Teresa Acosta, DNP, MSN, RN 

NOVA Chapter 386

El Paso VA Health Care System, El Paso, TX

NOVA Chapter 386 is currently working on a community service project (non-perishable food drive) benefiting the Veterans Non-Profit Food Pantry (VNP).  The VNP is an organization that serves low income Veterans, unemployed Veterans and their immediate family in meeting their most basic needs. During this COVID- 19 crisis, the VNP is facing hardships. They are seeing an increase in Veterans they serve (60 Veteran households being newly registered) running low on food and having to purchase food at market value compared to their usual food purchase of .15 cents per pound. They are in dire need of hamburger helper, peanut butter, canned meals, crackers, cookies, cereal, and canned meat. The VNP has a donate now option on their website at https://www.veteransnonprofit.org/ for anyone that wishes to donate money.

NOVA Chapter 386 received approval from El Paso VA leadership to place donation boxes at VA locations and opened-up the project to all VA employees that wish to participate. William Beaumont Army Medical Center (DoD) nursing was invited to partner in this project with the El Paso VA. In joint efforts, we can serve our Veteran community. We are looking at collecting three weeks in the Month of May. A drive by parade with all the food collected is planned for the last weekend in May to the VNP location.