EL PASO, TEXAS (KFOX14/CBS4) — In honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service, El Pasoans Fighting Hunger Food Bank hosted a special volunteer event on Monday, where participants prepared food distributions for the El Paso community.
The event, sponsored by FirstLight Federal Credit Union, aimed to bring together volunteers, community partners, and local leaders to address hunger in the borderland, as over one-third of El Pasoans face food insecurity, according to El Pasoans Fighting Hunger.
To honor Dr. King Jr.’s legacy, participants sorted, packed, and prepared food for distribution across El Paso, Hudspeth, and Culberson counties.
The volunteer event began with a meet and greet with all volunteers at 8 a.m., followed by opening remarks from Kris Yagel, interim CEO of El Pasoans Fighting Hunger, MDJ Ortiz-Frausto, community impact supervisor at FirstLight Federal Credit Union, and El Paso Mayor Renard Johnson.
As volunteers continue to prepare food for distribution across the borderland, the food bank encourages the community to participate in this meaningful day of service.
“Martin Luther King Jr. Day reminds us that real change starts with service,” Yagel said. “When our community comes together, we build more than just food boxes. We build hope, dignity, and a stronger El Paso.”
He added,” So every day, Tuesday through Saturday, we have volunteers here. They’re really the lifeblood of our operation. We have them processing and sorting food…so that we can be prepared for our neighbors this week when they come to get food and different things.”
Speaking to KFOX14/CBS4 on Monday about the event, El Paso Mayor Renard Johnson said, “Without the El Paso’s Fighting Hunger food bank, we would be in a really bad position here in El Paso, but they go above and beyond to make sure that our most vulnerable here in El Paso have food.”
The event also served as a celebration as El Pasoans Fighting Hunger celebrated a decade of service as an independent food bank. To learn more about how you can volunteer or donate to El Pasoans Fighting Hunger, visit here.
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