What started out as a Harlingen soup kitchen in 1991 has evolved into a place that removes ethnic, cultural and socio-economic barriers for the people of Southeast Texas. Through vital services such as emergency family assistance, job preparation instruction and emergency sheltering, Loaves and Fishes of the Rio Grande Valley helps provide the people of Cameron and Willacy counties with hope.

              Loaves & Fishes is a marriage of a number of religious and nonprofit organizations that, according to its mission statement, “offers food, shelter, job training and placement and provides monetary and non-monetary aid to those experiencing a life-altering event that takes away their ability to afford the necessities of life.”  The organization has partnered with the American Red Cross by providing meals and emergency shelter during major weather events, such as this spring’s flooding. Loaves & Fishes, the Red Cross and other NGOs are also collaborating through the Community Adaptation Program (CAP), which is designed to help disaster-prone areas become better prepared to meet those challenges, as well as providing increased access to health and mental health services, nutritious food and safe housing for local families.  

              “It is our mission to help those who are underserved,” said Victor Rivera, Loaves & Fishes executive director. “The gray skies are when we need each other, but it is under the blue skies when we are there to help one another.”

              With offices in Harlingen and Raymondville, Loaves & Fishes provided 84,418 hot, nutritious means for people in need during 2024. During that same year, the organization recorded 5,569 bed/nights of shelter, distributed 1,285 food bags, provided 7,270 healthy living services, and granted $108,508 in family emergency assistance financial aid. Additionally, its New Hope Job Shop offered GED preparation, computer classes, and 681 services that resulted in job placements for 71 unhoused residents. Like the Red Cross, Loaves & Fishes is a volunteer-driven organization, with 3,792 people donating 15,290 service hours during 2024.

              Hansel Ibarra, South Texas Red Cross community disaster risk reduction manager, appreciates the efforts of organizations such as Fishes & Loaves. Ibarra says it is important that communities such as those in the Rio Grande Valley need to develop resiliency, a self-sufficiency to provide needed services before, during and after emergencies. He said he saw the CAP efforts come to fruition during last spring’s flooding.

              “During that emergency, I saw the Red Cross basically step to the side and say to the community ‘What do you need?’ and ‘Where can we help?’.” Ibarra said. “I loved that.

              “As my coach would say, ‘the hay is in the barn,’” he added. “That was my Red Cross moment.”

              Rivera estimates that 18 percent of Cameron County residents are food insecure, lacking adequate food supplies at some point in the year to provide every member of the household to receive adequate nutrition. Unemployment in the county is over 11 percent and 30 percent of the county’s residents live in poverty. That is why Loaves & Fishes, working in cooperation with nonprofits like the Red Cross, plays such a critical role in the Southeast Texas region.

              “It’s not just that we are there for people during an emergency,” Rivera said. “We are actually there to help one another anytime.”

Persons wishing to learn more about Fishes & Loaves, should visit the organization’s website: https://lfrgv.org or email: office@lfrgv.org.  The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides comfort to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation’s blood; teaches skills that save lives; distributes international humanitarian aid; and supports veterans, military members and their families. For more information about volunteering or contributing to the Red Cross’s mission, please call 1-800-RED-CROSS, visit redcross.org or CruzRojaAmericana.org, or follow us on X (formerly known as Twitter) at @RedCross.

Story By: David Guth