FirstLight Federal Credit Union and Doña Ana Community College (DACC) are partnering to support the Comfort Casita Food Pantry, a vital resource combating food insecurity among students, faculty, and staff.
As part of the collaboration, FirstLight will contribute $200,000 over six years to DACC’s Comfort Casita through the NMSU Foundation. The funding will help sustain pantry operations and support services including DACC’s southern county campuses. In recognition of this investment, the Comfort Casita will bear the name “FirstLight Federal Credit Union Comfort Casita” during the period of sponsorship.
Launched in 2023, the DACC Comfort Casita Pantry provides nutritious food, hygiene products, cleaning supplies, baby items, and school essentials. Since opening, the pantry has distributed more than 10,000 bags of food and has expanded through the main Casita in Alex Sanchez Hall and a network of micro-casitas to four additional DACC locations.
“We’ve always believed that a healthy community is the foundation of a financially strong community,” said FirstLight FCU President and CEO Margie Salazar. “By supporting the Comfort Casita, we’re helping ensure that DACC students are nourished not just academically, but physically, so they can focus on their goals and future careers. This is how we build a stronger society, one student at a time.”
For more than 70 years, FirstLight has demonstrated its deep commitment to the communities it serves by championing financial literacy, supporting education initiatives and scholarships, and partnering with schools and nonprofits to inspire lasting social impact. Founded in 1955, FirstLight Federal Credit Union is a community-based financial cooperative headquartered in El Paso, Texas. Originally established to serve personnel at Biggs Air Force Base, the credit union expanded in 1996 to include residents of Doña Ana County.
FirstLight will also host financial wellness workshops on topics including budgeting, career readiness, savings strategies, homeownership, and retirement planning, further supporting DACC students and community members in building sustainable futures.
“By addressing basic needs like food security, we’re removing barriers that too often stand in the way of student success,” said Mónica Torres ’82, ’84, chancellor of Doña Ana Community College. “Partnerships like this help create an environment where every student has the opportunity to thrive, both in the classroom and beyond.”
Food insecurity continues to affect college students nationwide. According to a survey of students at 27 New Mexico public higher education institutions by the NM Basic Needs Consortium, 62 percent of students surveyed at Doña Ana Community College said they experienced food insecurity. The Comfort Casita receives about 500 visits a month, demonstrating the need for supplemental food for students and their families.
“No student, faculty, or staff member should have to wonder where their next meal is coming from,” said Sylvia Y. Acosta ’10, CEO of the NMSU Foundation. “Part of the Foundation’s mission is to advance access to education, drive innovation, and create opportunity — and we are grateful for this partnership that helps fulfill that mission in a real and immediate way.”
DACC is the fourth-largest higher education institution in New Mexico, serving more than 7,900 students across six campuses and centers in Doña Ana County. As part of the NMSU system, it offers 42 associate degrees and 50+ certificate programs in career, technical, and general education.
A proud partner of Doña Ana Community College, FirstLight Federal Credit Union embraces the Comfort Casita’s guiding mission: “Together, We End Hunger.” To contribute to the FirstLight Federal Credit Union Comfort Casita, see https://alwaysanaggie.org/donate/dacc-comfort-casitas/.