CHS Student Represents El Paso at National Summit for Feeding America

Published July 26, 2023                                                                                                                                          By Darlene Muguiro                                                                                                                                                UTEP College of Health Sciences

Earlier this month, Nicholas “Thomas” Guerra, a second-year student in the Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD) Program, was selected to join a small continent of Texans representing the state at the Elevating Voices Power Summit in Washington, D.C., organized by Feeding America, the nation’s largest charity working to end hunger. The summit aimed to increase awareness among lawmakers and other stakeholders for increased investment in hunger relief initiatives across the nation – most notably, the passing of the bi-partisan 2023 Farm Bill.  

Guerra's selection as the sole El Pasoan in the Texas contingent came shortly after he provided testimony as a food bank client at a local meeting for El Pasoans Fighting Hunger (EPFH), the city’s largest food bank. At that meeting, EPFH had invited investors to learn more about the need for a second EPFH campus in El Paso. Guerra’s testimony was so powerful that Feeding America invited him to the Washington summit to help bolster their cause to lawmakers. He says that EPFH was thrilled to finally put El Paso “on the map.”

“They (EPFH) told me that it was almost like a rare occurrence for someone from El Paso to have been selected to participate...so they were thrilled,” he said. “And I felt extremely proud to have the opportunity to represent our city and people who are facing food insecurity and other barriers.”

At the summit, Guerra shared his experiences as a college student facing food insecurity. He says that the audience members were initially shocked upon hearing statistics he had gathered from a local study led by Drs. Gregory Schober and Eva Moya regarding food insecurity at UTEP. In the study, a reported 61% of UTEP students were facing food insecurity (https://elpasoansfightinghunger.org/files/41636-FS-ReportFinal2023-01-10.pdf). While at the summit, Guerra also had the opportunity to meet with Congresswoman Veronica Escobar and share his story with her and her team.

Guerra says that there are many misconceptions about food insecurity among college students. He believes the issue is compounded by stigma and the fact that many students are not aware of resources to help them.

“It was difficult for me to admit when I needed help, but when I admitted it to my friends, I started learning about the dire need. I even had some friends who were homeless at some point,” he said. “I wasn’t aware of the resources that were out there until I spoke to someone at the food bank who opened those doors for me, and then I shared what I learned with my friends.”

Guerra says that summit presenters were asked to identify the part of their story that made them the most nervous, and what they did to alleviate the nervous feelings – he responded that he was most nervous simply admitting that he needed assistance. He advises individuals in his situation to reach out to those who they trust in order to overcome the initial fear.

“There’s a stigma attached to food insecurity, and it’s hard enough to tell someone you know – let alone a room full of strangers – that you’re facing issues and experiencing barriers, and that you need help,” he said. “I would tell anyone in my situation to start talking about it with their friends because they might know something you don’t. You should also know that your situation is temporary.”

Guerra remains optimistic about his personal situation and says that he feels empowered to help address the larger issue of food insecurity in El Paso through sharing his own experiences. He says that as a future occupational therapist, he can also incorporate what he’s learning and ensure that he is helping his clients in a holistic manner.

“We can overcome these issues and the obstacles that we’re facing by using our voices,” he said. “I know now that I can indeed use my voice, and I can pass on the information that I’ve received from the food bank to others in order to increase accessibility to the services that are most needed.”

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Go Miners!

For more information about El Pasoans Fighting Hunger, please visit: www.elpasoansfightinghunger.org  

Photo courtesy of Nicholas Guerra (pictured right, with Celeste Varela, director of government relations for Feeding America)