FAITH IN ACTION ~ April 8, 2026
If you realized something was not quite right with your body or your children’s bodies, but had no health care options, you would likely be rather distraught. Unfortunately, this happens a great deal in our broken health care system here in the United States. Although not everyone would agree health care should be a universal right, those who need it and cannot access it due to limited resources of all kinds are desperate to get it.
On April 8 University Presbyterian Church El Paso (UPC), in collaboration with personnel from the UTEP Department of Health Sciences held a HOPE + Initiative Health Fair on our campus. This fair was made possible using funding from Direct Relief and donations from UPC. The goal was overarching: to provide access to primary health care and mental health services for vulnerable and marginalized populations in hard-to reach arenas and deliver strategic services, referrals, and follow-ups in collaboration with a network of community organizations and community health workers.
Medical booths inside the fellowship area providing information and free testing. Photo by K. Staudt
UPC had not held a health fair for over 15 years, but our neighbors let us know health care was a top priority for them. Jerry Hobson, elder, farmer and co-proprietor of Jardin de Milagros, a farm that provides fresh produce to local food pantries and the food bank, planned and coordinated this massive event. It would not have been possible without the expertise and financial support from Dr. Eva Moya and Dr. Guillermina Solis, both professors at UTEP. At least 46 church members volunteered to help with logistics, as well as donated funds to help pay for medical test supplies.
The event lived up to the goals, with 38 community collaborators, including food providers, book providers, student cosmetologists providing haircuts, and over 20 different medical screenings or services, all free to participants. There were over 150 volunteers from UTEP and UPC, 84 stations, and 63 programs provided to anyone who attended. Over 100 people to receive services, 14 made follow-up appointments for health issues, and 278 people were served overall.
UPC outreach partner, The Mustard Seed, providing free and healthy meals from their food truck to everyone present at the HOPE + Health Fair. Photo by M. Smith
One elderly client using a walker was determined to get a haircut but could not manage the stairs into the booth area. A student brought a chair, a cape and all her supplies and set up in the shade of a mesquite tree on the sidewalk outside to meet the woman’s need. Such a willingness to serve and be adaptable was representative of the spirits of all the volunteers.
UPC has been without a senior pastor for over two years and without an interim for over seven months, but the congregation is still committed to our primary vision of outreach in our community. We are grateful for our many collaborators at UTEP and the leadership of the Session that made this vision a reality for our neighbors.
Milán Cosmetology student and her supervisor providing a free haircut to a client at the HOPE + Health Fair at UPC El Paso, April 8, 2026. Photo by M. Smith