Villa Maria is gearing up for its annual Wine & Tapas Night, a fundraiser supporting unhoused women as they work toward self-sufficiency in El Paso. The event brings together wine, food from more than a dozen local restaurants, live music and a silent auction, all in service of a nonprofit that says it has helped more than 900 women move toward greater independence.
The fundraiser is set for Thursday, Oct. 8, from 6 to 10 p.m. at St. Roger's Depot, according to KVIA. Guests can expect wines, food from 14 participating restaurants, live music and a silent auction, with tickets priced at $75. Proceeds are meant to help Villa Maria continue providing services to women in need.
Laura Rayborn, board president of Villa Maria, spoke about the fundraiser and the organization's work in the El Paso community. Villa Maria describes itself as a transitional living center for unhoused women in El Paso, offering 22 rooms where women can stay while receiving support with education, employment and other needs.
How Long Women Stay, and Why Accounts Differ
KVIA reports the shelter allows women to stay for up to a year and a half while they receive support. Villa Maria's own residency page offers a different figure, stating that residents who enter the program on average stay 12 to 14 months. A separate page on Villa Maria's site describing its programs and services notes that some residents exhaust a two-year limit when their situations are especially severe. The organization has not reconciled these varying figures publicly.
Villa Maria says it is primarily funded through donations, stating on its donation page that the organization could not meet its mission without community support. That reliance on donors is part of why the Wine & Tapas Night matters beyond a single evening of wine and food — it's also why the organization says it is currently seeking volunteers, sponsors and new board members.
A Broader Push for Shelter Space in El Paso
Villa Maria's fundraiser arrives as other parts of El Paso's shelter system are expanding too. The Opportunity Center for the Homeless recently opened a renovated wing at its Women's Resource Center, adding 20 permanent single-room units for women experiencing homelessness, according to KTSM. That expansion is part of a $3.2 million project funded through the center's Phase Three Capital Campaign, and the center's four projects together are expected to add 165 shelter beds by 2026.
Villa Maria's Wine & Tapas Night is a more intimate, community-driven effort to support women facing homelessness — one dinner, one auction bid and one $75 ticket at a time.
Anyone interested in tickets, sponsorship or volunteering with Villa Maria can call 915-820-3734 for more information.
