New Mexico NMI Celebrates Historical Site Marker

McCurdy's History Includes Education, Community Service

Friends and alumni gathered on Oct. 11, 2025, to celebrate the history and ongoing work of McCurdy Ministries Community Center in Española, New Mexico. The center, a United Women  in Faith National Mission Institution, was recognized in 2024 as United Methodist Historic Site  No. 581. 

The October celebration included the unveiling of a plaque recognizing the site’s 113 years of  service and historical significance. Bishop Carlo A. Rapanut of the New Mexico Conference led  the official dedication. 

Alumni from as far back as the class of 1952, neighbors, and members of Santa Cruz United  Methodist Church—which began holding services in the campus chapel during the 1920s— celebrated and enjoyed refreshments provided by United Women in Faith groups from the New  Mexico Conference. 

McCurdy Ministries has been a light in the Española Valley for 113 years. Mellie Perkins, a  deaconess from the United Brethren Church, found the need for a school in the Española Valley  and convinced the church to start one. She learned Spanish and opened a mission school in  Velarde, New Mexico, in 1912. In 1915, her Spanish teacher and friend, Edith McCurdy, died.  McCurdy’s family donated $1,000 to start a new school in Santa Cruz, New Mexico. This became  the home of the Edith M. McCurdy Mission school, currently McCurdy Ministries. 

The mission school served the Española Valley for 100 years. Thousands of students, grades 1- 12 called McCurdy a home away from home. But in 2011, McCurdy experienced tough  economic times and applied to the state of New Mexico to begin a public charter school. The  following year, the 100th class of McCurdy School graduated. Immediately following, McCurdy  Charter School opened and McCurdy Ministries was born. 

McCurdy has always had the heart of the community as a part of its ministry. After the original  gymnasium burned down in 1931, McCurdy helped establish a fire department in the valley.  When the need for a hospital came, McCurdy School started a hospital, which today is a full service community hospital. In 1968, McCurdy began a school of licensed practical nursing.  When a community college opened in Española, the LPN school became part of the college,  where it continues operating. So, McCurdy’s transition from a school into a community center  seemed natural.

In the Española Valley, poverty is real. Many families consist of grandparents raising their  grandchildren because parents are either in prison, dead, or addicted to drugs. Many of these  children have experienced some sort of trauma in their lives. In 1984, McCurdy was able to start  Project Cariño with a grant from United Women in Faith’s Call to Prayer and Self-Denial offering.  Project Cariño provides free counseling and therapy to the students at the McCurdy Charter  School, which sits adjacent to the historical McCurdy Ministries. 

When the Rev. Tiffany Hollums became the executive director in 2023, she began to meet these  grand-families. The grandparents asked for a space where they could meet, and Hollums offered  them an empty casita on campus. There was also a need for clothing and toiletries for their  grandchildren, which led to Locker #505, an organization from Albuquerque which provides free  clothing for school-aged children grades K-12. School counselors refer students, who can then  choose clothing, shoes, school supplies, and toiletries. 

It soon became apparent that entire families, not just students, had clothing needs. Because  Locker #505 only provided clothing for school-aged children, McCurdy transitioned its clothing  pantry into The Light House. The Light House now provides clothing, shoes, underwear, and  socks for the entire family. 

United Women in Faith General Secretary and CEO Sally Vonner visited the historical site in the  fall of 2024. She met with Hollums, New Mexico Conference United Women in Faith President  Kathleen Duncan, and the McCurdy Board of Trustees.

Vonner visited McCurdy’s highly rated pre-K program, funded by the State of New Mexico,  which assists children in building the skills they will need for kindergarten. 

Thanks to a grant from the state of New Mexico, the McCurdy campus began to thrive again with the launch of Locker #505 and the Family Resource Center. Vonner was able to see the old  school turning into a place where families could come to find hope and the help they needed. 

The Family Resource Center connects families with a family navigator who evaluates their needs  and connects them with the resources they need—clothing, living assistance, counseling, food,  diapers, and a community of love and support. 

Casitas around the campus provide other nonprofit resources such as CASA First, Las Cumbres  Grandparents Raising Grandchildren, United Way of Northern New Mexico, and the Northern  [New Mexico] Youth Project—each working together to help families and develop youth  programs and internships. 

The literacy level in Española Valley is extremely low, with 35 percent of adults lacking basic literacy skills. The staff of McCurdy recognized the importance of literacy in helping families  improve their lives. So, in the beginning of 2025, Kercida McClain was hired by McCurdy to start  a literacy program. With experience in starting a program like this in Texas, she began working  on the LEER (to read) program, and in May of 2025, the Enchanted Forest of Reading Children’s 

Library opened in the Hovermale (now Kid Space) building, which was the elementary/middle  school at McCurdy. 

In the summer of 2025, Camp Stars, a summer camp offered by McCurdy, implemented a  literacy program. Each day, campers spent half an hour reading alongside their assigned reading  buddies, volunteers from local churches and clubs. At both the beginning and conclusion of  summer, the reading abilities of the campers were assessed. Each camper showed  improvement. McClain recently partnered with an area elementary school to begin reading  buddies with 40 second graders. 

Not only has McCurdy opened a new library on campus, but they have also been collaborating  with volunteers and the county of Rio Arriba to build and erect mini-libraries throughout the  community, putting books in the hands of children. 

But there is still work to be done. Volunteers from across the country come to spend a few days,  up to a week or more, volunteering their time to improve the campus. Teams build shelves,  paint, do work on playgrounds, and work on other projects to help McCurdy maintain its  ministries. 

So, if you are looking for a mission trip, you may consider a visit. If you are interested in coming  to McCurdy Ministries or finding out how you can help McCurdy Ministries, visit McCurdy.org. 

Julie Risch is a United Women in Faith Program Advisory Group member from the New Mexico  Conference.

This article was originally written and published by United Women in Faith and shared with McCurdy Ministries.