From Our Team
Take Time for Home Cooking to Celebrate National Nutrition Month
Posted on March 23, 2021 by Jana Renner
March is National Nutrition Month, so it’s a perfect time to talk about some of the things the Paso del Norte Health Foundation and its partners are doing to improve the health of our community.
The Health Foundation’s Healthy Living priority area supports a variety of programs throughout the Paso del Norte region which provide educational and promotional programs, such as nutrition and cooking classes, that influence behavior in selecting, preparing, cooking, and eating healthy foods.
La Semilla Food Center is a nonprofit organization that operates in El Paso and southern New Mexico…
Promotoras helping to Reduce the Risk in El Paso County’s most isolated, vulnerable populations
Posted on February 17, 2021 by Dr. Michael Kelly
By Pema Garcia, Regional Director for the Texas A&M Colonias Program & Dr. Michael Kelly, Vice President, Programs, Paso del Norte Health Foundation
Nearly a year has passed since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in our region. We have all experienced multiple challenges in this time but have come together to help the residents of our region – including the most vulnerable - “Reduce the Risk” by providing timely and accurate information regarding COVID-19 health and safety, mental health and well-being, and financial and social services.
The Texas A&M Colonias Program, which has…
Strategic Plan 2025: Our Guide to the Future
Posted on January 26, 2021 by Tracy J. Yellen
A strategic plan is an invaluable navigation tool to help organizations make strategic decisions and guide their way.
Through crises – like the tragic shooting of August 3rd and COVID-19 pandemic – and the day-to-day - the Paso del Norte Community Foundation, Paso del Norte Health Foundation, and Fundación Paso del Norte have used our strategic plan to advance our core work while responding to the immediate needs of the community. We are proud of the relevance of our missions and agility and impact of our organizations.
With continued adaptability and the future in mind, the boards…
Reduce the Risk at Holiday Gatherings
Posted on November 30, 2020 by Dr. Michael Kelly
This holiday season will be like none other El Paso County has ever experienced. Many of us miss friends and families. The holidays present a tempting and traditional opportunity to gather, make new memories, and celebrate. This year, it’s not advised to gather with friends or family who don’t live with you.
It’s tough. But we have to stay strong, healthy, and most importantly, unified for our vulnerable family members and friends.
Members of the El Paso United COVID-19 Transition Task Force recognize that El Paso’s healthcare workers are fighting laboriously on the frontlines of…
Sabrosa Vida program empowering El Pasoans to live and eat deliciously healthy
Posted on November 23, 2020 by Jana Renner
November is the beginning of the holiday season and that means not only a time for giving thanks and giving gifts, it’s also a time when we enjoy some of our favorite foods and desserts. And while many of us will be celebrating the holidays apart from our extended families this year, or perhaps alone, many will also be looking for those comfort foods to at least remind us of a time before COVID-19.
But, if you’re like many El Pasoans who suffer from diabetes, obesity or other health risks, you may feel like you are forced to choose between enjoying delicious holiday meals or sticking to…
Collaboration is integral to improving health
Posted on October 9, 2020 by Enrique Mata
COVID-19 is challenging the region’s partners to unite, adapt, and maximize resources. The good news is that since 2014, El Paso County leaders, champions and advocates from all sectors, have been communicating, coordinating and collaborating to provide timely mental health and addiction treatment and support services for individuals and families in need.
On Oct. 14, members of the El Paso Behavioral Consortium will convene in a virtual environment for the 6th Annual Consortium Progress Summit. This public event will showcase the work being done to improve the mental health and…
Out-of-school time is still important to keep kids healthy, engaged during the pandemic
Posted on September 21, 2020 by Guest Author
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues and schooling remains virtual, it may seem as though “out-of-school” time is all the time.
Out-of-school (OST) time programs, such as before and after-school summer youth programs, are essential to the physical and emotional well-being of youth. The Borderland Out-Of-School Time (BOOST) Network is a hub for OST providers in the El Paso-Juárez-Las Cruces region. The United Way of El Paso County, as BOOST’s backbone organization, and the Paso del Norte Health Foundation support the network’s mission to create opportunities and increase the quality and…
Border Partners is sparking change for neighboring communities
Posted on August 13, 2020 by Jana Renner
Now more than ever it’s important to work together to create opportunities for our community and help change the lives of our neighbors. That idea is the driving force behind one of the Paso del Norte Health Foundation’s Healthy Eating Active Living (HEAL) grantees, Border Partners, and it’s an idea that is closely tied to the Health Foundation’s goals.
Border Partners is now in its sixth year as a HEAL grantee. The nonprofit works to deliver programs to residents of the small border colonia of Puerto Palomas, Mexico, which suffers from the many effects of poverty, including poor diet…
You can help our community get ahead of future COVID-19 surges from the palm of your hand
Posted on July 16, 2020 by Dr. Michael Kelly
We know that staying home as much as possible, social distancing, frequent hand washing and wearing a mask if you must leave the house can significantly reduce the chances of spreading COVID-19. Now, a group of Texas epidemiologists is also hoping that technology and data can be used to help control the current surge of COVID-19 cases and potentially get ahead of the next one.
Doctors from the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) have joined a worldwide study aiming to predict and prevent new COVID-19 outbreaks and surges using an app developed as part of the…
Acts of kindness are a small investment with big pay off
Posted on June 16, 2020 by Enrique Mata
Like most everyone in the region, my family is practicing social distancing. On the bright side, COVID-19 has opened new opportunities to share time with my wife and kids.
We recently took time to watch the movie “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood,” a story about how Fred Rogers made an impact in the world with simple actions that promoted love, caring and kindness to help people cope with adversity and difficult life events. The movie reminded me of my childhood and some good times (embedded within tough times), when watching an episode of “Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood” gave me a…
