TTUHSC El Paso and Community Donate Clothing, Toiletries and Toys to the Opportunity Center for the Homeless and the Rescue Mission of El Paso

'Tis the season of giving at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso!

The campus and Borderplex community came together over the past six weeks to support the Opportunity Center for the Homeless and the Rescue Mission of El Paso with a clothing, toiletry and toy drive that gathered hundreds of donated items that filled an entire room. Giving back is at the heart of TTUHSC El Paso’s mission of improving the health and well-being of Borderplex residents.

Donation collection began on campus in late November and continued through the first weeks of December, including during Cookies, Cocoa and Holiday Cheer, TTUHSC El Paso's annual holiday event. Donations were distributed to both organizations on Wednesday, Dec. 14, by the Office of Institutional Advancement. Staff also extended their visit to the Opportunity Center for the Homeless, distributing items to arriving migrant families.

“These donations are a morale boost for our residents,” said John Martin, deputy director for the Opportunity Center for the Homeless. “Families get to experience the joy of the season, and it brings some normalcy to their lives.”

The donations to the Opportunity Center for the Homeless and the Rescue Mission of El Paso follow a newly cemented relationship with the Hunt School of Dental Medicine, which began earlier this fall. Both organizations use the Texas Tech Dental Oral Health Clinic’s Dental Patient Fund, which assists underinsured and uninsured patients with the cost of dental services. The fund was established by a Marathon Petroleum grant that covers services for those living in the 79901 and 79905 ZIP codes. These are the neighborhoods that TTUHSC El Paso and Marathon Petroleum share a home and close community ties.

Preventative care for residents addresses oral health early, allowing for treatment before conditions worsen and become costlier. Investments from community partners to the Dental Patient Fund provide access to care for underserved communities that might not otherwise have resources for quality dental care.

“Partnering with local organizations that serve families in need is essential for creating greater health care access,” said Andrea Tawney, Ph.D., TTUHSC El Paso’s vice president for Institutional Advancement. “When you hand a toy to a child who may only have the clothes on their back, seeing their joy makes all of our work meaningful.”

Both organizations still need donations of clothing, toiletries and toys, with women’s pants being the most needed.

About the Opportunity Center for the Homeless

The Opportunity Center for the Homeless exists to support and help all homeless individuals to move beyond their condition if they are capable; or protect them if they cannot improve their condition in society because of emotional or psychological disorders.

To donate, visit: homelessopportunitycenter.org/donate or call 915-577-0069.

About the Rescue Mission of El Paso

The Rescue Mission of El Paso provides love, compassion, and humble and selfless service to the needy and disabled in a safe, trusting and nurturing environment.

To donate, visit: rmelp.org/donate or call 915-532-2575.

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.