EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) - A total of $336,704 was awarded to three businesses to make improvements necessary to offer healthy food options as part of the Healthy Food Financing Initiative (HFFI), the El Paso County announced Thursday, Oct. 24 in a news release. Chuco Town Farms McCombs Meat Market La Mejor Carniceria & Mercado Photos courtesy of the El Paso County The 2023 HFFI award recipients were the following: Chuco Town Farms -- located in San Elizario. McCombs Meat Market -- located in Northeast El Paso. La Mejor Carniceria & Mercado -- located in West El Paso. "The County’s Economic Development Department and UT Health Houston, El Paso Campus have partnered to administer this countywide program that focuses on small businesses that lack access to traditional capital and credit markets but are pursuing work that holds the potential for systemic change in our region’s most vulnerable communities," read the news release. The County said the HFFI initiative is a financing program created to "provide long-term capital to projects working to address food access issues in low-income and underserved communities across the County." In addition, grants and low-interest loans are available for food retail and infrastructure projects that increase healthy and affordable food options in underserved areas throughout the County, according to the news release. For more information on HFFI visit here.