The “Story of the Free Store”
Valencia County Abundant Grace Free Store
The Valencia County Abundant Grace Free Store is an independent not-profit organization. We are
supported financially and with volunteers by many generous donors including many of the churchs in Rio
Communities, Belen, Los Lunas, and Peralta.
The Free Store was started at the Del Rio Mall in Belen during November of 2010 as a mission of the
Peralta Memorial United Methodist Church with funding from the Albuquerque District United Methodist
Churches Thaxton Grant. This grant provided funding to start the Free Store in Valencia County and
another Free Store in Albuquerque. Both Free Stores are based upon the model of the original Free
Store located in Columbus, Ohio.
At the end of March 2011 there was a fire at the Del Rio Mall in the adjacent tenant space, forcing the
Free Store to relocate. The Free Store re-opened in July of 2011 and has operated in its current location
in Rio Communities since that time.
To better integrate into the Rio Communities and Belen area, the Free Store became an independant
501(c)3 on March 26, 2013. It curently operates with volunteers from the community (no paid staff),
including the Executive Director, the Volunteer Coordinator, and the Board of Directors who all live in
Valencia County.
The Valencia County Abundant Grace Free Store tries to answer the call for “Devine Economy of
Abundance”; we believe that God has ordered creation so that there is more than enough of every good
gift and thus focuses on efficient use of assets, inviting people to work together to achieve common goals.
More information about the creation of the Valencia County Abundant Grace Free Store is avialable here.
Free Store Story