El Paso Community College (EPCC) teamed up with El Pasoans Fighting Hunger for a second time, following up on last year's effort to combat local food insecurity. In an event that unfolded at the Mission del Paso Campus, free groceries were distributed to an estimated 150-200 folks, including students, staff, faculty, and area residents. The initiative was driven by volunteers from EPCC's Campus Life and Student Leadership, with a helping hand from the El Paso & Fort Bliss Zaragoza U.S. Army Recruiting Station.
Attendees at the 'Grocery Pick Up' were treated to an assortment of canned goods, fresh produce, chips, garbanzo beans, and, notably, baby formula, a first for the program. Noehmi Beltran, an EPCC Campus Life representative, underscored the value of such events. According to EPCC News, Beltran said, “We are so excited to be out here with a mixture of fruits, vegetables, and for the first time, baby formula, and we have seen a need for baby products, so hoping for more in the future." This sentiment was echoed by a resident, Sonia Rivera, who expressed her gratitude for the groceries that would support her family of six.
An unusual participant at the event was Limitless Strategies Health and Life Agency, which added a touch of sweetness by distributing lollipops to children, while Fort Bliss soldiers took on the task of hydrating patrons with a water giveaway. This collaborative effort is not an isolated occurrence; each EPCC campus is expected to host such an event quarterly with a vision of aiding the broader community.
