El Pasoans Fighting Hunger

El Pasoans Fighting Hunger Food Bank (the Organization) is a charitable organization approved by the Internal Revenue Service as a Code Section 501(c)3 organization and was established on July 13, 2011 to combat the hunger crisis in our region by strategically procuring and distributing nutritious food through community partners. Years ago, El Pasoans Fighting Hunger Food Bank separated from Odessa and became the youngest food bank in the country. The Organization is El Pasos only food bank and is a member of Feeding America. The food bank fulfills its mission through the following programs:SNAP: The Organization is a collaborative hub for hunger initiatives that assists in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance (SNAP) applications. Social Services Coordinators assist not only with the SNAP program formerly known as Food Stamps, but also with all state benefits such as Medicaid and Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF). In 2022, 1,595 new enrollees were processed, and 2,849 re-enrollments were certified. With the easing of contact restrictions, offsite hubs were re-established at multiple sites from Vinton in the West to San Elizario in the East.MERCADO: The outdoor Mercado at the front of the food bank continued operations in 2022, serving as the food banks largest daily distribution point. We serve an average of 1,500 families a day, Monday through Friday. With funding from a State of Texas Capacity Building grant, we completed a signature shade structure for the Mercado, along with a permanent climate-controlled client registration area. This continues to be our lowest cost distribution point and affords the food bank and partners daily access to those we serve and expands reach to provide access to other much needed services to the neediest in our community.FOOD FARMACY: Continued operating as a very large client choice pantry through August of 2022; serving 600 seniors per day alongside the outside Mercado. We shuttered the operation, moving the clients to the Mercado in September of 2022, both to conserve current resources, and to prepare for the conversion to a true Food FARMacy (serving people with food related illness) in 2023.HOME DELIVERY: The partnership continued with Door Dash to deliver 64,017 emergency food boxes free of charge to homebound El Pasoans in 2022. We continue to serve low-income elderly, disabled and COVID positive people/families.AGENCY PARTNERS: The food bank continues to partner with 132 agencies and community organizations to distribute food throughout El Paso, Hudspeth, and Culberson counties. Partners include churches, schools, community organizations, soup kitchens and shelters to continue the mission of making sure no one goes hungry. MOBILE AND SCHOOL PANTRY DISTRIBUTION: The number of mobile pantries in 2022 was 982. While a number of partner agencies cut back on mobiles as volunteer availability continued to be a barrier to staffing the distributions; school pantries increased significantly as schools reopened. Of the total, 164 were school mobile pantries with 30 school partners, including UTEP and El Paso, Socorro, and Ysleta ISD sites starting pantries.NSLP: The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) was continued in 2022, ensuring food commodities for the free breakfast and lunch programs for low-income children. Through this program, the Organization provided 992,328 pounds of food to schools; 218 schools in 7 West Texas counties.CSFP: The Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP) serves very low-income seniors in our three county region; with an increased case-load of 5,250 per month (from 4,800), the Organization provides consistent access to nutritious foods that help maintain their health.