“I feel very humble and little when I try to serve the people of El Paso and the Southwest, knowing the bigness of their hearts,” said Kathleen Moore in a letter to a donor more than 80 years ago.

Mrs. Moore was an early leader of one of our area’s first two orphanages, which eventually merged to become the El Paso Center for Children. We are still humbled by the trust our community has placed in us for 102 years. We have continually evolved our services to meet local needs. Our services are all free, all the time. We are flexible and can adapt to how participants want to connect (in-person, telephone, video conference, live chat, etc.)

Our current programs include:

• The only Youth Emergency Shelter serving runaway, homeless, exploited, and foster youth in West Texas
• Youth-focused housing services for adults up to 24 years of age who have no families to support them – the number of youth seeking our help has tripled in the past year
• A Drop-In Center and Street Outreach program for youth and young adults ages 11-24 years who are experiencing homelessness or need other supports
• Youth and family counseling – the pandemic and return to work and school has caused extremely high levels of depression and anxiety
• System navigation to help individuals and families find the services that meet their expressed needs
• Free workshops for parents and caregivers to relax, reflect and talk about the joys and challenges of raising a family
• Support groups, counseling, and other resources for victims of crime, many of whom have experienced domestic violence and sexual assault
• Early childhood services including parenting classes, counseling, and case management
• Foster care for children in the state’s custody and for survivors of trafficking
• A national pilot program to prevent child abuse and to rally multiple community entities to engage in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion work

Your support can make a critical difference in providing one of these key services, whether it’s to support a family through grief and loss or make sure a teenager or young adult has a bed to sleep in, a hot meal, and a warm welcome.

Our goal is to raise 50,000 to meet needs for our friends and neighbors in El Paso who trust us to help them through a difficult time in their lives.

As donors, you become a direct part of helping youth and families facing adversity and overcoming trauma.

We are humbly grateful for your support and hope you and your loved ones stay well as we recover from this pandemic together.