El Paso Constables and food bank join forces to feed the community
EL PASO, Texas (KVIA)-- Once a week, El Paso County Constable deputies set out with a quiet but powerful mission: delivering care packages to community members in need. These visits, part of a partnership with El Pasoans Fighting Hunger Food Bank, are helping bridge the gap between law enforcement and the people they serve.
For Deputy Enrique Solórzano, the deliveries are more than a duty, they’re personal.
“I create bonds with individuals that I never knew in my life. I like getting involved with other people,” Solórzano said during a recent ride-along.
Each stop reveals more than just gratitude. It reveals the emotional power of presence officers taking the time to check in, ask questions, and listen.
The care packages, filled with food and hygiene products, are assembled by volunteers and staff at El Pasoans Fighting Hunger food bank. The nonprofit’s interim CEO, Kris Yagel, says the program helps address an often overlooked reality.
“One of the challenges with hunger and homelessness is that it’s not always obvious,” Yagel said.
“I have a saying ‘Leaders show up.’ Thanks to this program, we’re able to show up for them in the times and the places where they need us the most.”
Constable Frank Almada sees the program as a natural extension of the welfare checks his deputies already perform.
“It’s people we do encounter out on the street, people who are homeless, or just in need,” Almada said.
“Sometimes they’re hungry, and just knowing someone cares can make all the difference.”
For Solórzano, the mission goes even deeper. As a child, his family often relied on food assistance from the same food bank.
“That’s why I relate to them. I know what it’s like,” he said. “Now that I can help others—it just feels great. Maybe we can change a life.”
“It’s hard,” he added. “But this is not the end for them. I want them to see that.”
