Buckner Rio Grande Valley

Members of the Buckner Rio Grande Valley team were able to attend the McAllen Mayor's Prayer Luncheon. We were grateful for the opportunity to connect with other faith-based organizations committed to serving the Rio Grande Valley community!

"How much quicker does God welcome us back into his arms with forgiveness and love? Do we offer that same quickness to forgive to those in our lives?"

To read more about God's forgiveness towards us and how we can extend that grace to others, visit https://hubs.la/Q02DdZXJ0

Buckner Rio Grande Valley was honored to host a Father's Day event to celebrate the role dads play in their communities and in their families. We had 38 individuals attend the event, and Pastor Ivan De Leon from Iglesia Vino Neuvo provided us with the pastoral message. Park Cities Baptist Church in Dallas joined us with a missionary team to support the event.

"Out of my distress, I called on the Lord; the Lord answered me and set me free." Psalm 118:5

Buckner International celebrates all the fathers and father figures that fill our lives with love.

“For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children, encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory.” 1 Thessalonians 2:11-12

We recently hosted a successful Father’s Day event with over sixty individuals in attendance. Fathers and their children collaborated to prepare and race soap box carts. We are honored to celebrate these incredible fathers who are committed to strengthening their families and communities!

May 31 is National Aging Out of Foster Care Awareness Day. Nearly half of the youth who age out of foster care in the U.S. will be homeless or incarcerated at some point in their life. Learn how Buckner is empowering former foster youth through Buckner NextStep and FYi Centers at https://hubs.la/Q02tpLFb0.

If you have not yet participated in the Buckner Shoes for Orphan Souls RGV Community Shoe Drive, make sure you swing by one of our drop off locations and make your contribution to providing vulnerable children with new shoes!

Thank you to St. Joseph Catholic Church - Donna, TX for volunteering to operate as a drop off location.

Just a reminder that the Rio Grande Valley Community Shoe Drive wraps up soon! Thank you to Donna's Corn Maze for participating as a drop off location. We are blessed to have a community of selfless and generous individuals!

"Freedom makes a huge requirement of every human being. With freedom comes responsibility." -Eleanor Roosevelt

Buckner Rio Grande Valley honors those who have sacrificed to pursue liberty for all who call our nation home.

Workforce Solutions - Job Corps. has joined our shoe drive as a drop off location! Both the Edinburgh and Harlingen locations are participating. Drop your new shoes and socks off and be a part of bringing opportunity to vulnerable children in the Rio Grande Valley! For more information, visit https://www.buckner.org/shoe-drives/shoe-drives-rgv-shoe-drive

Thank you to Fleet Feet McAllen for participating in the Buckner Rio Grande Valley Community Shoe Drive for the first time! We are so thankful that you are collaborating with us to shine hope to the most vulnerable in our community.

In 2023, 30,739 children in Texas were in foster care, and only 12,804 exited care. Further, only 422 new homes were licensed as a foster home. The numbers don't add up. Help us lower the statistics. Become a foster parent. Learn more at https://hubs.la/Q02xBFKT0.
source: https://hubs.la/Q02xBzYw0

Thank you to Easterseals Rio Grande Valley for participating as a drop off location for the Rio Grande Valley Shoe Drive for the third year in a row!

For a comprehensive list of drop off locations, visit https://www.buckner.org/shoe-drives/shoe-drives-rgv-shoe-drive

If you are located near McAllen, St. Mark's United Methodist Church is available as a drop-off location for the Rio Grande Valley Community Shoe Drive! Thank you to St. Mark's for participating in this effort to bring hope and opportunity to children through new shoes.

May 15 is International Day of Families. It was created by the United Nations as a day to raise awareness about the importance families play in addressing things like poverty, female empowerment, child abuse, and more.

We know how crucial it is for parents to be involved in the lives of their children, which is why our Family Hope Centers exist. We want families to have the tools they need to thrive. We have Buckner Family Hope Centers throughout Texas and in six countries.

The strength of the Family Hope Center model is its emphasis on engaging, equipping and elevating families, making it portable and effective in many cultures and contexts.

We offer classes and assistance in things like parent education, financial empowerment, child and youth development, spiritual development, family coaching, counseling, and spiritual enrichment. If you or someone you know is interested in learning more visit https://hubs.la/Q02shKJB0.

Today, we celebrate and encourage all moms and their contributions to those around them. Happy Mother's Day! 💛

"She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue." Proverbs 31:26

Is your church interested in learning more about how to support foster and adoptive parents?

May is Foster Care Month and a great time to begin the conversation. A foster-friendly church may look like advocating for more foster families, creating a closet where families can shop for clothes and supplies, and offering training for members to be certified as babysitters or substitute caregivers. There are so many ways to rally around foster children.

Find out more at https://hubs.la/Q02tphy90.

Thank you to Security First Credit Union for volunteering to be a drop off location for the RGV Community Shoe Drive! If you are interested in helping us provide opportunity for children in the Rio Grande Valley, bring a new pair of shoes to Security First, or any of the drop off locations near you!

See all locations here: https://www.buckner.org/shoe-drives/shoe-drives-rgv-shoe-drive

Buckner Family Hope Center at Donna celebrated Dia del Niño with our families!
Our purpose was to engage the community and create intentional quality time for children and their families!

We are so grateful to all of our drop off locations for choosing to shine hope in our community! Thank you to VAIL Center for Independent Living for volunteering to be a drop off location for the Rio Grande Valley Community Shoe Drive!

To find the drop off location nearest you or to see how you can get involved, visit https://www.buckner.org/shoe-drives/shoe-drives-rgv-shoe-drive

Thank you to Expeditors for being a Shoe Drive drop off location for the past three years!

For a complete list of drop off locations, visit https://www.buckner.org/shoe-drives/shoe-drives-rgv-shoe-drive

Happy Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month! We celebrate and honor all of the incredible individuals in the AAPI community, and we thank them for their many contributions to our society! 💙

Different Buckner program staff teamed up to participate in the 3rd annual Roll and Read event hosted by Easterseals Rio Grande Valley. Over 580 individuals were able to learn about our services as well as other community agencies.

The Rio Grande Valley Community Shoe Drive is officially underway! Maximus Foundation is a drop off location in Edinburg. We will be featuring a few more drop off locations here over the course of the drive, so be on the lookout for one near you!

For the complete list of drop off locations or for virtual shoe donation, visit https://www.buckner.org/shoe-drives/shoe-drives-rgv-shoe-drive

It's officially the start of National Foster Care Month. This month we want to not only thank our fearless foster families and staff, but we also want to ask others to join us in this ministry. Whether that’s becoming a foster parent, getting certified to babysit foster children, or simply starting a support group for other foster families in your church — there is a lot you can do!

Take this month to get engaged with foster care and ask yourself, “What can I do to help?” To learn more visit https://hubz.li/Q02tnlkC0.

Hey, Rio Grande Valley! The Rio Grande Valley Shoe Drive kicks off on May 1st and we need your help! Join us in providing hope and opportunities to children in need.

For more information on shoe drive drop-off locations or how to get involved, visit https://www.buckner.org/shoe-drives/shoe-drives-rgv-shoe-drive

Buckner Rio Grande Valley was recently able to host Pinwheels for Prevention to raise awareness about child abuse prevention. We are so grateful for all of the individuals we were able to serve at the event, and all of the organizations that attended. Preventing and ending child abuse takes the work of an entire community, and we are so blessed to have many people and agencies alongside of us in the fight! 💙