El Paso Public Forum

EPPF 5-24-26 CASA & El Paso Center for Children

Segment 1: CASA; Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) . Amber Banda interviews Mia Reza, Volunteer Recruitment Training Lead and Anna Carillo, Marketing and Venets Coordinator for CASA of El Paso . You can make a big difference in the life of an abused or neglected child. Listen to learn how you can support these children either by becoming a CASA or donating to their cause. Learn the process of becoming a volunteer, how CASA has helped kids who need courtroom representation, and more. . Find them on Instagram and Facebook: CASA of El Paso or visit their website at www.casaofelpaso.org [https://www.casaofelpaso.org/] __________________________________________________________________________________________ Segment 2: El Paso Center for Children . The El Paso Center for Children has been serving children and families through free services and programs for over 100 years! They offer parent cafes, victims of crime services, young adult rental assistance, counseling and life skills, and so much more. Now, they offer respite care for foster families! . Amber Banda interviews Beatrize Marin-Olivarez, Youth Outreach and Housing Division Director at the El Paso Center for Children. They go over these various free programs, services and resources the center offers for the community with a focus on the new Youth Shelter for Adoptive Family Respite Care. It's a temporary shelter created in collaboration with Heart Galleries of El Paso where kids ages 11-17 in foster care can stay. . Find more information or to donate, find them on their Instagram and Facebook @ElPasoCenterforChildren or visit their website at www.epccinc.org [https://epccinc.org/about/] If you need services, you can also call (915) 330-9513. Address is 2200 N Stevens  NEW EPISODES EVERY SUNDAY AT 8AM! Follow Amber Banda, 96.3 KHEY Country, Power 102.1 or Sunny 99.9 on Instagram and/or Facebook for pictures of our guests and leave a comment. Be a part of the good going on in our community!

EPPF 5-17-26 Rescue Re-Shot Project & Reconnecting with the Disconnected with Reckers Outreach

Segment 1: Rescue Re-Shot Project, helping animals get adopted using professional photography! . Amber Banda talks with Lilian Blanco and her husband Jaime Blanco, co-founders of Rescue Re-Shot Project. Lilian also serves as the president of the organization, and Jaime is not only the treasurer but the actual photographer! They work with local animal welfare agencies to help get the best side of the animals to help get them forever homes. They have special skills under their belts that are specifically for animal photography, and have their own business doing animal portraits. . They've done many successful events to help these fur babies, and you can help support by becoming a volunteer or donating. Plus, they may be adding reptiles into their portfolio soon...stay tuned! . Follow them on Instagram @rescuereshotproject to stay updated on some PAWsome upcoming events or call them at 915-704-7922 for more information.  _______________________________________________________________________________________________ Segment 2: Reconnecting with the Disconnected with Samantha Recker . Amber Banda interviews Samantha Recker, Founder of Reconnecting with the Disconnected, a non-profit empowering youth with second chances. Having been in the system growing up herself, Samantha knows what it is like having an unsteady home life and how that can affect school attendance. She works with schools and truancy courts and has created programs to help kids stay in school, give them opportunities to be active in the community, and see more of their potential.  . Her son had the idea for Reckers Outreach, which is also Samantha's organization. They help rebuild the lives of veterans by offering them a place to stay, employment resources, and a supportive environment. Being active military, it is easy to see why she created these two organizations and have Reckers Outreach feed her non-profit to help disconnected youth.  . If you'd like more information on getting these programs in your school to help truant and struggling students, if you are an organization that has opportunities for these kids to volunteer, you'd like to support Reckers Outreach through donations, or you'd like more information, you can go to reconnectingwiththedisconnected.com [https://reconnectingwiththedisconnected.com/] or reckersoutreachllc.com [https://reckersoutreachllc.com/] Find them on Instagram @RWTD_2026 or Facebook @ Reconnecting With The Disconnected  NEW EPISODES EVERY SUNDAY AT 8AM! Follow Amber Banda, 96.3 KHEY Country, Power 102.1 or Sunny 99.9 on Instagram and/or Facebook for pictures of our guests and leave a comment. Be a part of the good going on in our community!

EPPF 5-10-26 EP Strive Now & Make A Wish El Paso

Segment 1: Strive Now EP; Empowering the Sun City youth to find their purpose and become leaders in our community . Amber Banda talks with Israel Castro, Executive Director, and Raul Garcia, Program Coordinator, for Strive Now in El Paso. This relatively new non-profit exists to empower young people to build character, clarity and leadership by connecting values to real-life at school, at work, and in their communities. . But what exactly does that mean? EP Strive Now uses mentors in their fields to inspire and teach kids what to expect in various careers and jobs. they have classes and seminars to teach kids how to communicate outside of their electronics, the importance of disconnecting from social media and technology, and also how to use it to succeed. They have had presentations and events at various local spots such as La Nube, high schools, and now, UTEP! . Their UTEP Summer Camps begin June 8th and will fill up fast! These camps will be organized into ages and grade levels, and focus on important life skills like how to channel anxious energy, how to speak in public, every day communications skills, meeting new people, and more. Classes will be a week long and food will be provide, limited spots available. Visit www.epstrivenow.org [https://epstrivenow.org/] or find them on Instagram @epstrivenow and Facebook @Strive Now _______________________________________________________________________________________________ Segment 2: Make A Wish in El Paso-Grab a tissue for this one! . You've heard of Make A Wish and sending kids with oftentimes terminal illnesses to Disney, but did you know that happens right here in El Paso?  . Amber Banda interviews Malissa Arras, Senior Development Manager for the El Paso Make-A-Wish Office. Yes, Disney is an often-requested wish, but Malissa opens up about the first wish she helped grant, and how the local car community came together to make one boy's dream come true. Amber also talks with Malissa about how doing this kind of volunteer work has changed her since becoming a new mom.  . They are having their 2026 Walk & Run 5K for Wishes May 17th at the Shoppes at Solana. The event is free to attend, the 5K is $30-$35, and the proceeds go to helping make wishes come true for sick children, from Disney to new bedrooms and so much more. Listen to learn how you can make a difference and be a part of their Walk & Run for Wishes event staring at 8am! . For more information visit www.walkforwisheselpaso.org [https://secure2.wish.org/site/TR?fr_id=7413&pg=entry] and find them on Instagram @Make A Wish NT or see the event on Facebook @Walk For Wishes El Paso  NEW EPISODES EVERY SUNDAY AT 8AM! Follow Amber Banda, 96.3 KHEY Country, Power 102.1 or Sunny 99.9 on Instagram and/or Facebook for pictures of our guests and leave a comment. Be a part of the good going on in our community!

El Paso Public Forum 5-3-26 Lumbre and Gangsters for Jesus & Paso Del Norte Center for Hope

Segment 1: Lumbre Motorcycle Club partners with "Gangster for Jesus" Ministry to raise funds for the Opportunity Center for the Homeless in El Paso. . The Opportunity Center for the Homeless provides emergency and permanent housing options, food and other assistance to over 2,000 individuals on average each year. "Gangster for Jesus" ministry has their Church in the Alley right next to the Opportunity Center for those wanting to find hope and faith, whatever your background. Lumbre MC is a non-profit motorcycle club and a member of the El Paso Motorcycle Coalition and have done various events to support local organizations including chidlren's sports events, child welfare agencies and homeless shelters. . Amber Banda talks with Angie "Foxy Rider" Villamil, Original member of Lumbre MC, Aileen Grajales, Lumbre MC Family Member, as well as Robert Ortega and George Loya, pastors for "Gangster for Jesus" ministry. . Support their efforts at their Benefit Run on Sunday, June 7th. Registration starts at 11am at The Don Ramen restaurant inside Fox Plaza. Cost is $10 which includes raffle tickets and a meal ticket for the final stop. The 1st stop is at El Ruedo located at 1407 Overland, and final stop at La Havana where they will have raffles, food, music, auctions, and more! . This is a family friendly event, open to the community, no matter if you drive on 2 wheels, 3, 4, or more! . For more information go to Lumbre Castaneda or Gangsters for Jesus on Facebook, or visit gangsterpreacher.com ________________________________________________________________________________________________ Segment 2: Paso Del Norte Center of Hope . The PDN Center of Hope helps victims of sex trafficking and exploitation HERE in El Paso. Victims are being trafficked in OUR city, by immigrants and Americans alike. Sadly, the average age of victims they are currently seeing is 14.  . Amber Banda talks with Nicole Schiff, Executive Director for Paso Del Norte Center of Hope, about their growth, their impact, and the origins of the center. They are still very much looking for supporters, donors, volunteers and help from the community to keep the center functioning and able to provide services and hope to the children and adults that are being or have been trafficked.  . Their Phantom of the Opera gala on May 8th is sold out; however they are still accepting sponsors and donations for raffle items to help support the center. They have also teamed up with the non-profit Plant A Seed and will be the recipients of donations from the 5K Run & Walk for Hope.  . For more information find them on Instagram and Facebook @PDNCenterofHope and go to pdncoh.org [https://www.pdncoh.org/]  NEW EPISODES EVERY SUNDAY AT 8AM! Follow Amber Banda, 96.3 KHEY Country, Power 102.1 or Sunny 99.9 on Instagram and/or Facebook for pictures of our guests and leave a comment. Be a part of the good going on in our community!

EPPF 4-26-26 Plant A Seed & Assistance League of El Paso

Segment 1: Plant A Seed . Plant A Seed is no stranger to the El Paso Public Forum. Founded by Wendy Gamillo and her husband Miguel Gamillo, Plant A Seed has done many projects with various organizations and vulnerable populations in the border city. From their "Generations of Kindness" program that connects youth to seniors, their "My Quince" program which gifts a lucky girl a quince she would otherwise not be able to afford, their work with children's hospitals and so much more, Plant A Seed has been progressing quickly in their short time of being founded. . Amber Banda talks with Wendy Gamillo, Plant A Seed President and Founder, and Cassandra Tinoco, Director of Operations and sponsor for Plant A Seed, about their current projects while focusing on their upcoming 5K to benefit the Paso Del Norte Center of Hope, their "Race Against Human Trafficking 5K Run & Walk." This event will be May 17th from 8am-11am at Sunland Park Racetrack and Casino and have live music, vendor booths, fun activities, and is pet friendly! . Cost is $35 for 18+, $30 for under 18 or military, and the Fun Walk is free. There will also be a "Kids Lollipop Run" for children 10 and under.  . Find more information at plantaseed.org [https://plantaseedusa.org/] _______________________________________________________________________________________________ Segment 2: Assistance League of El Paso . The Assistance League of El Paso is a group of volunteers that work with many different organizations through various projects all over the city. The El Paso Chapter is the 50th Chapter out of 95 nationwide and has over 100 volunteers! . Amber Banda talks with Lisa Miertschin, Public Relations Chair for the Assistance League of El Paso, about their 4 main projects; Operation School Bell where they give brand new school clothes to 2,500 local children in grades 1-5, their PASO Bear Program for 1st responders, their ASK Program, (Assault Survivor Kits) to assist the Center Against Sexual and Family Violence, and their WHO Program, where they work with La Posada Home, which also encompasses their HATS program to create decorated caps and beanies for cancer patients, and the SOL Porgram where they make blankets and quilts for those in need. . They're having their 2nd Annual "A Taste of 5 Points" 1 mile walk May 2nd. Tickets are $30 and include various food samples from various eateries in the 5 Points Area, where their Thrift Shop is located at 2728 E Yandell. Tickets on sale through Monday 4.27/26 so hurry and get them while you can! . For more information and to purchase tickets or donate, go to assistanceleague.org [https://www.assistanceleague.org/el-paso/]  NEW EPISODES EVERY SUNDAY AT 8AM! Follow Amber Banda, 96.3 KHEY Country, Power 102.1 or Sunny 99.9 on Instagram and/or Facebook for pictures of our guests and leave a comment. Be a part of the good going on in our community!