In a collaboration that exemplifies community solidarity, El Paso Community College (EPCC), alongside EPCC Campus Life and Student Leadership, has partnered with El Pasoans Fighting Hunger (EPFH) to stage a 'Grocery Pickup' event, with today's assembly unfolding at the Transmountain Campus. Reflecting the profound need for such services, hundreds of individuals queued in their vehicles to procure complimentary provisions including fruits, vegetables, and canned goods, extending a lifeline not only to EPCC affiliates but also to the broader community at large.
These grocery pickup events, heralded for their success, have spanned across multiple EPCC campuses in the past year, with today's event marked by the weight of the summer heat, yet cars lined up for blocks, occupants waiting patiently to receive the sustenance offered. “It is something to be proud of that we are able to help students, faculty, staff and our community with this grocery pick up," said Mariana Olivas of EPCC Student Leadership and Campus, as per EPCC News.
The inaugural partnership between EPCC and EPFH was kindled in July 2024 at the Valle Verde Campus, subsequently stretching its roots to the Rio Grande and Mission del Paso campuses, its core aim being the adressement of food insecurity among the student population, a plight affecting many, as high as 45% of EPCC students as per the Trellis Strategies Student Financial Wellness Survey in Fall 2023.
