Local bakery donates to poverty in Ciudad Juárez, invites community to join

What started as a tradition with her grandfather, donating to the poverty in Ciudad Juárez has now become a community effort led by the owner of an El Paso bakery.

"When you arrive, when they see someone arriving with things to donate, I think it just lights up something in them where maybe we show up at that one moment where they lost all hope and we show up and it's like, 'okay, there is hope,'" said Kimberly Schmidt, owner of Délice Bakehouse.

With the cold weather, Schmidt says she sees the needs of the children and families in the pueblos they visit — now they go to Puerto de Palos, which was introduced to her by her niece.

Schmidt said doing this has opened her eyes and heart, showing her and her kids to be appreciate for all that they have, saying it's "the best way to stay humble."  

"You're going to be in tears, you're going to want to cry but hold it back because you don't want them to see you crying," said Schmidt. "The people there, they don't behave like if they're in poverty, there's just gratitude."

She also provides leftovers from her bakery that she opened on Nov. 2, and now she asks the community to help donate from new or gently used toys, blankets, toiletries and school supplies to winter clothing, medical supplies and even tarps for their roofs.

"I think it is something that someone should at least experience once in their life and visit and know exactly what our community is going through," Schmidt continued. "Because a lot of times people don't know. I only know because I was shared that experience, if not, I would have never known that that poverty existed."

You can drop off donations at Délice Bakehouse located at 3136 Trawood Dr, Suite E-6, El Paso, TX, 79936 or if you'd like to help bring all the items across the border, call them at (915) 260-8320.