The Mid-Rio Grande Senior Volunteer Network (SVN) helps individuals age 55 and older put their skills and life experience to work for their communities.

SVN services more than two dozen partners all around Valencia County. For example: Belen Area Food Pantry, Bosque Farms Senior Center, St. Philip's Episcopal Church, Belen Public Library, Meadow Lake Senior Center, Secundino Baldonado American Legion Post #81, St. Vincente de Paul Thrift Store, and Valencia County Animal Shelter.

How SVN helps our community in other ways:

• Partners with AARP for tax preparation services for seniors.
• Provides information and guidance to seniors and families in need with free food distribution.
• Hosts an annual luncheon for all its volunteers.
• Provides support for events at the Belen senior center.
• Hosts an annual health fair for all(pre-pandemic and later, post-pandemic).
• Adopted a Belen city park by adding landscaping, regular cleanups, and maintenance.
• Removal of graffiti from structures in the community.
• Keeping volunteers informed with a quarterly newsletter.

SVN volunteers serve from a few hours to forty hours a week. They do a lot within our community helping non-profits, private, public community organizations and assisting many other great projects. However they choose to serve, SVN volunteers meet community needs and make a lasting difference. SVN promotes the engagement of older persons as community resources in planning for community improvement and delivering volunteer services.

SVN members make a difference in the lives of those in need. With each new experience, volunteers meet new people and work to solve new problems, creating solutions that benefit everyone. Living a satisfying and fulfilling life means helping others, staying involved, giving back to the community and having fun. SVN offers the chance to do all of these!

SVN is a completely FREE program. You are not expected to buy uniforms, nor do you obtain any kind of obligation whatsoever. The program allows you to choose when and where you volunteer. Furthermore, you will receive free volunteer placement and supplemental accident and liability insurance (when you are on your way to volunteer, during your volunteer time, and on your way home).

Benefits to becoming a volunteer

• Supplemental accident and liability insurance
• The satisfaction of knowing you are making a difference
• Optional mileage reimbursement
• Annual Appreciation/Recognition Luncheon
• Volunteer Insurance Service provided by CIMA

Donations for the Veterans Memorial and Information Center are being sought now. Donations of trees, shrubs, and rose bushes as well as financial contributions are needed for continuing constructions, equipping, and maintaining of the Memorial and Information Center. For more information or for questions please call Frank Ortega at 505-966-2664 or view the brochure by clicking the button below.

The Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP) provides monthly nutritious food, recipes, basic nutrition information, and referrals to other programs for income-qualified, New Mexico resident seniors 60 years and up.

To register you need

• Picture ID
• Proof of age. Must be at least 60 years old
• Proof of New Mexico residency
• Income for entire household is required

Registration is at the Belen Community Center
305 Eagle Lane, Belen, NM 87002
from 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM.

Distribution Dates for 2025
January 7th          July 8th

March 4th             September 9th

May 6th                 November 4th

For more information please contact the SVN office, 505-966-2567.