El Paso is a city coming together in the face of tragedy and terror.
“We’ve got to become better and not bitter,” Glenn Pennington with Texas Baptist Men said.
The Dallas-based organization works in disaster relief and travel around the country lending a helping hand in natural disasters and during man-made crisis.
Pennington, an El Paso resident himself, said their efforts take on a whole new meaning when the disaster is in your city.
“It is tough, but you know, one thing about El Paso, we they are resilient,” he said. “We’re family-oriented. We believe in community.”
Texas Baptist Men deployed just a few hours after the shooting and worked closely with first responders helping organize donations and distribute water to first responders – some who had experienced the tragic scene and the aftermath first hand.
“You could see it did affect them,” Pennington said.
He believes the strong community spirit will help El Paso on the path to healing.
“The fear will not defeat us. Love always defeats hate and it reinforced that when I saw everyone working together,” Pennington said.