Greetings, Prosperity Task Force Members and friends.
As leaders invested in the economic future of the Rio Grande Valley, we know that a region cannot prosper when its people go hungry.
As Dalinda Gonzalez-Alcantar, CEO of Boys & Girls Club, said just a few days ago at the opening of a new facility for the young people of McAllen — the data makes one sick. And it should make a lot of people sick. Up to 146,000 people in the Valley experience food insecurity, with the Food Bank of the Rio Grande Valley feeding over 88,000 people every week. Nearly 44% of our children rely on SNAP, and one in four families is food insecure. Nearly 30% of households participate in SNAP — yet many still fall short of one meal per person per day. This cannot happen in the United States of America, and we must say so directly to our representatives in Congress.
Although the Prosperity Task Force cannot declare a national emergency, what is happening in our community is a crisis that demands our attention and our action. Food insecurity is not just a humanitarian concern — it is an economic drag on our workforce, our schools, and our regional competitiveness. Protecting programs like SNAP and WIC is foundational to the same community we are working to strengthen through investment and job creation.
On June 9 and 10, a delegation from the Valley will be in Washington, DC, attending the Bread for the World Advocacy Summit, meeting with Representatives De La Cruz, Gonzalez, and Cuellar, and the offices of Senators Cruz and Cornyn to deliver over 120 letters from Valley church members.
We are asking you to add your voice from home.
Simply pledge to send an email to your Members of Congress on June 10 here:
https://go.bread.org/page/97853/survey/1
On the morning of June 10, you'll receive a ready-to-send email link. It takes two minutes.
And mark your calendars: We will be convening a RGV Hunger Conference on Wednesday, September 3, 2026, at South Texas College's Mid-Valley Campus in Weslaco. This will be an opportunity for regional leaders, policymakers, nonprofits, and the business community to align around concrete solutions to food insecurity in our Valley. Details to follow.
You are receiving this email because we know you care deeply for our community. We ask that you begin conversations within your own circle of friends and colleagues — talk about what we can do, how we can lend a hand, and how we can come together around this cause.
We will not leave anyone behind in this community.
A strong RGV starts with a fed RGV. Please join us.
Warm regards,
Mario Reyna
Editor’s Note: The above op-ed was penned by Mario Reyna, coordinator of the Prosperity Task Force.
