The idea was to find a new way to reach out to families in need, families who had thus far left tens of millions of dollars in pandemic relief on the table.
Rental assistance, help paying utility bills, stocking up on food as prices soar — there is help available to accomplish all this and more. The only problem was getting it into the hands of people who really needed it, but either didn’t know about the help or didn’t seek it out.
Hidalgo County officials then set out to change that, and decided to hold pop-up events this month at each of its four precincts where resources and assistance would be available, and where the public also had an opportunity to see for themselves how simple the process can be of getting the help they need.
The county hosted its last of four pop-up events on Thursday, Dec. 16, in San Juan, and if they were designed to spread awareness about rental assistance, food insecurity and other programs available for residents struggling to make ends meet, officials are saying mission accomplished.
In partnership with the RGV Food Bank, the county was able to distribute approximately 150 pounds of food to each family that participated in the events in Sullivan City, San Carlos, the Edcouch and Elsa areas and San Juan.
Five-hundred families were assisted per event, with nearly 2,000 families in total who received food thanks to the county’s and food bank’s efforts.
“We were extremely happy with the initiative,” Hidalgo County Judge Richard F. Cortez said Thursday. “We were very, very pleased. I think the food bank was very, very pleased. We learned a lot. We became very efficient in distributing the food. I thought it was a huge success.”
Cortez praised Hidalgo County Community Service Agency Director Jaime Longoria and his efforts to inform residents about its programs that are available to assist residents and in getting them signed up.
According to the country judge, nearly 700 people applied for assistance at the kickoff event alone.
“After the first day on the very first one we did in Sullivan City, he said he got over 690 (applications),” Cortez said. “It helped us identify people. We also identified people who needed immediate help. We wouldn’t have known unless they went there to pick up food that they really needed immediate help. Some people didn’t have a place to stay and sleep, and we were able to help them with hotel rooms and money cards.”
Longoria said that the rate of calls to the call center increased by nearly 60% following the first pop-up event, which he described as an encouraging sign about residents becoming more informed about the assistance programs.
“We also have seen a very steady number of applications coming into our online platform even through the holidays,” Longoria said. “My fear was that as people got into the holidays, they would forget about this temporarily, but it’s really been a steady flow of applications coming in. We’re right on target to match our November high of applications — about 450 applications for November.”
He said that the county has perfected the model of doing assessments quickly during events similar to the pop-ups. He added that Cortez, the county commissioners and the food bank have all expressed interest in doing additional similar types of events.
“I think what we’re finding is that this is more of a conversation starter, and it drives people going home and calling our call center,” Longoria said. “It is actually getting people to come out and apply right there on the spot.”
While Cortez was pleased with the initiative, he said that tackling the issue of poverty in the county remains both complex and at the top of his list of priorities.
“It’s an issue that hasn’t been resolved for many, many years, and I know that I’m not going to resolve it,” Cortez said. “But I hope that the initiative and the energy that we’re going to put in trying to resolve it is going to make it better.”
One such way that Cortez plans to address the poverty issue is with a new task force. He said that his office received a $300,000 grant from the VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America) Program, an anti-poverty effort that helps nonprofits and local governments with much-needed resources.
He said that the grant will help the county fund a leadership program by hiring two people per month starting in January. Those individuals will be trained to venture into poverty-stricken areas of the county to both gather and share information.
“I’m really happy when we as a government can help,” Cortez said. “One of the mandates that we have as a county government is to administer to the needs of the needy. We’re fulfilling one of our functions.”
For more information about the available assistance programs, call (833) 209-5023.
