RIO GRANDE VALLEY

RIO GRANDE VALLEY
Figh t in g h u n ge r, Fe e din g h o p e t o g et h er.
Thank You
For Giving
Families a
Joyful Holiday!
Holiday 2015
Terri Drefke
Chief Executive Officer
DEAR FRIEND,
Board of Directors
Officers:
President
Abel Orendain,
Orendain & Dominguez Law Firm
Vice President
Michelle Lea Zamora,
Frost Bank
Secretary
Andrea Rodriguez, DoubleTree Suites
by Hilton McAllen
Treasurer
Robert Levrier,
AIM Media Services
Chief Executive Officer
Terri Drefke,
Food Bank of the Rio
Grande Valley
Members:
Lina Cantu Cruz,
Edinburg High School
S. David Deanda, Jr., Lone Star National
Bank
Gerardo “Jerry” Jackson, Jackson Business
Consulting
Tony Gonzalez, H-E-B
Yolanda Gonzalez, Wells Fargo
Cristobal Perez, USDA Farm Service
Agency
Rev. Nancy Springer, St. John’s Episcopal
Church
Jaime Tijerina, Attorney at Law
Dr. Michael Whitacre, University of Texas
Rio Grande Valley
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For me, the holidays are all about tradition — home-cooked
meals, good conversation and most important all, family. I
look forward to this special time all year long. But as I do, I’m
reminded of the many people in our community who are left out
of the festivities.
Across the Valley, hardworking parents are spending
countless hours at their jobs in hopes of giving their children
a better life. But low wages, illness and other difficult
circumstances make it impossible for many mothers and fathers
to provide one of life’s most basic necessities — food.
With the number of struggling families in our community
steadily rising, I’m grateful for friends like you who are choosing
to make a difference in the lives of hungry men, women and
children in our community this holiday season.
Thanks to your support of the Food Bank of the Rio Grande
Valley, thousands of families will be able to share a full table with
their loves ones during this joyful season. That’s because with
each gift you make, we’re able to distribute more nutritious food
to the hungry people who need it.
In this special holiday issue of Comida Connection, you’ll
read real stories of hope and perseverance from families who
you’re helping overcome hardships. As you read, I hope you’ll
be mindful of the real impact your generosity is having on our
community.
This holiday season, I can’t begin to tell you how grateful I am
for your partnership. Together, we’re changing lives for the better
every day. Thank you.
A Family Can Put Food On the
Table, Thanks to You
For Paula, raising her four
precious grandchildren — Irma,
3, Paula, 7, Elizabeth, 13, and
Francisco, 14 — takes nearly all
the energy she can muster. But
no matter what kind of day she’s
having, they always find a way
to make her smile. But with the
holidays just around the corner,
Paula is finding it harder to keep
her spirits up.
Because poor health keeps
her from working, Paula relies
on a small amount of disability
assistance to cover all of her
family’s expenses. But even with
careful budgeting, she’s still not
always able to fill her shopping
cart with the nutritious food her
grandchildren need.
Without family or friends to
turn to, Paula began visiting the
food pantry at St. Joseph the
Worker, a Food Bank partner
agency in McAllen. As she and
her youngest granddaughter,
Irma, patiently wait to pick up
groceries for a special holiday
meal, Paula explains what this
community resource means to
her family.
“This food really helps a lot,”
says Paula. “We are able to make
[it] last, cooking dinners that we
can eat for days.”
No family should be without
food, especially during the
holidays. And because of your
support, loving caregivers like
Paula will be able to feed their
families. And for that, she’s very
appreciative.
“Thank you so much,” says
Paula. “We’re happy and grateful
— nothing that we’re given goes
to waste.”
Paula and Irma
Volunteer of the Quarter: Marci Jackson
For Marci Jackson,
volunteering with the Food Bank
of the Rio Grande Valley means
being able to combine two of her
greatest passions — creating art
and serving her community.
A ceramics student at the
University of Texas of the Rio
Grande Valley, Marci hopes to
find a job in art therapy once
she finishes her degree program.
But for now, she makes her living
working as a graduate assistant.
About four years ago, one of
Marci’s professors encouraged
the class to create handmade
soup bowls for the Food Bank’s
Empty Bowls fundraising event.
As time went on, Marci decided
to become more involved by
serving as the Empty Bowls
coordinator at her school.
In her role as a Food
Bank volunteer, Marci recruits
volunteers and donates her skills
as a ceramics artist. Last year,
Marci oversaw the creation of
338 original bowls that were
displayed at Empty Bowls 2014.
Each ticket holder could pick
out one bowl to take home
as a symbol of hunger in our
community.
This fall, Marci continued
encouraging her classmates and
other community members to
join the Empty Bowls cause. Her
efforts resulted in over 1,000
bowls.
Thank you, Marci, for your
support of the Food Bank of
the Rio Grande Valley and
Empty Bowls. Your talents and
willingness to serve enable us to
feed families in need this holiday
season and throughout the year.
Marci Jackson
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A Family is Thankful for Your
Holiday Gifts
Cranberry Apple
Pecan Salad
with Creamy Poppyseed Dressing
Ingredients
• 6 ounces baby spinach
• 1 cup pecans, coarsely
chopped
• 2 Granny Smith Apples,
chopped
• 1/2 cup crumbled Feta Cheese
• 3/4 cup dried cranberries
Dressing
• 1/3 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup 2% milk
• 3 Tablespoons Sugar
• 4 teaspoons cider vinegar
• 2 teaspoons poppyseeds
Directions:
In a large bowl, toss baby
spinach, pecans, apples, feta
cheese, and cranberries.
In a small bowl, whisk together
the mayonnaise, milk, sugar,
cider vinegar, and poppyseeds.
Pour over the salad and toss to
coat.
Serve salad immediately and
garnish with more feta cheese if
desired.
Preparation Time:
20 minutes
P.O. Box 6251
McAllen, TX 78502
www.foodbankrgv.com
956-682-8101
Carmen, her husband, Jose, and their son, Jose Jr., are a loving family
from Harlingen. In about a month, they will be meeting a fourth family
member — a new baby girl named Karla.
With only a month before the baby arrives, Carmen still has much to
do before her due date — like
buying diapers, wipes and
other essentials. But as much
as she’d like to stock up on
these items in preparation, she
just doesn’t have the money.
Because Jose, a mechanic
by trade, is the only one able to
work right now, Carmen’s family
is struggling to keep a roof over
their heads. This means even
something as basic as food has
become a luxury in their home.
Unwilling to let her family
go hungry, Carmen reached out
to Una Esperanza Viva, a Food
Bank of the Rio Grande Valley
partner agency near her home.
Each month, she makes a trip to
the pantry where she receives
Carmen and her son, Jose Jr.
enough food to supplement her
family’s small grocery budget.
Carmen is especially excited about today’s visit to Una Esperanza Viva.
Instead of the usual staples, she’s receiving a Thanksgiving turkey and
other items to help fill her family’s dinner table for the holidays. As she
looks down at the food she’s been given, she can’t help but recognize your
role in helping feed her family.
“God bless you,” says Carmen, grateful for your gifts. “This food helps a
lot of families.”
As she reflects on your generosity, Carmen looks forward to the day
when she can return to school to further her education in hopes of finding
a job that will help her family become self-sufficient. But until that day
comes, she’s grateful she’s able to count on generous friends like you to
help make this a joyful holiday.
Upcoming Events
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Ten Man Jam, Dec. 5
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Like “Food Bank RGV” or
follow us @foodbankrgv
One of the best country music
concerts in the Valley!
Proceeds to help benefit the Food
Bank RGV.
Share Your Christmas, Dec. 10
Channel 4 will help us Share Your
Christmas with live donations across
the Valley!