The Paso del Norte Community Foundation established the El Paso Victims Relief Fund within hours of the tragic shooting of August 3, 2019. Generous gifts from donors from El Paso, throughout Texas, across the United States and throughout the world poured in to support victims and their families. In all 4,422 donors made 4,544 gifts for a total of $5,869,531 ranging $5 to $1.5 million. The Paso del Norte Community Foundation joined the El Paso Community Foundation and City of El Paso to combine the philanthropic resources, establish One Fund of El Paso, engage Stephanie Karr, the National Compassion Fund and the One Fund El Paso Task Force and Board to develop and implement a publicly-vetted protocol for the disbursement of funds, and ultimately distribute $11,833,588 to victims and families.

The PDN Community Foundation established two additional funds in partnership with Community En Acción to support immediate educational needs of victims and relatives and long-term scholarship funds for the children of those taken. The United Way of El Paso County and County of El Paso established the El Paso United Family Resiliency Center to connect victims and families to social services and provide opportunities for our community to come together to grieve and to heal.

The Paso del Norte Community Foundation has been so moved by the immediate and overwhelming support for victims and families. In recognition of the first anniversary of the needless tragedy, we have compiled tribute stories that demonstrate generosity, solidarity and the best of our humanity.

Private Companies Headquartered Outside of El Paso Give

At least two companies headquartered outside of El Paso were moved to generously give driven by employees with personal ties to the community. Pace-O-Matic’s Chief Administrative Officer, who grew up in El Paso and went to Coronado High School, came to the Foundation offices to personally deliver an $18,000 gift. Another generous contribution came from Brady Industries, a Las Vegas-based company with employee ties to El Paso.

This article was originally published by the PDN Community Foundation.