As the daughter of an immigrant and someone born and raised in El Paso, I carry with me the spirit of our border community and the lessons it has taught me. My years at Loretto Academy, where I was formed by the Sisters of Loretto, instilled in me Catholic social teaching and a deep sense of responsibility to the common good. Service wasn’t simply something we did. It was who we were.

Today, as a board member of the Hope Border Institute, I see that same faith put into action. HOPE accompanies migrant families through some of their most difficult moments, providing humanitarian assistance through our Border Refugee Assistance Fund, trauma-informed care through Clínica HOPE, forming young leaders, and advocating for systems that uphold human rights and human dignity. It is work rooted in compassion, encounter, courageous action, and the belief that we are called not only to respond to immediate needs, but also to help change the conditions that create them.

On El Paso Giving Day, I invite you to be part of this work. Whether you have stood with HOPE for years or are just discovering our mission, your gift is an act of accompaniment. It says: you are not alone. We walk with you.

Together, we can continue building a border community rooted in faith, hope, justice, mercy, and the dignity of every person.

With hope, Sofía