Hundreds Attend the Return of In-Person Cookies, Cocoa and Holiday Cheer at TTUHSC El Paso

TTUHSC El Paso’s Promotores de Salud program receives grant from Wells Fargo

Cookies, Cocoa and Holiday Cheer at TTUHSC El Paso was such a fun time, even the Grinch had to smile.

On Friday, Dec. 2, hundreds of Borderplex residents attended the first in-person Cookies, Cocoa and Holiday Cheer event since 2019. The COVID-19 pandemic caused the 2020 and 2021 editions to be held in a drive-through setting in collaboration with The Hospitals of Providence Transmountain Campus.

This year’s event also kicked off Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso’s 10-year anniversary of educating world-class patient care leaders and transforming health care in our region, which will be celebrated in 2023.

Sponsored by El Paso Electric, Cookies, Cocoa and Holiday Cheer featured a festive light show, photos with Santa and friends, a visit from an El Paso Locomotive FC athlete and health screenings by campus organizations. The City of El Paso Health Department and Superior HealthPlan also joined the event to provide important health information to residents.

Spike from the El Paso Rhinos was the winner of a lively mascot dance-off, which also included:

Ozzie from the El Paso Locomotive FC
Rocky from Peter Piper Pizza
Amigo Man from Destination El Paso
Dru Blue from GECU
Agent FINO from the U.S. Border Patrol

The light show countdown was conducted by Jesus Guzman, M.D., and his family. Dr. Guzman, a first-generation college and medical student, graduated from the Foster School of Medicine in 2019. He grew up in Segundo Barrio, graduated from Bowie High School, and recently completed his residency in internal medicine at TTUHSC El Paso.

As part of the night's events, Wells Fargo announced a $15,000 gift to TTUHSC El Paso for its Promotores de Salud/Community Health Workers program. Wells Fargo previously gave $15,000 to Promotores de Salud in the spring to provide financial and health care literacy to nearby residents.

The Promotores de Salud program provides health education, digital literacy and upskilling resources to empower underserved residents with a special focus on the 79905 ZIP code, which is home to the TTUHSC El Paso campus. The program has provided critical COVID-19 outreach by working alongside the El Paso Health Education and Awareness Team (EP-HEAT), a university organization of volunteer students and faculty founded during the pandemic. EP-HEAT creates and distributes bilingual, educational resources to the community regarding vaccines, boosters, prevention, treatment and testing.

Through its Community Giving program, Wells Fargo works to open pathways to economic advancement for racially and ethnically diverse and low- and moderate-income individuals and families through programs that increase financial inclusion and access.

Providing health care financial literacy will help residents of the 79905 neighborhood access health resources, including direct care and financial assistance to help cover the cost of services and prescriptions. Wells Fargo has been a vital partner with TTUHSC El Paso in growing the next generation of diverse health care leaders and addressing workforce challenges critical to economic growth for our region. Over the years, Wells Fargo has always stepped up during the most challenging times, including when nursing students needed financial support as the COVID-19 pandemic ensued.

“At Wells Fargo, we value education and proudly support the development of the Promotores de Salud program with this investment,” said Christopher Rios, vice president of social impact. “We are committed to working with TTUHSC El Paso to build awareness around health care, financial education and digital literacy.”

Cookies, Cocoa and Holiday Cheer and its activities were free, but this year TTUHSC El Paso encouraged attendees to bring new toys, clothing and toiletries for the Opportunity Center for the Homeless and the Rescue Mission of El Paso.

Supporting organizations like the Opportunity Center for the Homeless and the Rescue Mission of El Paso is at the heart of TTUHSC El Paso’s mission of improving the health and well-being of Borderplex residents, including those in the neighborhoods surrounding the TTUHSC El Paso campus.

“Our annual Cookies, Cocoa and Holiday Cheer event has been bringing joy to the El Paso community for eight years now,” said Andrea Tawney, Ph.D., TTUHSC El Paso’s vice president for Institutional Advancement. “It’s been a challenging time the past few years for our community. This is our way of giving back, but also thanking the community for their support, especially as we head into TTUHSC El Paso's 10-year anniversary. This community built us, and it's always a pleasure to welcome them to our home in the heart of our city.”

Drive-Through Cookies, Cocoa and Holiday Cheer on Friday, Dec. 9

Didn’t get a chance to make it to the event? TTUHSC El Paso and El Paso Electric have you covered. A drive-through Cookies, Cocoa and Holiday Cheer event will be held with TTUHSC El Paso’s partners at The Hospitals of Providence Transmountain Campus from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 9. The first 500 vehicles will receive holiday treats. Donation items can also be dropped off that evening.

About TTUHSC El Paso

TTUHSC El Paso is the only health sciences center on the U.S.-Mexico border and serves 108 counties in West Texas that have been historically underserved. It’s designated as a Title V Hispanic-Serving Institution, preparing the next generation of health care leaders, 48% of whom identify as Hispanic and are often first-generation college students.

TTUHSC El Paso was established to focus on the unique health care and educational needs of our Borderplex community. In 2023, TTUHSC El Paso will celebrate its 10th anniversary as an autonomous university within the Texas Tech University System. In those 10 years, the university has graduated nearly 2,000 doctors, nurses and researchers, and will soon add dentists to its alumni.