Founders of Opportunity Center for the Homeless honored for their dedication

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA)—Each year, El Paso Inc. honors a person or group that embodies El Paso’s spirit, generosity and values. The 2025 Community Spirit Award went to Ray and Lilia Tullius, the founders of the Opportunity Center for the Homeless.

Today, the Opportunity Center is the largest provider of services to the unhoused within the El Paso community.

"We want to help everybody. It's a challenge because we can't. Sometimes we can't,” Lilia explained.

For more than three decades, they have been committed to improving the lives of El Paso’s homeless population. Both Ray and Lilia were once homeless, so they sought to create a shelter that was inclusive and offered a wide variety of resources.

"We're a little bit older than when we started. We look at some of the pictures, and I had hair, and she had dark hair. And, but we made it all work,” Ray said.

The couple began with an empty warehouse.

"And so, it’s come a long way from where it was before," they said.

Now, their shelter spans over 10 different facilities across El Paso.

"I see the finger of God in this, in this work because it's started to come together without us really knowing a lot about what to do and how to how to make it work,” Ray explained.

The shelter now takes in over 400 people every single night. The shelter assists thousands of people every single year.

The generosity and dedication of Ray and Lilia continues to be on full display.

Ray is still heavily involved in leadership, and Lilia continues to lead programs for women. They visit the facilities every week.

"I hope that we can retire someday. I don't think so. No. We will stay in here as long. Retirement is not in our schedules,” they both explained.

John Martin, the shelter’s current deputy director, has been an employee for nearly 13 years. He has witnessed Ray and Lilia’s dedication firsthand.

"Ray is such an incredible man, and I think you even saw, he's very humble. He truly, he said he does things because he knows it's the right thing to do.”

Ray and Lilia feel humbled to receive this award that honors their service and generosity.

"I don't think I have done anything to deserve it. I don't think I, I've done, I think we did what we had to do. It's something that everybody should do,” Lilia explained.

El Paso Inc. will celebrate Ray and Lilia Tullius during a luncheon. It’s happening on Tuesday, March 3rd at Hotel Paso Del Norte.

To learn more about the Opportunity Center for the Homeless, click here.