People used to have trouble telling the Villalobos sisters apart. They are, admittedly, very much alike. The Villalobos sisters, Mary Lou and Irene, were born and raised in El Paso with important values impressed upon them: family, faith, education, and service to community.

When they grew up the two sisters married popular El Pasoans: Irene married Julius Lowenberg, and Mary Lou married Art Moreno, Sr. (Julius and Art have no trouble telling the sisters apart). Between the two couples, they have 15 children and 27 grandchildren, most of whom live in El Paso.

It was Art and Mary Lou Moreno’s youngest son who inspired their most profound community service. At a time when people did not know much about AIDS, Paul Delgado tested HIV positive. Mary Lou Moreno had served as a board member of the El Paso Community Foundation. With the Foundation, she helped establish the Border AIDS Partnership in 1994. Art and Mary Lou have now been AIDS activists for more than 15 years. On October 28th, the Morenos will be honored by the Border AIDS Partnership for their tireless contribution of spirit and energy to the cause of preventing HIV/AIDS.

Julius and Irene Lowenberg have been involved in the community since the 1960s. Irene was a charter member of the National Association of Women in Construction and has been a donor to the El Paso Community Foundation for years. Julius volunteered his time to children. He was an active father, a football coach, and a committed member of El Paso’s Parks and Recreation Board. Julius Lowenberg served on the board of directors of the El Paso Community Foundation.

The Julius & Irene Lowenberg Fund and the Art & Mary Lou Moreno Fund—both a part of the El Paso Community Foundation—are their Great Gifts to El Paso. These general charitable funds represent their personal philanthropy by helping to fund worthwhile projects, such as the Border AIDS Partnership. Two dynamic sisters, two great El Paso families, two generous charitable funds are fine examples of the values central to the lives of the Villalobos sisters: family, faith, education, and service to community.