SAN JUAN, Texas - Lourdes Flores, director of ARISE Adelante, has welcomed a call from Texas A&M McAllen’s Vice President Manny Vela for Rio Grande Valley leaders to visit colonias in the region.
Flores said ARISE would be happy to show the those leaders around, so they can see first hand the poverty that exists. She said that after years of working in colonias, ARISE has credibility with the families that live there.
“They will learn a lot,” Flores said, if Valley leaders visit the colonias. “One of the things we have built, in all the years that we have been serving the families, is credibility. We have been established there for many years. They (colonia families) won't be shy about letting them know what the struggle is and what their situation is. So please come give us a call. Visit us and we'll definitely show you around.”
Flores said it is no good just driving by a colonia.
“Come and visit the families. Come and reach out to those organizations like ourselves and many others, that are there, that are working on a daily basis with those families,” Flores said.
“Give us a call. We will be ready to show you around and take you to the colonias, take you to the people so you hear directly from them. So you know their situation, their daily struggles. You need to hear from them directly.”
At a recent Futuro RGV forum, Vela, vice president and chief operating officer for Texas A&M McAllen, urged everyone in attendance to visit a colonia.
Vela said that while he is incredibly motivated to be involved with Texas A&M’s long-running Colonia Program, he is also “incredibly demoralized” when he tours a colonia.
The forum, titled Building a Thriving RGV, focused on the work of the Hidalgo County Prosperity Task Force, which is trying to reduce the rate of poverty in the Rio Grande Valley.
“If you’ve not visited a colonia in your lifetime or within the last several years I would urge you to please do so because the reality is our fellow Texans in 2023 are living in extreme poverty. Many don’t have clean running water, electricity, plumbing. The things we take for granted when we get home after work and open our fridge to get a cold drink or whatever are things that are an incredible luxury for these folks,” Vela said.
“So please do me a personal favor on my part, dial in on this one with us. It’s worth the effort to take some time and go visit our colonias firsthand. These are our fellow residents, our fellow Texans, our fellow human beings who deserve the same opportunities and dignity as everybody else.”
In an exclusive interview with the Rio Grande Guardian International News Service, Flores said more and more colonias and subdivisions are being built in the Valley’s unincorporated areas. There are said to be over 900 in Hidalgo County alone.
Flores said Vela was right when he spoke about a lack of basic infrastructure.
“We are serving South Tower (an area south of Alamo). It is hard to believe that even in that area, where we are located, there are still families that have septic tanks. It is so unfortunate that that happens. I ask my co-workers, how did that happen? How come three or four colonias, in the middle of many others that already have proper drainage or proper sewer, still have still septic tanks? It's obvious that there are still a lot more colonias that need proper infrastructure.”
In her interview with the Guardian, Flores also spoke about a strategic plan RGV Focus created to help ARISE improve its structure and leadership. Here is the interview:
https://youtu.be/4uBFl5TRhBw
ARISE Adelante is a community-based program that works with colonia families to strengthen their communities. Located in four colonias in South Texas, each ARISE center responds to the specific needs of the community. ARISE'S mission is to aid communities by helping residents identify life goals and providing resources to help them reach those goals on their own. ARISE Adelante is co-sponsored by the Sisters Of Mercy and the Sisters Of Charity Of The Incarnate Word.
Editor’s Note: The above video is the fourth in a five-part series on the work of ARISE Adelante. Click here to watch Part One. Click here to watch Part Two. Click here to watch Part Three. Part FIVE will appear early next week.
