Tony Casillas, Former Dallas Cowboy to speak at event

During September, El Pasoans Fighting Hunger Food Bank marks national Hunger Action Month in El Paso. While Hunger Action Month is a national effort led by organizations such as Feeding American and Share Our Strength, El Pasoans Fighting Hunger Food Bank is encouraging the community to get involved in ending hunger locally.

“Why is hunger such a critical issue in El Paso?”  The Food Insecure Report released by the USDA in 2011 indicates that El Paso County has over 177,000 people who are food insecure and 85,000 of them are children. The Feeding America Map the Meal Gap project completed in 2011 shows that that is 1 in 3 children who are food insecure.

Throughout the month, over 60 restaurants, retail locations, employee groups and other organizations are currently hosting fundraisers and collecting donations throughout the month of September (a full list of participants can be found at www.elpasoansfightinghunger.org). Other individuals are proudly wearing orange – the  color of hunger awareness –  on various days throughout the month to inspire people to take action and raise awareness concerning the effort.

In order to celebrate the month-long Hunger Action Month activities, El Pasoans Fighting Hunger Food Bank is inviting the El Paso community to a celebration event on Thursday, October 3, 2013 at Alamo Ballroom from 6pm – 9pm. Former Dallas Cowboy and two-time Super Bowl Champion Tony Casillas will be the special celebrity speaker. Guests will enjoy live music, great food and drinks from a variety of local restaurants and bars, and have the chance to win great raffle prizes. Visit the food bank website for ticket information.