El Pasoans Fighting Hunger buys 15 acres for Westside expansion

EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — El Pasoans Fighting Hunger has purchased nearly 15 acres of land in Northwest El Paso to create a new distribution and operations center.

The organization announced Monday, April 22 that it had purchased 14.7 acres along South Desert Boulevard between DaVita Dialysis and Extra Space Storage, the organization said in a news release.

Thursday, the organization will have a news conference to formally announce the purchase and expansion.

“This expansion is crucial for helping the 35% of El Paso County residents dealing with food insecurity. The Texas Department of Agriculture found that parts of the Westside lack support from the Emergency Food Assistance Program,” according to the news release sent out by El Pasoans Fighting Hunger.

“We have listened to the voices of our neighbors on the Westside, and we understand the importance of being closer and more accessible to meet their needs,” said Susan Goodell, CEO at El Pasoans Fighting Hunger. “This expansion shows our ongoing efforts to make a meaningful impact for our most vulnerable neighbors facing food insecurity.”

The newly acquired land will house various resources, including a warehouse for food storage, food processing and distribution and a volunteer center, the news release said.

The Westside expansion is expected to be fully operational within three years.

U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar secured $800,000 for site development and construction on the new property, the organization said.

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