“There is a saying, something along the lines of, ‘Society grows when men plant trees whose shade they will never be able to sit under.’ Likewise, we, as a society, need to look out for one another. Only in that way will we be able to grow and progress to a stable community.” ~ Abdiel Ramirez Back in seventh grade, Abdiel Ramirez found reading books about a variety of medical…
Working at home as a full-time wife and mother has been recognized as an honorable and rewarding job, as well as one of the most difficult. And, unfortunately, it does not come with a paycheck. Vanessa Cantu of Brownsville watched her husband, Norberto, go to work each day as a driver for a car dealership as she cared for their three sons. Despite his commitment to his job, they struggled…
Four years ago, Brownsville resident Rogelio Garcia depended on government assistance to feed himself, his wife and their five children. Today, thanks to the Valley Initiative for Development and Advancement, that’s no longer the case. In early August of 2013, Garcia had a near-fatal accident that resulted in him going on disability. During his recovery, a friend told him about VIDA and its Commercial Electrician Program, focused on increasing the…
In his article, “Omne Trium Perfectum: Three May really be the charm,” in the July/August 2019 issue of Modern Aesthetics, Dr. Steve Dayan wrote, “In Kabbala philosophy, the number three signifies harmony. To the Chinese, the number three is considered lucky. And in Christian lore, the number three represents divine wholeness, completeness, and perfection, hence the Latin phrase Omne Trium Perfectum: everything that is three is perfect.” For Harlingen resident…
Edcouch resident Lupita Caballero felt fortunate to have a job as a health-care provider but earning $10 an hour placed her in a situation countless Rio Grande Valley residents know all too well. She knew she needed a degree in nursing to advance in the field of health care, but on her salary, she had no discretionary income to pay for college classes, textbooks and uniforms. Though the hurdles never…
Savanah Arellano of San Benito had a job as a mental-health technician earning $10 an hour. While Arellano knew she wanted to stay in the healthcare arena, she also knew she needed to earn a much better salary if she wanted to be self-sufficient and not struggle just to pay her bills. Because Arellano’s parents divorced and her father passed away, she had seen those struggles firsthand. Arellano enrolled in…
McAllen resident Rebecca Gutierrez always had career goals, but barricades kept getting in her way. “It was always financial challenges of either paying bills or paying for school,” Gutierrez said. “I was not able to do both, at times.” Gutierrez is a Valley native. She is also one of six children who witnessed their parents perform the grueling labor only migrant farm workers know. “My parents both worked hard for…
Earning $2.13 per hour plus tips as a server at Texas Roadhouse in Brownsville made it difficult for single mom Itssen Izaguirre to meet all of her financial obligations. This was especially true when she decided to pursue a career in nursing. Nursing had sparked her interest in middle school and Izaguirre felt the time had come to pursue it. “I knew there was a shortage of nurses,” Izaguirre said,…
Pharr resident Vanessa Mendoza’s parents did not have the opportunity to go to college and get their “dream careers.” However, she said, they stressed the importance of college to their children. “My parents were humble and gave us what we needed,” Mendoza said. “They motivated me and my siblings to do well in school so we would be able to go to college to have a good job and a…
Texas Rural Communities has awarded Valley Initiative for Development and Advancement a $5,000 grant to fund participants living in rural communities from Cameron, Hidalgo, Starr and Willacy counties. “We are immensely thankful to Texas Rural Communities for selecting VIDA as one of their grant recipients and recognizing the importance of enhancing higher education opportunities for student success,” said VIDA Deputy Executive Director Felida Villarreal. “Through this collaboration, VIDA will continue…