El Pasoans Fighting Hunger Food Bank’s Response to COVID-19 (Coronavirus)

• March 20, 2020
• EPFHFB

Like the rest of the world, the El Pasoans Fighting Hunger Food Bank continues to closely monitoring the evolving Corona virus situation and following guidance from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), our national partner Feeding America and local entities including the El Paso County (https://www.elpasocountyhealth.org/).

The EPFH is a vital relief organization during times of crisis; internally, we have created a task force that meets regularly to ensure the health and wellness of our volunteers, staff and the community we serve as we work to provide the basic necessity of healthy food across our 3-county service area through our more than 130 partner agencies and our direct programs.

The need for food assistance continues to grow and we are on track to distribute over 130 million pounds off food by the end of the year. The Food Bank is undertaking the following actions to help meet the need in West Texas:

• Creating at least 8,000 family meal boxes each week and making these available for our Partner Agencies- by shifting to a box model, we can create a no to low touch distribution model that is safer for our partners and the neighbors they serve. For more information about changing distribution schedules, or Mobile Distributions regularly check our Facebook page.
• Enabling our Partner Agencies to create their own food boxes by providing them with boxes and food items
• Collaborating with the City of El Paso and County of El Paso to prepare and deliver food boxes to seniors being distributed at local Senior Centers
• Providing emergency food boxes to those who are in quarantine due to a positive COVID -19 diagnosis.
• Adding new food distribution sites in the North East and on the westside. in collaboration with the City of El Paso.
• Transitioning our Mobile Pantry program to a drive thru model to create a “low touch” experience

We will distribute emergency food boxes to those in need at the following drive-thru distribution sites:

Mega Food Distribution Sites

NEW HOURS: Headquarters (El Pasoans Fighting Hunger Food Bank, 9541 Plaza Circle)

9AM to 4PM, Monday through Friday.

Kelly Center for Hunger Relief

10 a - 2p Kelly Memorial 915 Florence, El Paso, TX 79902

El Pasoans Fighting Hunger Food Bank is extremely grateful to many groups who have helped during the pandemic. A few of these include: The Texas National Guard, AmeriCorps, Team Rubicon, Get Shift Done and Workforce Solutions Borderplex. These groups are no longer providing pandemic support, have reduced in size, or are being drawn down. Sadly, due to a lack of manpower, these primary distribution sites are impacted.

We recognize the need is great with 120,000 plus of our neighbors still in need of food to sustain themselves and their families. El Pasoans Fighting Hunger Food Bank is actively working to recruit volunteers as well as develop self-service distribution models, including a new open air “Mercado” at our headquarters at 9541 Plaza Circle, El Paso, TX 79927 which is planned to open as soon as possible in September.

“The Food Bank is determined to ensure that every person experiencing hunger gets the food they need, and we are working hard to ensure El Paso remains a hunger free community.” Stated Susan E. Goodell, Chief Executive Officer, El Pasoans Fighting Hunger Food Bank.

• Since the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis in March, the food bank has faced a soaring demand and are serving more families and individuals struggling with hunger. So far, the EP Fighting Hunger has given out over 1.8 million emergency food boxes across the 5 major distribution sites and several mobile sites per week. The food bank distributed 139.7 million pounds of food in 2020 and in the first six months of 2021 has distributed 81 million pounds of food.