would
Refer families, help with meals and case management
Help them save for a place of their own
What it changes
Families stay together while they get back on their feet
From "Where Grant County needs more help," kept by the Silver City Gospel Mission: help.silvercitygospelmission.org/HelpGaps · 575-388-5071 · October 29, 2026
Being worked on: more help welcome
Warming centers that last, and cool places on hot days
Warming centers open on cold nights but depend on yearly funding and volunteers, and nothing opens for dangerous heat.
What's here now
On hold: the Town's Haven Winter Center opened overnight last winter when it was about 40 degrees or colder, with a cot, a meal and a shower.
Street Outreach opens its College Avenue center on nights below 40 degrees.
SPIN's Seasonal Overnight Shelter usually opens December 1, every night from 5 pm, with showers, dinner and laundry. SPIN reported 3,900 bed nights in one quarter of 2025, so it may be open more of the year: call 575-956-6131 to check.
What's missing
The warming centers must find money and volunteers again every winter, and none has announced its 2026-27 dates yet.
In October 2025 the Town Council turned down SPIN's request for $2,200 a month to keep its shelter going.
There are no cooling centers on dangerous heat days, when valley towns like Mimbres and Gila can top 100 degrees.
Who goes without
On the coldest and hottest days, people with nowhere to go are at real risk of injury or death.
What would fill it
Steady, multi-year funding for the warming centers, with a set opening rule everyone knows.
A few cool places, like a library or church hall, that stay open on heat-advisory days, with water and a place to sit.
One shared phone line or text alert that says which centers are open tonight.
Who could help
The Town and County emergency managers
A church or civic hall
A public library
A senior center
Volunteers
Ideas that could help
Open your hall on dangerous weather days· a church or civic hall and the Mission
A church or civic hall would
Open your hall as a warming or cooling center on the worst days
The Mission would
Bring cots, blankets and trained volunteers, and handle sign-in
What it changes
Neighbors survive the weather; your congregation serves
From "Where Grant County needs more help," kept by the Silver City Gospel Mission: help.silvercitygospelmission.org/HelpGaps · 575-388-5071 · October 29, 2026
Housing people can afford and keep
Open: no one is filling this yet
Money for deposits, back rent and move-in
Grant County has no general fund to help people pay a deposit, catch up on rent, or move in.
What's here now
El Refugio helps survivors of domestic violence with housing costs.
A state fund helps people with serious mental illness (about $1,000 every three years).
One parish gives small one-time help with bills and rent.
What's missing
The state program that pays to move people quickly into housing and to stop evictions (rapid rehousing and prevention) has no provider in Grant County.
SPIN's rent program covers only Luna and Hidalgo counties.
Outside Albuquerque, 40% of people sleeping outside said deposits and application fees were their biggest barrier to housing.
Who goes without
A worker facing eviction after a cut in hours, or a person leaving the shelter with a job but no $800 deposit, has nowhere local to turn.
What would fill it
A local agency signs up to run that state program here, with sign-up hours in Grant County.
A shared flexible fund that pays deposits, first month's rent, fees and back rent straight to landlords.
A landlord risk fund that covers damage, so landlords will rent to people with poor credit or a record.
Who could help
A community action agency
A housing agency
Churches and civic clubs
A legal aid group
Landlords
The Town and County
Ideas that could help
A shared deposit and move-in fund· churches and civic clubs and a housing or community action agency
Churches and civic clubs would
Put money into one shared fund each year
A housing or community action agency would
Check each request, pay landlords directly, and report back on every household helped
What it changes
People move inside faster, and givers see exactly where each dollar went
From "Where Grant County needs more help," kept by the Silver City Gospel Mission: help.silvercitygospelmission.org/HelpGaps · 575-388-5071 · October 29, 2026
Open: no one is filling this yet
Low-rent rooms and apartments
There is almost nothing a person living on disability or a minimum-wage job can afford to rent.
What's here now
Western Regional Housing Authority runs Section 8 vouchers (help paying rent to a private landlord) and two public housing sites.
The Bayard Housing Authority, Lintero and Mountain View (seniors) have income-based units, with waiting lists.
What's missing
There are no single rooms or studios that someone on SSI (about $994 a month) can afford, and voucher holders struggle to find landlords.
Only 216 homes were empty and for rent in the whole county, while 2,439 sat empty and off the market.
Silver City's own 2025 housing plan agrees: it calls housing the town's most urgent challenge.
Who goes without
A man on SSI, or a mom leaving shelter with a new job, can get on a waiting list but finds nothing to rent.
What would fill it
Small low-rent units (rooms, studios, tiny homes) for single adults.
Repair-for-rent deals that bring some of the empty homes back into use.
A landlord liaison who signs up landlords to take vouchers.
Who could help
A housing authority
A nonprofit developer
Landlords and property owners
The Town and County
A university
Ideas that could help
Rent a room to someone starting over· a landlord or homeowner with a spare room or casita and the Mission
A landlord or homeowner with a spare room or casita would
Rent a room, casita or small unit at a fair rent to someone leaving shelter
The Mission would
Refer tenants we know, help with the deposit
Stay in touch so small problems get solved early
What it changes
Steady rent and a tenant with someone backing them; a person leaves the shelter for good
From "Where Grant County needs more help," kept by the Silver City Gospel Mission: help.silvercitygospelmission.org/HelpGaps · 575-388-5071 · October 29, 2026
Open: no one is filling this yet
A place to sign up for housing
Outside the domestic violence shelter, there is no local place to get on the statewide list for homeless housing (called Coordinated Entry).
What's here now
El Refugio signs up survivors of domestic violence for the statewide housing list.
Anyone can call or text the statewide office.
What's missing
There is no publicly listed general sign-up point in Grant County; the nearest is in Las Cruces, about 110 miles away.
Once people are on the list, no local rapid rehousing provider is there to move them into a home.
Who goes without
A family living in their car can't get on the housing list without a trip to Las Cruces or finding the right person by phone.
What would fill it
A trained local sign-up point, even a few hours a week. Any agency that serves homeless people, including the Mission, can apply and be trained.
A local rapid rehousing provider to go with it: a program that pays the first months of rent and helps people move in (see Money for deposits, back rent and move-in).
Who could help
A housing agency
A case management agency
A shelter
The Mission
Ideas that could help
Housing sign-ups at the Mission· a homeless services or Coordinated Entry agency and the Mission
A homeless services or Coordinated Entry agency would
Do housing assessments at the Mission on a set day
Tell us when someone on our list is matched to housing
The Mission would
Bring people in, help them gather papers, and give them an address for mail
Help us find people when their housing comes through
What it changes
More people on the housing list; matches that don't fall through because no one could be found
From "Where Grant County needs more help," kept by the Silver City Gospel Mission: help.silvercitygospelmission.org/HelpGaps · 575-388-5071 · October 29, 2026
Open: no one is filling this yet
Home repairs that keep people housed
Older neighbors and families can lose their homes to a failed roof or water heater, and the only help is a loan.
What's here now
Habitat for Humanity Gila Region offers zero-interest repair and accessibility loans.
The County gives out free smoke alarms.
What's missing
There is no free repair (grant) program for people who can't take on a loan.
3.4% of homes in the county lack complete plumbing, three times the state rate.
About 1 in 4 homes is a mobile home, and many are old.
Who goes without
A widow on Social Security whose roof fails or water heater dies can end up in her car or at the shelter.
What would fill it
A repair grant fund for roofs, water heaters, plumbing, heat and ramps.
Volunteer repair days with churches and trade students.
Help applying for weatherization and federal repair grants.
Who could help
A Habitat-type group
A trades program
Churches and civic clubs
A weatherization agency
A utility company
Ideas that could help
Home repair referrals both ways· a home repair or weatherization program and the Mission
A home repair or weatherization program would
Take referrals for seniors and families whose homes are unsafe or have no heat
Tell us when someone needs a hand moving out during repairs
The Mission would
Find homes that need help and help people apply
Help with meals and clothing while repairs are going on
What it changes
People stay in their homes instead of becoming homeless
From "Where Grant County needs more help," kept by the Silver City Gospel Mission: help.silvercitygospelmission.org/HelpGaps · 575-388-5071 · October 29, 2026
Health, recovery and crisis
Open: no one is filling this yet
Detox beds close to home
Someone who needs medically supervised detox has to go to Las Cruces or farther.
What's here now
Hidalgo Medical Services offers withdrawal care with medicine while people sleep at home (outpatient).
Gila Regional's emergency room treats dangerous withdrawal, but it is not a detox program.
Yucca Lodge at Fort Bayard offers residential treatment after detox (and does not take people with pending court cases).
What's missing
There are no detox beds in Grant County.
The nearest are in Las Cruces (about 2 hours) and Albuquerque.
A residential treatment center in Lordsburg was funded in September 2026; whether it will offer detox has not been announced.
Who goes without
Someone ready to stop drinking or using today often has to find a ride two hours away, and many lose their chance.
What would fill it
A few medically supervised detox beds close to home.
Until then, a held bed and a reliable ride to Las Cruces, and a place to come back to afterward.
Who could help
A hospital
A behavioral health clinic
A recovery program
A transportation provider
Local services today: 2 listed in Grant County (outpatient only; no detox beds in the county) · see them
Ideas that could help
A held bed and a ride to treatment· a detox or treatment center and the Mission
A detox or treatment center would
Hold a bed or an intake slot for someone ready to stop today
Call us when they finish, so they don't come home to nothing
The Mission would
Arrange the ride, help with ID and papers, and keep their things safe
Welcome them back with meals, clothing and support
What it changes
People get into treatment while they're ready; fewer people lost on the way
From "Where Grant County needs more help," kept by the Silver City Gospel Mission: help.silvercitygospelmission.org/HelpGaps · 575-388-5071 · October 29, 2026
Being worked on: more help welcome
24/7 mobile crisis help
When someone is in a mental health crisis at night, the only choices are a phone line, the police or the emergency room.
What's here now
988 and the Hidalgo Medical Services 24/7 crisis line answer the phone.
Gila Regional's emergency room.
A small peer group (NM Recovery Coalition) offers limited crisis visits.
A $971,000 regional mobile crisis unit was reported to the County Commission in September 2026.
What's missing
No team can come out at any hour.
The regional unit has no announced operator or start date yet.
Some people in crisis wait more than 48 hours in the emergency room before a bed is found.
Who goes without
Grant County's suicide rate is more than twice the national rate, and too often a crisis ends in jail or the ER.
What would fill it
A crisis team that can come out any hour, working with law enforcement and the hospital.
A nearby place where people can stabilize for a day or two.
Getting the funded regional unit running in Grant County.
Who could help
A behavioral health provider
Law enforcement
A hospital
A peer recovery group
Ideas that could help
Counselor rides along· a behavioral health provider and a police or sheriff's department
From "Where Grant County needs more help," kept by the Silver City Gospel Mission: help.silvercitygospelmission.org/HelpGaps · 575-388-5071 · October 29, 2026
Open: no one is filling this yet
Doctors who prescribe mental health medicine
Four counties share about one full-time psychiatrist, so people wait months for the medicine that keeps them stable.
What's here now
Southwest Counseling Center, Hidalgo Medical Services and a few private and telehealth providers prescribe.
Gila Regional has a short-stay inpatient unit.
What's missing
Federal data counts 1.25 full-time psychiatrists for Grant, Luna, Hidalgo and Catron counties together (about 60,000 people), when about 4 are needed.
92% of people in the hospital's 2024 survey said there are not enough mental health providers.
Who goes without
A woman leaves the hospital with a 30-day supply, waits months for a follow-up, runs out of medicine and loses her room.
What would fill it
At least one more full-time prescriber who takes Medicaid and uninsured patients.
Video visits with a prescriber at a clinic, the library or the Mission, with someone there to help.
A follow-up visit within 7 days of any hospital or jail discharge.
Who could help
A behavioral health clinic
A community health center
A hospital
A university nursing program
A telehealth provider
Ideas that could help
Video visits with a prescriber· a behavioral health clinic or telehealth provider and the Mission
A behavioral health clinic or telehealth provider would
Hold video visits with a psychiatric prescriber at the Mission on a set day
See people within a week of leaving the hospital or jail when you can
The Mission would
Give a private room, a computer and a staff member to help people get connected
Remind people of their visit and help them pick up their medicine
What it changes
People stay on their medicine and out of the emergency room; fewer missed visits
From "Where Grant County needs more help," kept by the Silver City Gospel Mission: help.silvercitygospelmission.org/HelpGaps · 575-388-5071 · October 29, 2026
Open: no one is filling this yet
A place to heal after the hospital
People without homes are sent from the hospital back to the street or a shelter mat, still too sick to be there.
What's here now
Gila Regional's case managers plan discharges.
Since June 2025, New Mexico Medicaid pays community health centers for medical respite: up to six months of room, meals and nursing after a hospital stay.
What's missing
No place in Grant County offers medical respite; the only program running is in Albuquerque.
Homelessness was named a top barrier to care by 52% of community leaders in the hospital's survey.
Who goes without
A man sent back to his camp the day after surgery or a pneumonia stay often ends up back in the ER.
What would fill it
A few medical respite beds (even 4 to 6) in Silver City, run with a community health center that can bill Medicaid.
A referral agreement between the hospital and that program.
Until there are beds, nurse visits at the shelter or a motel room.
Who could help
A community health center
A hospital
A shelter
A nursing school
A home health agency
Ideas that could help
A place to heal after the hospital· a hospital and a motel, shelter or church with rooms
A hospital would
Pay for or arrange a few days of recovery stay, with nurse visits
A motel, shelter or church with rooms would
Provide a clean, quiet room and check in daily
What it changes
Fewer people sent back to the street sick; fewer readmissions
From "Where Grant County needs more help," kept by the Silver City Gospel Mission: help.silvercitygospelmission.org/HelpGaps · 575-388-5071 · October 29, 2026
Open: no one is filling this yet
Foot and wound care
People who walk all day with nowhere to heal have no regular clinic for their feet and wounds.
What's here now
Street Outreach gives basic wound care and wound-care kits on the street.
Clinics offer podiatry for people with insurance.
What's missing
There is no regular, free foot or wound care clinic for people without homes.
Who goes without
A man who walks miles a day in worn shoes gets a blister that turns into an infection, and ends up in the hospital.
What would fill it
A monthly foot and wound care clinic at a place people already go.
Clean socks and good shoes handed out with it.
Who could help
A nursing program
A clinic
A podiatrist
A church or civic club
Ideas that could help
Foot care clinic· a podiatry, wound care or nursing program and the Mission
A podiatry, wound care or nursing program would
Hold a foot and wound care clinic at the Mission each month
The Mission would
Provide a clean space, a wash station, and new socks and shoes from our clothing bank
What it changes
Small wounds caught before they become hospital stays
From "Where Grant County needs more help," kept by the Silver City Gospel Mission: help.silvercitygospelmission.org/HelpGaps · 575-388-5071 · October 29, 2026
Open: no one is filling this yet
Dental care and glasses
Sliding-fee dental and eye exams exist, but waits are long and adults on Medicaid get no help paying for glasses.
What's here now
Hidalgo Medical Services offers dental care and eye exams on a sliding fee (people who earn less pay less), even without insurance.
New Eyes, a national charity, gives free glasses vouchers when an agency applies for a client.
What's missing
There are few dentists, and waits can be long.
New Mexico Medicaid does not pay for glasses for most adults.
New Eyes vouchers need a recent prescription and a small fee that many can't pay.
Who goes without
Tooth pain keeps people from work and sleep, and without glasses people can't read forms or see to work.
What would fill it
More donated dental appointments each month.
A small local fund that pays for the eye exam and the voucher fee.
A free glasses day once or twice a year.
Who could help
A dentist
An optometrist
A dental or vision school
A Lions Club or civic club
Local services today: 4 listed in Grant County · see them
Ideas that could help
One free appointment a month· a dentist or eye doctor and the Mission
A dentist or eye doctor would
See one or two people a month for free or at a reduced fee
The Mission would
Choose who needs it most, confirm the appointment and arrange the ride
What it changes
Pain relieved and sight restored for neighbors who could not pay
From "Where Grant County needs more help," kept by the Silver City Gospel Mission: help.silvercitygospelmission.org/HelpGaps · 575-388-5071 · October 29, 2026
Food and everyday basics
Being worked on: more help welcome
Food on weekends
From Friday afternoon to Monday morning there is no reliable breakfast or lunch, and nothing outside Silver City.
What's here now
The Gospel Mission gives out snack bags at Friday lunch to help people make it through the weekend.
SPIN serves a free dinner every day from 5 pm in Silver City.
Street Outreach's drop-in center serves weekend meals when volunteers can cook.
The Commons food pantry opens the first Saturday of the month.
The HMS Blessing Box on 11th Street has food 24/7 when it is stocked.
Weekend backpacks feed about 300 schoolchildren a week.
What's missing
There is no reliable weekend breakfast or lunch open to everyone.
There is no weekend meal or pantry outside Silver City.
Who goes without
A man living outside gets SPIN's evening meal on Saturday and Sunday but nothing for breakfast or lunch, and a family in Bayard or Mimbres has nothing nearby at all.
What would fill it
A weekend lunch, cooked by churches and groups that take turns.
Pantries that take turns so one is open every Saturday.
A weekend meal or pantry in Bayard or another town outside Silver City.
Who could help
A food pantry
A church
A restaurant
A civic club
Ideas that could help
Weekend meal rotation· a church and other churches and civic groups
A church would
Take one weekend a month to serve a hot meal
Other churches and civic groups would
Take the other weekends, so there's a meal every Saturday and Sunday
What it changes
No weekend without a meal; no group carries it alone
From "Where Grant County needs more help," kept by the Silver City Gospel Mission: help.silvercitygospelmission.org/HelpGaps · 575-388-5071 · October 29, 2026
Open: no one is filling this yet
Diapers, and hygiene supplies that don't run out
Hygiene kits depend on donations, and there is no steady supply of diapers anywhere in Grant County.
What's here now
The Mission hands out hygiene items on weekdays.
Street Outreach gives them to people who are unhoused.
The HMS Blessing Box on 11th Street has soap, toothbrushes and period products 24/7 when it is stocked.
Public schools have free period products in restrooms.
What's missing
There is no diaper bank in southwest New Mexico.
The nearest free diapers are at pregnancy centers in Las Cruces and Truth or Consequences, about two hours away.
Hygiene supplies run out when donations slow down.
Who goes without
A baby left too long in a diaper gets sick, and adults without soap and a razor are turned away from jobs.
What would fill it
A local diaper bank, or a diaper shelf at one or two pantries.
Regular drives and a standing order so the shelves never go empty.
Who could help
A pharmacy
A grocery or dollar store
A church
A school club
A civic club
Local services today: 8 listed in Grant County · see them
Ideas that could help
Period products and diapers· a pharmacy, grocery or dollar store and the Mission
A pharmacy, grocery or dollar store would
Give pads, tampons and diapers, including damaged boxes
The Mission would
Give them out privately to women and families who ask
What it changes
Dignity for women and girls; fewer missed days of school and work
From "Where Grant County needs more help," kept by the Silver City Gospel Mission: help.silvercitygospelmission.org/HelpGaps · 575-388-5071 · October 29, 2026
Open: no one is filling this yet
Lockers, haircuts and more shower days
There is nowhere to lock up belongings and no free haircuts, and free showers are limited.
What's here now
The Mission has showers and laundry on weekday mornings.
SPIN's shelter offers hot showers and laundry to its guests (more than 2,000 showers in one quarter of 2025).
On hold: the Town's Haven Winter Center offered showers to its guests last winter.
What's missing
There are no lockers for belongings anywhere in Grant County.
There are no free haircuts.
Except for SPIN's shelter guests, there are no free showers or laundry on weekends.
Who goes without
It is hard to keep a job interview, a doctor visit or your dignity when everything you own is on your back.
What would fill it
A few lockers in a safe place.
A monthly free haircut day.
Another place with shower and laundry hours, including a weekend day.
Who could help
A storage company
A barber shop or salon
A barber or beauty school
A gym
A laundromat
A church
Local services today: 11 listed in Grant County (most are clothing; no lockers or free haircuts) · see them
Ideas that could help
Lockers for belongings· a storage company or business with space and a street outreach program or shelter
A storage company or business with space would
Provide a few lockers or a storage unit at low or no cost
A street outreach program or shelter would
Assign the lockers, keep the keys log and check in with users
What it changes
People can go to work and appointments without carrying everything
From "Where Grant County needs more help," kept by the Silver City Gospel Mission: help.silvercitygospelmission.org/HelpGaps · 575-388-5071 · October 29, 2026
Legal help and a fresh start
Open: no one is filling this yet
A walk-in public defender office
People who can't afford a lawyer get one, but there is no public defender office in the county to walk into.
What's here now
You apply for a public defender at the Magistrate or District Court in Silver City.
Local contract lawyers take the cases.
New Mexico Legal Aid helps with civil (not criminal) cases.
What's missing
There is no Public Defender office in Grant, Luna or Hidalgo County.
The state says fewer lawyers are taking contract cases, and rural ones are hard to replace.
There is no local place to get help with the application or to reach your lawyer.
Who goes without
A man with no phone never hears from his lawyer, misses a hearing, and a warrant goes out. People lose jobs and housing over cases that could have been settled.
What would fill it
Regular local hours where people can get help applying and reach their lawyer.
More local contract lawyers.
A legal clinic day at a central place.
Who could help
The Public Defender's office
A legal aid group
A law school clinic
A church or library with a private room
Ideas that could help
Public defender hours at the Mission· a public defender or legal defense office and the Mission
A public defender or legal defense office would
Hold walk-in hours at the Mission once or twice a month
Meet clients who have no phone or address here
The Mission would
Set up a private room, sign people up and remind them of the day
Help clients keep court dates and get your messages
What it changes
Fewer missed court dates and warrants; clients you can actually reach
From "Where Grant County needs more help," kept by the Silver City Gospel Mission: help.silvercitygospelmission.org/HelpGaps · 575-388-5071 · October 29, 2026
Open: no one is filling this yet
Help on the day people leave jail
People leave the county jail with no bed, no ride and often no medicine, and no one meets them at the door.
What's here now
The county jail runs a weekday job and life-skills program.
Probation and parole help people under supervision get their papers.
SPIN's sober homes for men take people leaving jail or prison who have a week of sobriety.
What's missing
Grant County is not yet part of the state's Just Health Plus program, where Medicaid pays for case management and a supply of medicine before release.
No one helps people on release day, especially at night or on weekends.
Who goes without
A man released at night with no medicine, ID or money sleeps in a doorway and misses his first check-in.
What would fill it
The County applies to join Just Health Plus, so care and medicine start before release.
A release-day kit and a warm handoff to a shelter or outreach worker, including after hours.
Peer recovery workers who meet people at release.
Who could help
The County and its jail
A recovery peer group
A shelter
A community health center
Probation and parole
Churches
Ideas that could help
Plan releases together· a jail, probation or parole office and the Mission
A jail, probation or parole office would
Call us before releasing someone with nowhere to go
Tell them about the Mission on the way out
The Mission would
Give an address for mail and check-ins, meals and a shower
Help replace ID and documents
What it changes
People make their check-ins and court dates; fewer return to jail
From "Where Grant County needs more help," kept by the Silver City Gospel Mission: help.silvercitygospelmission.org/HelpGaps · 575-388-5071 · October 29, 2026
Getting around
Open: no one is filling this yet
Rides to the doctor, on weekends and from rural areas
The bus runs only on weekdays and only in a few towns, and there is no public ride to specialists in Las Cruces.
What's here now
Corre Caminos runs free buses on weekdays, about 7:30 am to 4:30 pm, in Silver City, Santa Clara, Bayard and Hurley.
Medicaid members can book medical rides.
Hidalgo Medical Services drives patients to its own clinics.
What's missing
There is no bus on evenings or weekends.
There is no bus to Mimbres, Cliff-Gila or Tyrone.
There is no public ride to specialists in Las Cruces or Tucson, and no medical ride for people with only Medicare or no insurance.
Who goes without
Someone discharged from the ER on a Saturday night has no way home, and a Mimbres grandmother can't get to her heart doctor.
What would fill it
A volunteer driver program or ride fund for specialist visits.
A ride home after an ER discharge (the County Health Council is planning this and needs funding).
Weekend service on the main route, and a weekly van to Mimbres and Cliff-Gila.
Who could help
A transit agency
A hospital
A senior center
Churches and civic clubs
The County Health Council
The County
Ideas that could help
Volunteer drivers· a transportation or senior ride program and the Mission
A transportation or senior ride program would
Add the Mission as a pickup point for rides to appointments
From "Where Grant County needs more help," kept by the Silver City Gospel Mission: help.silvercitygospelmission.org/HelpGaps · 575-388-5071 · October 29, 2026
Open: no one is filling this yet
Bus tickets home
There is no fund to help a stranded adult buy a bus ticket home to family.
What's here now
Young people 12 to 21 can get a free ticket home through the National Runaway Safeline.
Some survivor programs help with travel.
What's missing
There is no ticket fund for adults.
The nearest Greyhound stops are in Lordsburg (about 45 miles) and Deming (about 53 miles).
The only public bus to either is Corre Caminos to Deming, on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Who goes without
A woman stranded in Silver City has a sister waiting for her in another state, but no way to pay for the ticket or get to the bus stop 45 miles away.
What would fill it
A small fund for tickets home, with a call first to confirm family is waiting.
A ride to the bus stop in Lordsburg or Deming.
Who could help
A church
A civic club
A transportation provider
Ideas that could help
A shared fund for bus tickets home· a bus or transit company and churches and civic clubs
A bus or transit company would
Sell tickets at a discount and hold seats for referrals
Churches and civic clubs would
Pool money for tickets and confirm someone is waiting at the other end
From "Where Grant County needs more help," kept by the Silver City Gospel Mission: help.silvercitygospelmission.org/HelpGaps · 575-388-5071 · October 29, 2026
Neighbors who need extra help
Being worked on: more help welcome
Senior meal delivery and senior help
The senior centers stayed open after a hard change, but money is tight and there are too few drivers for home meals.
What's here now
Hidalgo Medical Services stopped running the senior centers in August 2025.
Since summer 2026, the Village of Santa Clara runs all four: Silver City, Santa Clara, Mimbres and Gila.
The Town and County have pledged help with costs.
What's missing
Early in 2026, just two drivers were delivering about 100 home meals a day, as far as Hanover and Arenas Valley.
Meals on Wheels may have a waiting list.
Who goes without
An older man in Hanover who can't drive or cook waits for a meal that comes late, or not at all, when a driver is out sick.
What would fill it
More volunteer meal drivers.
Steady funding for the senior centers.
Weekly check-in calls for seniors who live alone.
Who could help
A church with a kitchen
A civic club
A home health agency
Volunteers
Local services today: 41 listed in Grant County · see them
Ideas that could help
Senior meal delivery· a restaurant with a kitchen and a volunteer group or senior center
From "Where Grant County needs more help," kept by the Silver City Gospel Mission: help.silvercitygospelmission.org/HelpGaps · 575-388-5071 · October 29, 2026
Open: no one is filling this yet
Child care for babies and toddlers
There are about 40 child care spots for every 100 babies and toddlers, and none at night or on weekends.
What's here now
El Grito, the WNMU Child Development Center and a few home providers take infants.
Child care has been free for New Mexico families since November 2025.
What's missing
Only 195 spots for about 483 children under age two.
No care for early-morning, night or weekend shifts.
Who goes without
A mom who gets a job at the hospital or the mine can't start, because no one can take her baby or her shift starts at 6 am.
What would fill it
More infant and toddler spots, using the state's contracted slots (the state pays a center up front to hold spots for babies).
Help for new home providers to get licensed.
Care at early and late hours, with help from big employers.
Who could help
A child care center
A university early childhood program
Large employers
A family resource center
Ideas that could help
Child care for early shifts· a large employer and a child care center
A large employer would
Help pay for a few infant and toddler spots, including early-morning hours
A child care center would
Hold the spots for workers' children and open earlier
What it changes
Parents can take and keep jobs, and employers keep their workers
From "Where Grant County needs more help," kept by the Silver City Gospel Mission: help.silvercitygospelmission.org/HelpGaps · 575-388-5071 · October 29, 2026
Open: no one is filling this yet
Help for Native American neighbors
Grant County has no Indian Health Service or tribal clinic; the nearest is about 170 miles away in El Paso.
What's here now
WNMU's Native American Center helps students.
Native Americans on Medicaid can choose the basic state plan (fee-for-service) so they can use IHS and tribal clinics.
What's missing
There is no IHS or tribal clinic in Grant County.
The nearest, the Ysleta del Sur Pueblo clinic in El Paso, is open to members of any federally recognized tribe but is about 3 hours away.
Who goes without
A tribal member living in Silver City has to travel about 3 hours to El Paso for care they are entitled to.
What would fill it
Regular outreach days with tribal and IHS staff.
Warm referrals and rides to tribal and IHS services.
Who could help
A tribal office
A clinic
A legal aid group
Local services today: 1 listed in Grant County · see them
Ideas that could help
Tribal liaison days· a tribal office or Indian Health Service clinic and the Mission
A tribal office or Indian Health Service clinic would
Hold a liaison day at the Mission a few times a year
The Mission would
Gather neighbors, help with papers and provide the space
What it changes
Native neighbors reach the help they are entitled to
From "Where Grant County needs more help," kept by the Silver City Gospel Mission: help.silvercitygospelmission.org/HelpGaps · 575-388-5071 · October 29, 2026
Gaps filled. Thank you!
Help applying for SSI and disability
How many local services are there?
Open services run by organizations based in Grant County, by kind of help, fewest first, out of 488 local listings in our free directory. Highlighted rows have fewer than 10. Statewide hotlines and services in other counties are not counted here. One organization can offer several kinds of help.