Fighting Hunger, Feeding Hope Together
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Silvia at St. Joseph the Worker Pantry
Terri Drefke
Chief Executive Officer
It’s that time of year again! The
holiday months are always very busy
at the Food Bank of the Rio Grande
Valley, and it’s only with the help of
caring neighbors like you that we’re
able to distribute all the food our
community desperately needs.
This fall, countless parents are
struggling to feed their children.
And when kids are out of school
for winter break, they’ll have to
stretch what little money there is
in their budgets even further. Your
generosity brings more relief than
you’ll ever know.
In this issue of Comida Connection,
we’ve included stories to uplift your
spirits this holiday season — like
the story about Operation Kid Pack
on page 4. Thanks to you, students
at Juan Seguin Elementary now have
access to the weekend meals they
need to succeed inside and outside
the classroom. This is just one of
the many ways you help make a
difference every day.
If you’re anything like me, the
holidays are a special time to
spend with your loved ones around
a full table. I hope you’ll take
comfort in knowing that there are
many more community members —
like the students of Juan Seguin
elementary — who can enjoy the
same opportunity because someone
like you truly cares.
This year, you have helped make real
strides in fighting hunger here in
the Valley. I hope I can count on you
to continue to stand with us as we
increase our efforts in serving more
people across the Valley in 2017.
Happy Holidays,
Terri Drefke, CEO
Life as a single mom is never easy.
But sometimes there are challenges
that make this job even more
difficult. In Silvia’s case, it’s having a
child with special needs.
While she loves Juan unconditionally,
it’s been tough to provide him with
the support he needs as he’s grown
into young adulthood — especially
now that she’s struggling to cover the
basics, including nourishing food.
Because she lives on a fixed income,
putting food on the table is a daily
struggle. Once all the bills are paid,
there’s often only a small amount of
money to purchase groceries — not
nearly enough for two people.
Juan needs constant supervision, so
even a part-time job is out of the
question for Silvia. At the end of
her rope, Silvia decided to take the
advice of her neighbor and visit the
food pantry at St. Joseph the Worker,
her local Food Bank of the Rio
Grande Valley partner agency.
Coming here has made a world a
difference in Silvia’s life. About once
a month, she can pick up enough
groceries to feed her family for at
least a week.
What’s more, the food Silvia receives
includes lots of fresh fruits and
vegetables. This allows her to prepare
The Food Bank of the Rio Grande
Valley was created in response to
a destructive freeze that hit the
produce industry hard in 1983. The
loss of crops led to an economic
decline that hurt thousands of
low-income families. It’s surprising
that 30 years later, we are still
responding to both declared and undeclared disasters that can impact
entire towns or small, rural pockets
of our community.
Within the last 18 months, your
gifts have enabled the Food Bank
to distribute nearly half a million
pounds of food and water relief
to over 10,000 men, women and
children affected by emergencies.
From flooding in Hidalgo and Willacy
counties to a devastating windstorm
that destroyed homes in Granejo,
Texas, you’ve answered the call just
like the first responders. Working
with county emergency management
meals that are healthy, something
that’s difficult for anyone who has
little money to spend on food.
Intent on making sure nothing she
receives goes to waste, Silvia usually
prepares large dishes that provide
plenty of leftovers. This gives her
and other local charities, you’ve
enabled us to work behind the
scenes delivering food, as well as on
the front lines putting food directly
into the hands of affected families.
Even with hurricane season winding
down, our emergency foods need to
be restocked, ready to be delivered
at a moment’s notice. High protein,
easy to open foods and foods that
don’t need preparation are ideal
for food relief efforts. But most
importantly, monetary donations
more time to focus on her son’s
needs, while also providing regular
nourishment. Reflecting on what
your generosity means to her family,
Silvia is overcome with gratitude.
“God bless you,” says Silvia. “Your
gifts are such a big help for us.”
help us stay prepared for emergency
food response. It doesn’t take a
hurricane to directly hit our region
to cause damage—even a sudden
hailstorm or heavy downpour can
devastate many neighborhoods.
Please, help us stay prepared by
giving as generously as you can
today. Together, we can help more
of our neighbors get back on their
feet again.
3 ½ tablespoons light butter, divided
2 medium zucchini,
sliced into 1/4” slices
2 medium summer squash (yellow
zucchini), sliced into 1/4” slices
½ cup diced onion
½ cup shredded carrots
10.75 oz can of 98% fat free
cream of mushroom soup
½ cup fat free plain Greek yogurt
2 cups Pepperidge Farm Herb
Seasoned Stuffing Mix, divided
Gavin, a student that participates in
the Operation Kid Pack Program
1. Preheat the oven to 350.
2. In a large saute pan or skillet, melt 2
tablespoons of butter over medium heat.
Add the onion, zucchini, summer squash
and carrots and saute for 3-4 minutes.
Cover the pan and cook for an additional
5-6 minutes until the zucchini and summer
squash are tender.
3. Remove the squash mixture from heat
and stir in the cream of mushroom soup,
yogurt, and 1 ¼ cups of the stuffing until
well combined. Transfer the mixture to a 2
QT casserole dish (We used a 7×11 dish) and
spread evenly.
4. Melt the remaining 1 ½ tablespoons of
butter in a medium bowl and combine with
the remaining ¾ cup of stuffing mix. Sprinkle
the stuffing across the top of the zucchini
mixture in the casserole dish. Bake for about
30 minutes and serve warm.
Nutrition Information: 128 calories, 19 g
carbs, 4 g sugars, 4 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 5
g protein, 3 g fiber
Recipe brought to you by the Food Bank of
the Rio Grande Valley Nutrition Education
Department. For questions, please contact
Sandra Villegas at 956-904-4523. This
institution is an equal opportunity provider.
“This material was funded by USDA’s Supplemental
Nutrition Assistance Program—SNAP.”
P.O. Box 6251
McAllen, TX 78502
www.foodbankrgv.com
956-682-8101
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This holiday season, there are
thousands of individuals at risk
of going hungry. Many of them are
children, like the ones who attend Juan
Seguin Elementary in McAllen.
According to Loring D., a special
education teacher at the school, the
problem is economic. She says that
many kids come from single-parent
homes, meaning there’s usually only
one income to meet the family’s need.
But there’s hope, thanks to generous
friends like you.
When you give to the Food Bank of the
Rio Grande Valley, you help support
programs like Operation Kid Pack,
which connects eligible students
with the food their parents can’t
afford when the school is closed on
weekends and holidays.
Loring, who serves as the site
coordinator for the program at Juan
Seguin, says that many of the kids
who receive this pack of food would
not have enough to eat were it not for
your support. You’re truly a lifeline
for these kids — and their families.
After three years of overseeing this
program, Loring has seen a lot of need
met through your gifts. She adds that
student performance in the classroom
has improved year after year for those
participating in the program. This
is how your gifts are impacting the
community this holiday season.
“God bless you,” says Loring, thankful
for your support. “You’re helping our
students by giving them the most
important tool they need to succeed.”
South Texas College
Turkey Trot
Join the South Texas
College Kinesiology
Department to run, walk,
or trot at the 11th Annual
Turkey Trot on Saturday,
Nov. 19. This family-friendly event will
take place on a 2.2-mile closed course and
will serve to encourage healthy living and
eating. The cost of admission is eight cans
of non-perishable food to be donated to the
Food Bank of the Rio Grande Valley.
For more information, please visit
www.southtexascollege.edu
Ten Man Jam
Dec. 3, 2016
FM 100 KTEX
will once again
host its annual concert featuring 10 country
music performances you won’t soon forget.
All proceeds will benefit the Food Bank of the
Rio Grande Valley.