PBS show “Opportunity Knock$” returns to El Paso to shoot second season

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- "Opportunity Knock$," a nationally televised show on PBS, is returning to the Borderland for a second season.

According to their website, the show aims to pair families with financial experts who provide "actionable advice, tools, and community resources to break down systematic barriers and help people build better financial lives."

ABC-7 spoke with Patricia Reyes, a local artist and a mother of six, who appeared on the show's first season.

“[Show creator Jamie Strayer] was talking about changing people’s lives, and I instantly, immediately thought about changing my own life, my children, my family," said Reyes,

“We’d come to a dead end.”

Reyes was facing foreclosure on her home, and decided to apply for the show after receiving an invitation through her own non-profit organization.

The show uses an ‘opportunity finder,’ which guides families to get in contact with non-profits in their area to help them financially.

Reyes says she’s learned some lessons from the experience that help better her own life, including changing her mindset by allowing people to help her.

“I think that when we’re struggling, we don’t want anyone to know! At least that’s how I felt," said Reyes.

Show creator Jamie Strayer says they look for families like Reyes’; people that aren’t afraid to be vulnerable and ask for that help.

She says the show has helped Reyes out financialy.

“Her home payment is now down 400 dollars, she fixed up her rental units, and increased her monthly income by 900 dollars," said Strayer.

The application deadline for casting in El Paso is Tuesday, October 10th.

Other cities that the second season of "Opportunity Knock$ will be filmed in include Columbus, Ohio, Washington, D.C., Seattle, Washington, and New Orleans and Baton Rouge, Louisiana.