Equal Voice Network

Rio Grande Valley Directory

January 2011

Member Organizations

ARISE - A Resource in Service Equality (Alamo)
BCHC - Brownsville Community Health Center (Brownsville)
Casa de Proyecto Libertad (Harlingen)
IDRA-Intercultural Development Research Association (San Antonio)
LUPE - La Unión del Pueblo Entero (San Juan)
Proyecto Azteca (San Juan)
Proyecto Juan Diego (Cameron Park/Brownsville)

START - South Texas Adult Resource and Training Center (San Benito)
SWU - Southwest Workers’ Union (San Antonio)
Texas Organizing Project (San Juan)
TRLA – Texas RioGrande Legal Aid (Weslaco)

Network Weaver:

Michael Seifert
(956) 459-6827
seifertjamesmichael@gmail.com

Social Networking Tool:
Network: http://rgvnetwork.ning.com/


Peter Bloch Garcia, Program Officer
(206) 273-7364
PBlochGarcia@caseygrants.org

ARISE (A Resource In Service Equality)

Lourdes Flores
P.O. Box 778
Alamo, TX 78516
Tel: (956) 783-6959
Fax: (956) 783-2099
Lourdes_Flores70@yahoo.com


Other Network Meeting Participants
• Ramona Casas ariseadvocacy@att.net
• Jazmin Frances jazmin@arisesotex.org

Issue Education Programs
• Border Experience Delegations to Mexico
• Citizenship
• Environmental Stewardship
• Leadership Development

Advocacy/Organizing
• Colonia Infrastructure (police, transportation, parks)
• GOTV
• Immigrant Rights
• No Border Wall

Services
• Early Childhood Education
• English Classes
• Summer Youth Activities

Geographic Reach
• Pharr, Alamo and Edinburg

BCHC (Brownsville Community Health Center)

Cristela Gomez
302 Kings Hwy Suite 103
Brownsville, TX 78521
Tel: (956) 548-7491
Fax: (956) 544-7859
cgomez.bchc@tachc.org

Other Network Meeting Participants
• Alix Flores alixflores@sbcglobal.net
• Carmen Guerra cguerra.bchc@tachc.org
• Carolina Sáenz csaenz.bchc@tachc.org
• Elvia Alcala ealcala.bchc@tachc.org
• Paula Gomez paulasgomez@sbcglobal.net

Issue Education Programs
• Census 2010
• Education/Job Training
• Get Out the vote
• Health
• Housing
• Promotora Training

Advocacy/Organizing
• Colonia Infrastructure
• Community and Economic Development
• Neighborhood Safety

Services
• Health
• Public Assistance Referral

Geographic Reach
• Brownsville, Port Isabel, Los Fresnos

Casa de Proyecto Libertad

Rogelio Núñez
113 N. St.
Harlingen, TX 78550
Tel: (956) 425-9552, ext 206
Fax: (956) 425-8249
nrogelio@hushmail.com


Other Network Meeting Participants
• Maria Rayo Treto mariaranchoalegre@yahoo.com
• Alvaro Sosa sosaalvaro40@yahoo.com
• Dina Nuñez dinanunez63@gmail.com

Issue Education Programs
• Human Rights
• Leadership Development

Advocacy/Organizing
• Border Wall
• Census 2010
• Detention Centers
• Get Out the Vote
• Immigrant Rights
• Law Enforcement
• Movimiento del Valle por los Derechos Humanos
• Public Transportation

Services
• Legal Assistance to Undocumented Immigrants

Geographic Reach
• Cameron, Willacy, Starr and Hidalgo Counties

IDRA (Intercultural Development Research Assoc.)

Josie Cortez
5815 Callaghan Rd., Ste 101
San Antonio, TX 78228
Tel: (210) 444-1710
Fax: (210) 444-1719
josie.cortez@idra.org


Other Network Meeting Participants:
• Albert Cortez albert.cortez@idra.org
• Hector Bojorquez hector.bojorquez@idra.org
• Laurie Posner laurie.posner@idra.org

Issue Education Programs:
• Coca-Cola Valued Youth
• Quality Early Education
• Quality Teaching and Learning

Advocacy/Organizing:
• Education Equity
• High School Drop-out Prevention

Services:
• Research and Evaluation
• School Holding Power Portal
• Technical Assistance

Geographic Reach:
• Texas and Nationally

LUPE (La Unión Del Pueblo Entero)

Juanita Valdez-Cox
P.O. Box 188
San Juan, TX 78589
Tel: (956) 782-6655
Fax: (956) 782-2125
juanitavc@lupenet.org

Other Network Meeting Participants:
• John-Michael Torres johnmichael@lupenet.org
• Martha Sánchez martas@lupenet.org
• Neha Singhal neha@lupenet.org
• Vaughn Cox voncox@lupenet.org

Issue Education Programs:
• Citizenship
• ESL
• GED
• Leadership Development

Advocacy/Organizing:
• Candidate Forums
• Census 2010
• Colonia Infrastructure (street lights)
• GOTV/Voter Registration
• Immigrant Rights
• School Improvements

Services:
• Banking/Bill paying and Tax filing assistance
• Immigration
• Member Discounts (at participating local stores)
• Public Assistance (applications and referrals)
• School Registration Assistance

Geographic Reach:
• Hidalgo County

Proyecto Azteca

Ann Williams Cass
E Highway 83
San Juan, TX 78589
Tel: (956) 702-3307
Fax: (956) 702-3309
annwcass@aol.com


Other Network Meeting Participants
• Armando Garza armando@armandogarza.net
• Raul Mora moraraul14@hotmail.com
• Saul Villarreal saulv0808@hotmail.com

Issue Education Programs
• Family Budgeting and Financial Literacy
• Home Buyer Education
• Home Maintenance and Energy Efficiency
• Predatory Lending

Advocacy/Organizing
• Border Wall
• Census 2010
• Colonia Infrastructure
• Federal Housing Funding
• Get Out the Vote
• Immigrant Rights

Services
• Tool/Computer Library
• Zero Interest Mortgage and Loan Servicing

Geographic Reach
• Hidalgo County

Proyecto Juan Diego

Sister Phylis Peters
P.O. Box 8083
Brownsville, TX 78526
Tel: (956) 542-2488
Fax: (956) 542-5055
phylispeters@gmail.com


Other Network Meeting Participants
• Lupita Martinez malusanchezmartinez@yahoo.com
• Paula Barrera paulabarrera17@yahoo.com

Issue Education Programs
• Health
• Women and youth leadership

Advocacy/Organizing
• Access to Health Care
• Census 2010
• Education
• Get Out the Vote

Services
• English/GED Classes
• Immigration/Legal Advice
• Lay Health Program

Geographic Reach
• Cameron Park and surrounding area (north Brownsville)

START Center (South Texas Adult Resource and Training Center)
Joe Medrano
743 North Sam Houston Blvd.
San Benito, TX 78586
Tel: (956) 399-7818
Toll Free: (877) 478-2781
Fax: (956) 361-9033
jmedrano@startcenter.org


Other Network Meeting Participants
• Rhoda Reyes     rreyes@startcenter.org
• Ron Rogers       rrogers956@sbcglobal.net

Issue Education Programs
• ESL/Citizenship
• Financial/Computer literacy
• GED
• Leadership Development
• Voter Registration

Advocacy/Organizing
• Anti-predatory Lending
• Census 2010
• Civic Engagement (GOTV & Forums with city officials)
• Education/School Improvements
• Get Out the Vote

Services
• At-Risk Youth Program
• EITC
• GED and Tech-Assistance with online applications
• Notary Public
• Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program

Geographic Reach
• Cameron County

SWU (Southwest Workers Union)

Genaro Rendon
P.O Box 830706
San Antonio, TX 78283
Tel: (210) 299-2666
Fax: (210) 299-4009
genaro@swunion.org

Issue Education Programs
• Civic Engagement
• Clean Green Energy Sustainability (wind, solar)
• Immigrant Rights, History of May 1st
• Leadership Development

Advocacy/Organizing
• Border/Global Justice
• Environmental Justice
• Movement Building
• Worker Justice – Economic Development
• Youth Empowerment

Geographic Reach
• San Antonio, Austin, Hondo, Rio Grande Valley

Texas Organizing Project

Emi Zuniga
412 W. Hwy 83 Ste D
San Juan, TX 78589
Tel: (956) 904-6449
ezuniga@organizetexas.org



Issue Education Programs
• Leadership and Community Organizing
• Civic Engagement

Advocacy/Organizing
• Criminal Justice Reform
• Health Care
• Housing
• Jobs
• Utility Rates

Services
• Leadership and Organizing Training

Geographic Reach:
• Bexar, Dallas, El Paso, Harris, Hidalgo counties

TRLA (Texas RioGrande Legal Aid)

Emily Rickers
316 S. Closner
Edinburg, TX 78539
Tel: (956) 393-6207
Fax: (956) 383-4688
erickers@trla.org

Katy Youker:  kyouker@trla.org

Other Network Meeting Participants
• David Hall dhall@trla.org
• Ilda Sifuentes isifuentes@trla.org
• Marlene Chavez mchavez@trla.org
• Priscilla Noriega pnoriega@trla.org

Issue Education Programs
• Consumer Rights
• Earned Income Tax Credit
• Employment Law
• Financial Literacy
• Property Rights
• Rural neighborhood associations

Services
• Legal Counsel to Individuals, Organizations & Networks
• Medical/Legal Partnership

Geographic Reach:
• Rio Grande Valley (including El Paso, San Antonio, Laredo, Corpus Christi, Victoria, Alpine, Del Rio, & Eagle Pass for legal services)

Working Groups by Levels
Local
• Economic Stability/Jobs
• Education
• Health Care
• Housing
• Civic Engagement
State
• Economic Stability/Jobs
• Education
• Health Care
• Housing
• Immigration
• Civic Engagement
Federal
• Health Care
• Immigration
• Civic Engagement

Working Groups
1. Economic Stability/Jobs
TRLA: Katy Youker (Chair), Blair Craddock, Ilda Sifuentes, Marlene Chavez
LUPE: Juanita Valdez-Cox
Proyecto Azteca: Ann Williams Cass
START Center: Ron Rogers, Joe Medrano
South Texas Civil Rights Project: Corinna Spencer-Scheurich, corinna.ss@gmail.com

Elliot Tucker, elliott.tucker.tcrp@gmail.com
Sara Henkel, shenkelita@gmail.com

2. Education
START: Joe Medrano (Chair)
ARISE: Lourdes Flores, Virginia Santana
BCHC: Alix Flores, Carmen Guerra, Elvia Alcala
IDRA: Josie Cortez, Aurelio Montemayor
LUPE: Veronica Villarreal
Proyecto Azteca: Raul Mora


3. Health Care
Proyecto Juan Diego: Sr. Phylis Peters, DC (Chair)
BCHC: Chris Gomez
Proyecto Azteca: Ann Williams Cass

Center for Public Policy Priorities: Anne Dunkleberg, dunkelberg@cppp.org
El Milagro Clinic: Grace Lawson, grace2801@aol.com
Hope Medical Clinic: Rebecca Ramirez, rebeccaram@gmail.com
Texas A&M Health Science Center Olga Gabriel, gabriel@srph.tamhsc.edu
Nuestra Clinica del Valle Lucy Ramírez, lramirez.nuestraclinica@tachc.org

4. Housing
Proyecto Azteca: Ann Williams Cass (Chair), Armando Garza, Yvette Loya, Saul Villareal
LUPE: Juanita Valdez-Cox, Martha Sanchez,Veronica Villareal
TRLA: Emily Rickers
Affordable Homes of South Texas: Bobby Calvillo, rcalvillo@ahsti.org, Martin Medina, mmedina@ahsti.org
Amigos del Valle: Imalia Snell, isnell@advrgv.org
Joe Garza, jgarza@advrgv.org
Brownsville Affordable Home Ownership Corporation: Steve Solis, solis@rgcv.rr.com

Brownsville CDC: Mark Mosely, mmoseley@cdcb.org
Nick Mitchell, nmitchell@cdcb.org
Catholic Charities of the RGV: Sr. Leticia Benavidez, lebenavidez@cdob.org
Sr. Norma Pimentel, npimentel@cdob.org
Habitat for Humanity of the RGV
Myra Martínez, mmartinez@rgv-habitat.org
Harlingen CDC: Roberto Guerra, rsguerra1@gmail.com
Fred Huerta, ahuerta@harlingencdc.org
Hidalgo County Housing Authority: Armando Salinas, hildalgoha@aol.com
Hidalgo County Urban County Program: Diana Serna, drserna@bizrgv.rr.com
Michelle Mendoza, mlmendoza@bizrgv.rr.com
Steve De La Garza, sdlg@bizrgv.rr.com
La Merced and El Rosario Charitable Trust: Robert Medrano, rmedrano@cdob.org
Mission Housing Authority: Matt Munoz, matt@cotodecasa.org
Rio Grande Valley Empowerment Zone: Jesús Sáenz, jaysaenz@rgvez.org
Dalia Rodríguez, dalia@rgvez.org
Texas Low-Income Housing: John Henneberger, john@texashousing.org

5. Immigration
LUPE: Juanita Valdez-Cox & Martha Sanchez (Chair), John-Michael Torres
ARISE: Lourdes Flores, Ramona Casas
Casa de Proyecto Libertad: Rogelio Núñez
Proyecto Azteca: Ann Williams Cass
Proyecto Juan Diego: Sr. Phylis Peters, DC
South Texas Immigration Center: Benigno Pena, benignopena@aol.com
BARCA: Ninfa Kruger, RGVBARCA@aol.com
Border Network for Human Rights/RITA: Fernando Garcia, fgarcia@bnhr.org
Southern Border Communities' Coalition: Jennifer Allen, jallen@borderaction.org


6. Civic Engagement
ARISE: Lourdes Flores, Ramona Casas
BCHC: Alix Flores, Carolina Flores, Elvia Alcala
IDRA: Laurie Posner
LUPE: Martha Sanchez, Neha Singhal, Vaughn Cox
Proyecto Azteca: Ann Williams Cass, Armando Garza, Raul Mora
START Center: Ron Rogers, Joe Medrano
TOP: Emi Zuniga
Movimiento del Valle por los Derechos Humanos: Alvaro Sosa, Dina Nuñez, Maria Treto
Texas Civic Engagement Table: Lesley Ramsey, lesley@texastable.org
7. Census Task Force
ARISE: Lourdes Flores, Ramona Casas
BCHC: Carmen Guerra, Elvia Alcala
LUPE: Juanita Valdez-Cox, Martha Sanchez
Proyecto Azteca: Ann Williams Cass, Armando Garza
TRLA: Ilda Sifuentes, Marlene Chavez, Marinda Van Dalen
Children's Defense Fund Luisa Saenz, lsaenz@cdftexas.org
Migrant Health Promotion Gayle Lawn-Day, glawnday@migranthealth.org
Congressman Ruben Hinojosa's office Salomon Torres, salomon.torres@mail.house.gov
South Texas Civil Rights Project Luis Echevarria
Univisión Radio  Brenda Lee Huerta, 100351@univisionradio.com

Rio Grande Valley Network Vision

➢ A network for social change and empowerment for justice and dignity.
➢ A source of political power to bring about change and accountability.
➢ Informed low-income families engaged as dynamic advocates for the 6 issue areas in the Equal Voice National Family Platform.
➢ Community leaders as experts on the issues that impact their lives.
➢ Low-income working families using tools to become leaders of the network so they can be self-sufficient advocates.
➢ A network of networks of low-income working families whose voice is recognized and heard by policy makers and elected officials.
➢ A conduit for the voice of low-income working families on the issues that impact their lives.
➢ A voice of the immigrant and low-income community who have no voice.

Network Goals

➢ Increase participation and engagement of low-income families in the electoral process
➢ Raise the voices of low-income working families in the legislative process at state and national levels.
➢ Advocate for better policies in 6 issue areas identified in the Equal Voice National Family Platform that improve the lives of low-income working families.
➢ Foster movement building collaboratively by engaging a network of constituent bases in the 6 issue areas.
➢ Engage low-income working families to improve local community life
➢ Focus families on identifying and developing solutions
➢ Include community members in the six working groups.
➢ Contribute the strengths of each organization to increase collective political power.
➢ Increase the number of low-income working families actively engaged in the network of constituent bases.
➢ Gather information about policy and legislative proposals that affect low-income working families before they become laws or go into effect.
➢ Develop a common voice (mission & vision) to gain broader public support for policy recommendation of the 6 issue areas through media.
➢ Form strategic alliances with non-network member organizations for social change.