El Paso Inc.- New campaign to fight hunger in El Paso

By Nancy R. Natalicio
Special to El Paso Inc.

A new non-profit corporation known as El Pasoans Fighting Hunger, or EPFH, is launching a major campaign in the community on behalf of the hungry.

“Over the six years I’ve been in El Paso,” said John Schwarting, pastor of Trinity-First United Methodist Church, “I’ve been impressed with the great job people here have done making homelessness a central issue.”

“We haven’t done as good a job with hunger,” he said, “but we’re about to correct that.”

San Antonio, for example, provides 115 lbs. of food per person in poverty annually.

“The city is larger but has the same number of hungry people as El Paso,” Schwarting said. “Across the state the average is 70 pounds annually. El Paso provides 31 pounds, up from 8 pounds six months ago.”

Schwarting is on the boards of the West Texas Food Bank, the Kelly Memorial Food Pantry and now, El Pasoans Fighting Hunger. He said the El Paso members of the West Texas Food Bank board will be the founding board for the new corporation.

The West Texas Food Bank has a local warehouse, but is managed out of Odessa.

“Odessa’s done a great job, but as a border city, El Paso has different needs. We can better meet those needs as a local 501(c)(3),” Schwarting said.

The 2008 financial crisis and the federal government’s slashing of funds led the board to seek non-profit status for El Pasoans Fighting Hunger.

“We wanted local management so that money raised here stays here,” he continued. “Some foundations don’t want to send money out of town but will donate locally.

“We’re more urban with more first-generation immigrants. A fourth of our population is considered ‘food insecure,’ with a large number of those living in the Segundo Barrio.”

Hunger reasons
Why are so many here hungry?

“Several reasons,” says Schwarting. “Half of those who seek help from Kelly Memorial, and over 80 percent of those on food stamps, are underemployed. A fourth of our clients are over 65, living on about $600 a month. The other fourth are transitional, chronically unemployed or medically disabled.

“Fewer than half of those who qualify for food stamps apply, in part because of a fear of government,” he said.

Local businessman and West Texas Food Bank board member Tanny Berg has worked closely with Schwarting to identify a warehouse site for the new corporation.

“I found a building on Plaza Circle that is 186,000-square-feet and should be able to serve the food bank in El Paso forever,” Berg said. “It’s the same size as San Antonio’s warehouse. We’re working on the contract.”

Pantry at Bliss

Schwarting has been talking with Fort Bliss, which plans to expand its services to soldiers.

“At present they have a food closet that serves about 40 households a month. The base has lots of junior enlisted men on basic salaries who need help,” Schwarting said.

Tom Thomas, civilian aide to the secretary of the Army, is coordinating the effort.

“Until now we’ve had a small space housing a food pantry and thrift store combined. But the old commissary is being divided among several groups, and we will have 8,000-square-feet within a couple of months.

“We were given old shelving and refrigerators at no cost so we can offer meat and some perishables, and WTFB and the new food bank will supply more foodstuffs at discounts,” Thomas said.

Jose Melendez, executive director of the Armed Forces YMCA, will continue to be in charge of the pantry, according to Thomas, and will be holding fundraisers and recruiting more volunteers. “We’re still in the planning stages.”

Food banks, pantries
The WTFB serves as a clearinghouse for area pantries, which channel boxes of basic foodstuffs to all sections of the city. The largest of these is the Kelly Memorial Food Pantry at 915 Florence, across from St. Clement’s Episcopal Church.

“Downtown churches contribute money and volunteers to the pantry, including Trinity-First United Methodist, First Baptist, First Christian, First Presbyterian and St. Clement’s, who donated the space,” Schwarting said.

Temple Mount Sinai and University Presbyterian are also involved.

“St. Patrick’s Catholic Church provides sandwiches for immediate distribution,” the pastor added, “and Russ Vandenburg is working to get the Catholic church more involved with El Pasoans Fighting Hunger,” said Schwarting. “We used to distribute twice a month, but over time we expanded to four days a week with each family able to receive twice a month.”

WTFB partners with Feeding America, who brought Sam’s and Wal-Marts into the program with generous donations across the country.

Some 90 volunteers, including youth groups, boxed 75 tons of food in June and 50 tons in July for some 3,000 families a day from the Kelly pantry.

But three truckloads of USDA products were cancelled in August because of cuts in the federal commodities program.

Three months ago, the WTFB received dried beans, rice, cereal, pasta, juice and milk, some 30-35 lbs. per family. Now, each box contains 20 pounds, including a mix of 10 canned items, grapefruit juice, milk, cookies and crackers.

“We as a community need to dedicate ourselves to making a difference in the fight against hunger,” Berg said, “especially for our children and elderly. It really is the responsibility of all of us to help.”

Kelly Memorial
Food Pantry
915 Florence
8:30 a.m.-4 p.m.
Monday, Wednesday, Friday
8-11 a.m. Saturday
For information, call John Schwarting, Trinity-First United Methodist Church, (915) 533-2674.