Over 50 years ago, two wonderful men saw a need and created an event to help fill that need. Many of the senior citizens who live in public housing in the El Paso community have few resources. Dale Nasser Sr. and Peter Rizk founded the annual Senior Citizens Dinner to honor seniors in the El Paso community. This dinner has become The Senior Citizens Holiday Event and Food Drive.

Prior to the Covid pandemic, the event included a celebratory turkey dinner for over 400 people who live in Housing Authority complexes in El Paso, many of whom have no family, family that doesn’t spend any time with them or family that has perhaps forgotten them, as well as a gift bag of non-perishable food for each. The food provides a week’s worth of meals which is significant as many of these seniors are low income or under the poverty level and this food bag is the only Christmas present many of these seniors receive. Every year since the Covid pandemic, we have provided over 500 gift bags of nonperishable food and grocery store gift cards to senior citizens who are living in the Housing Authority complexes.

This year’s event/project is in loving memory of Surella “Sudie” Nasser, who worked tirelessly for this event as well as numerous other volunteer and community projects.

Everyone in our organization is a volunteer, including Deanna Nasser as event chair, so administrative expenses are very minimal.