The negotiations that led to the creation of a single Rio Grande Valley metropolitan planning organization meant more than being a positive sign of regional goodwill. It also spurred the Texas Department of Transportation to announce it would spend $1.1 billion over the next decade. The money is solely for highway and mobility projects in the Valley. The state agency believed the merger of three Valley MPOs into a single…
Emily’s Meals is an organization dedicated to feeding 40 people every day. And it all started with the innocent question of a 6-year-old girl. Emily and her father Rick Aguirre went to the grocery store one normal afternoon. As they were leaving, Emily saw her first homeless person. Her dad took this moment to teach her about the act of charity, so they bought a meal and gave it to…
The first Magic Valley Electric Cooperative utility pole went up in 1937. It was on Mile 9 West in Weslaco. The cooperative was in business and would establish seven principles that would guide it. The seventh principle is one that is at the heart of what Magic Valley has done for more than 80 years. It’s “Concern For Community,” as the value states. This is a value that still lives…
The holidays are around the corner, reminding us of the countless blessings in our lives. For others, this may be a reminder of what they don’t have. Fortunately, there are several opportunities for the community to come together and give back to those in need. One of the ways we can aim to do so is by taking part in volunteering at Food Bank RGV. “The RGV is just a…
Leandro Pedraza of VTX1 took the concept of paying it forward and then made it count in Raymondville. Pedraza, an accounting manager with VTX1, heard the Family Crisis Center in Raymondville had suffered a devastating burglary. The result was the theft of all of the facility’s computers along with other damages. Pedraza wanted to see what could be done to help and asked his supervisors for permission to proceed. At…
September is Hunger Action Month, a time to take a pro-active part in ending hunger. For UTRGV’s Cristina Vega, helping others fight hunger is her job. “We have a lot of jokes in society, like, ‘Ha. Ha. Poor college student. You’re probably eating Ramen.’ And that’s not really something to joke about, because it’s a reality,” said Vega, program coordinator of the UTRGV Student Food Pantry. The Student Food Pantry is a free…
Fifteen inches of water took it all from Texas State Technical College student Nelda Chavez and her family. “The only way to describe the situation is devastating and overwhelming,” said the 52-year-old. “The image and smell of the mess and debris still haunts me.” The family returned to their home barely a week ago; the massive amount of rain and flooding that devastated their home occurred in June. Chavez’s family has…
Three local businessmen have come together to give back to our community in a big way … $80,760 big! That is the amount of money two locally-grown businesses gave back to the community during the 2018-2019 school year. Rick Guerra (CEO of Castle Hospitality), Russell Walker (general manager of Macaroni Grill), and Richard Guevara (general manager of Tony Roma’s) have worked together to create a program that allows both primarily…
The works of Mcallen artist Mitch D’Arte are very much inspired by the multi-colors and textures of Mexican art. Her paintings are very representative of the heavy local Mexican influence. But D’Arte’s connection to Mexico goes deeper than the vibrant colors and culture found in her artwork. At least twice a year, D’Arte travels to San Luis Potosi, Mexico and into the very remote parts of the city to give…
For 38 summers, youth from churches across the state have been visiting the Rio Grande Valley to participate in Mission Service Project. MSP is a week-long service opportunity where teenagers work with adult sponsors to improve a home for someone in need. This project began at the Mission United Methodist Church in 1981. It was inspired by a trip their group had attended in the Appalachian Mountains. They went on…