The Marathon Petroleum El Paso, Texas, refinery has committed to supporting the El Pasoans Fighting Hunger (EPFH) Food Bank distribution events for another year. The free food distribution events are scheduled to be held at the refinery on the last Friday of each month for people in need.

EPFH has seen a dramatic increase in need during the COVID-19 pandemic, which has exacerbated food insecurity, especially for families with children. El Paso is home to some of the lowest income per capita zip codes in the nation, and Marathon Petroleum is determined to help its community.   

“El Paso is where we work, but more importantly, it’s where we live,” said El Paso refinery General Manager C.P. Patsatzis. “That’s why supporting and investing in our home and serving those most in need will always be a priority for us.” 

Marathon Petroleum provides EPFH with an annual $50,000 grant to help secure and distribute the food needed for the monthly distributions. The location of the distribution moved to the refinery in the spring of 2021, when COVID-19 concerns temporarily closed the community center where the distributions were being held.

“We cannot thank Marathon Petroleum’s El Paso refinery enough for its unwavering support to provide food to those experiencing food insecurity” said Susan E. Goodell, CEO of El Pasoans Fighting Hunger. “This pandemic has made our work more challenging, but with partners like Marathon we are working more effectively than ever to meet the needs of our growing community.”

Between April and December 2021, EPFH and the El Paso refinery distributed approximately 317,000 pounds of food, which helped feed an average of 300 families per distribution.

Food Distribution Events:

Where: Marathon Petroleum El Paso refinery, 212 North Clark Street, El Paso, Texas

When: The last Friday of every month from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. MST