In the Rio Grande Valley, about 91% of the population is Hispanic. Being Hispanic myself, I know how much we love our amazing food, although it might not always be the healthiest. When it begins to affect our physical health however, that’s when things can get difficult. Many of the cities in the Rio Grande Valley have high rates of people living under the poverty line, limiting their food options to whatever is cheapest, which more often than not tends to be an unhealthy option. As time passes, these unhealthy eating habits can cause health issues such as liver disease and heart failure. This is a big issue in the RGV as the majority of residents don’t have access to affordable healthcare. This often leads people of the community to repress illnesses and avoid going to the doctor, until their condition is so critical that they have no option but to go to the doctor. This is what’s known as ‘Colonias’, which are “substandard housing developments,” often found along the Texas-Mexico border. Residents in these areas “lack basic services such as drinking water, sewage treatment, and paved roads.” While money is a big limitation to residents, others face different limitations. Many residents in the RGV are undocumented.This leaves them with very little options when it comes to these resources.Especially when it comes to healthcare, it’s very hard for families to get a basic check up as they can’t do anything without being asked for some form of identification.
Thankfully there are programs working to help better these communities such as the Healthy Living nutrition education program. Run by Sandra Villegras, this program has helped guide those in the right direction by living a healthier lifestyle. You can find more information about the food banks here. The program involves helping the community to come up with different recipes while still staying true to their culture. It also provides information on exercises and cooking demonstrations and even hand out bags of fresh produce to get them started. There’s also another great program called SNAPs which is Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and that has helped 28 percent of the valley’s community providing them with a little income in order to get the resources they need. SNAPs has even teamed up with farmers markets and gives people the option to pay through SNAPs so they for sure get the healthier options they need. There are also people known as ‘Promotoras.’ ‘Promotora’ are community members that help others with the same cultural backgrounds to help provide nutritional information and healthcare information. They have done a great job in being the backbone of these communities when it comes to helping those of a lower income and those with mixed families. They have teamed up with other programs that involve mobile clinics in order for these families and most importantly children to get a regular check up.
There is no reason residents shouldn’t have access to healthy and nutritious food options. No one should fear having to go seek help for their own health. We have the resources to help as many people as we can and we should do everything in our power to help create healthier and safer communities.
