Operation Noel began in 1939 when Ruth Pooley, wife of the Herald Post editor, saw the need to support young girls with warm clothing. What started as a dress drive evolved into something much greater: a full-scale holiday tradition serving thousands of children each year across El Paso and Ciudad Juárez.

By the early 1980s, the program expanded to serve both boys and girls. Eventually, the focus shifted to providing essential coats. Collaborating with local apparel companies, Operation Noel began distributing new, high-quality coats to children most in need. Each coat was ordered based on specific sizes collected by school counselors and caseworkers at more than 65 schools and agencies.

In 2023, Operation Noel transitioned to a charitable fund within the Paso del Norte Community Foundation, but the same resolve to equip children with warm coats remains. This move helps ensure the program’s sustainability and allows for new opportunities to support children through small grants to nonprofit partners in addition to providing coats.