El Paso enters partnership to launch new website for homeless, other at-risk residents

Adam Powell, El Paso Times
·4 min read

The city of El Paso has partnered with technology firm Cisco to launch El Paso Helps, a new website that will act as a one-stop-shop for vulnerable and at-risk community members to connect with needed aid and resources such as food, shelter and mental health counseling.

The website address is: www.elpasohelps.org.

“The city of El Paso is at its strongest collaborating with partners in search of innovative solutions to support some of our most vulnerable community members and address our homeless population and those in crisis,” El Paso Mayor Oscar Leeser said in a city news release. “Powered by partnerships with our local nonprofit organizations such as the Opportunity Center and Endeavors and longtime technology partner Cisco we continue to deliver on the city’s strategic plan.”

West-Central city Rep. Alexsandra Annello, who praised the new online portal as an invaluable tool for those seeking aid, participated in the news conference last week to announce the partnership.

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"It was an honor to be a part of the El Paso Helps launch today," Annello said in a tweet following the conference. "This will be a significant resource when people don't know where to ask for help or what resources are available to them. I am looking forward to seeing the impact that El Paso Helps will have in our community."

El Paso city Rep. Alexsandra Annello attended a news conference Feb. 23 to announce the launch of El Paso Helps, a new website aimed at providing rapid assistance to the city's most vulnerable.
El Paso city Rep. Alexsandra Annello attended a news conference Feb. 23 to announce the launch of El Paso Helps, a new website aimed at providing rapid assistance to the city's most vulnerable.

The new collaboration builds on the city's earlier Delta Welcome Center program, which was launched in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic to centralize services for homeless community members to make it easier to access assistance.

In its two years in operation, the center was able to assist some 5,000 residents.

“Since 2020, this team of partners ‒ from area nonprofits to technology leader Cisco to local solutions provider Computacenter ‒ has stepped up to serve El Pasoans when they needed us the most,” Nicole Ferrini, the city's recently-named Climate and Sustainability Officer, said in the release. “El Paso Helps is an unprecedented effort that builds on partnership and recognizes that no one entity can do this alone.

In an email sent Tuesday, city Strategic Communications Director Laura Cruz-Acosta said the new portal is being funded through money the city received in 2022 from Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF), a part of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), in order "to fight the pandemic, support families, maintain vital public services, and make investments that support long-term growth.

"From this allocation, the city has been able to fund the El Paso Helps initiative and provide key resources to support our community," she said in the email. "These ARPA-funded programs have already begun to stabilize the homeless service system, support families, and address community vulnerabilities."

The online portal will connect in-need residents to the following support:

  • Amistad will provide all-day teams able to provide direct assistance to people on the street

  • The Opportunity Center for the Homeless will provide temporary emergency shelter through a new Welcome Center

  • Resilience Navigators from the United Way will be available to provide help for people seeking to navigate existing community resources

  • Endeavors will provide permanent housing options through its Rapid Rehousing program

  • The Emergence Health Network will provide access to mental health counseling, addiction services and veterans’ care.

Ton Duong stayed at the Opportunity Center for the Homeless while the city was under a stay-at-home order April 2, 2020, in El Paso.
Ton Duong stayed at the Opportunity Center for the Homeless while the city was under a stay-at-home order April 2, 2020, in El Paso.

"Today we are focused on El Pasoans in the most immediate crisis, such as those experiencing homelessness," Ferrini added. "The city’s objective is to continue to grow the number and types of services available through El Paso Helps.”

When visiting the website, individuals seeking assistance will be able to select an area of need and then connect with a live agent able to assist them in accessing resource assistance. Street outreach will likewise be available 24 hours a day at 915-298-1115.

“The city of El Paso’s leadership in launching El Paso Helps illustrates the power of collaboration between the public and private sectors," Gary DePreta, Cisco's vice president for state, local governments and education, said in the news release. "By leveraging Webex by Cisco, members of the El Paso community can now connect virtually on video with live help, allowing for a better user experience in navigating government and social services.”

This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: El Paso partnership launches new website for at-risk communities