| 1 | 1 | | SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 163 |
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| 2 | 2 | | WHEREAS, El Pasoans Fighting Hunger (EPFH), El Paso's only |
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| 3 | 3 | | food bank, has implemented a number of strategies in order to |
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| 4 | 4 | | continue addressing food insecurity in the midst of the COVID-19 |
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| 5 | 5 | | pandemic; and |
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| 6 | 6 | | WHEREAS, EPFH is a member of Feeding America, the nation's |
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| 7 | 7 | | largest hunger relief network; the food bank is the distribution |
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| 8 | 8 | | center for more than 130 partner agencies and 235 mobile pantries |
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| 9 | 9 | | across the borderland region, as well as a collaborative hub for |
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| 10 | 10 | | SNAP and other support services; it currently provides meals to |
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| 11 | 11 | | an estimated 200,000 people who are facing hunger, including |
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| 12 | 12 | | families, children, single parents, seniors, and military |
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| 13 | 13 | | veterans; and |
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| 14 | 14 | | WHEREAS, During the COVID-19 crisis, EPFH has been |
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| 15 | 15 | | required to adapt its methods of distributing food in order to |
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| 16 | 16 | | keep its volunteers, staff, and clients safe; the organization |
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| 17 | 17 | | created a task force that meets regularly to discuss health and |
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| 18 | 18 | | safety measures, while it works to keep pace with the demand for |
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| 19 | 19 | | nutritious food in its three-county service area; and |
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| 20 | 20 | | WHEREAS, To reduce person-to-person contact at its |
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| 21 | 21 | | distribution sites, EPFH began creating approximately 8,000 |
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| 22 | 22 | | family meal boxes each week, and it has also provided partner |
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| 23 | 23 | | agencies with the means of creating meal boxes of their own; EPFH |
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| 24 | 24 | | has collaborated with El Paso County and the City of El Paso to |
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| 25 | 25 | | prepare and deliver food boxes to residents of local senior |
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| 26 | 26 | | centers, and it has also supplied emergency food boxes to |
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| 27 | 27 | | individuals in quarantine due to a COVID-19 diagnosis; to further |
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| 28 | 28 | | improve safety, EPFH has transitioned to a drive-through model at |
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| 29 | 29 | | its locations, and in partnership with the City of El Paso, it has |
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| 30 | 30 | | opened new sites to expand access to clients in the northeastern |
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| 31 | 31 | | and western areas of the city; and |
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| 32 | 32 | | WHEREAS, El Pasoans Fighting Hunger has served as a |
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| 33 | 33 | | critical lifeline to countless area Texans who have found |
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| 34 | 34 | | themselves in need of assistance in these unprecedented times, |
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| 35 | 35 | | and the tireless dedication demonstrated by its compassionate |
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| 36 | 36 | | volunteers and staff is truly an inspiration; now, therefore, be |
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| 37 | 37 | | it |
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| 38 | 38 | | RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 87th |
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| 39 | 39 | | Legislature, hereby commend El Pasoans Fighting Hunger for its |
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| 40 | 40 | | continuing service to the community during the COVID-19 pandemic |
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| 41 | 41 | | and extend to all those associated with the organization sincere |
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| 42 | 42 | | best wishes for continued success; and, be it further |
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| 43 | 43 | | RESOLVED, That an official copy of this Resolution be |
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| 44 | 44 | | prepared for El Pasoans Fighting Hunger as an expression of high |
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| 45 | 45 | | regard from the Texas Senate. |
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| 46 | 46 | | Blanco |
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| 47 | 47 | | ________________________________ |
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| 48 | 48 | | President of the Senate |
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| 49 | 49 | | I hereby certify that the |
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| 50 | 50 | | above Resolution was adopted by |
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| 51 | 51 | | the Senate on March 22, 2021. |
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| 52 | 52 | | ________________________________ |
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| 53 | 53 | | Secretary of the Senate |
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| 54 | 54 | | ________________________________ |
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| 55 | 55 | | Member, Texas Senate |
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