School children from the Mission school district have become empowered agents of change against food insecurity. They are currently harvesting crops they grew with the support of a partnership between the City of Mission Rotary Club and three departments at UTRGV. During the 2021-2022 school year, 80 students grew lettuce, oranges, papayas and zucchini in gardens at 14 elementary schools and two high schools. Leading the initiative in the Mission…
McAllen ISD’s highly successful meals program is about to become a subject of study for other schools nationwide. Alexandra Molina, McAllen ISD’s executive director of Child Nutrition and Purchasing, will be sharing the district’s model. She is one of just 12 nationwide members, and the only one from Texas, chosen to serve with a leading champion of food insecurity – No Kid Hungry. The group is called the No Kid…
The Rio Grande Valley Chapter of the American Advertising Federation is sponsoring a “Time to Give, Grinches” bowling tournament on Dec. 7 with all proceeds going to food pantries at local colleges and universities. The ugly sweater bowling tournament will take place at Flamingo Bowl in McAllen. AAF says it’s all part of a public service initiative to give back to the community. “We wanted to take on a meaningful…
A produce distribution drive-through takes place Sept. 10 to provide free fruits and vegetables to veterans. The event is made possible via a partnership between VA Texas Valley Costal Bend Health Care System and the Food Bank of the Rio Grande Valley. Food insecurity is a serious issue affecting many Americans either daily or at the end of the month when financial resources are exhausted. Food insecurity is especially prevalent…
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…