Movimiento del Valle por los Derechos Humanos

Read more about our Public Design Impact Initiative!

We are excited to begin working with Movimiento del Valle por los Derechos Humanos and local graphic designer Nayelli Bautista as a part of our Public Design Impact Initiative. Movimiento del Valle is a community organization that educates and organizes the community around human rights issues. 

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Movimiento del Valle is currently teaching community members about their constitutional rights and training them in strategies to combat anti-immigration attacks at the State and National levels. The Moviemento del Valle recognizes that the Rio Grande Valley is a very vulnerable geographic area that requires thoughtful and effective educational materials on rights and immigration.  The organization seeks support in creating dynamic resources that communicate information effectively through clear and accessible design and graphics.

Through a design process that engages both community stakeholders and partner organizations, Nayelli will work with Movimiento del Valle to update their educational and organizational materials, making them relevant and accessible to the audience Movimiento del Valle would like to reach. Together, we will update and refine Movimiento del Valle’s teaching tools to meet their current needs, and we will generate an online platform to make important information accessible to organization members and the public. 

The aim of our PDII program is to use local design talent to increase the impact of our peer nonprofit organizations and community groups. The 2017 PDII program selected two projects to complete in the calendar year. Read about our other project selection, Equal Voice Network.

PDII 2017 Project Selections

Learn more about the Public Design Impact Initiative!

In January 2017, as part of a collaborative effort to extend equity in design to rural, colonia areas, a Request For Proposals was released to invite Rio Grande Valley nonprofit organizations and groups to submit project proposals to be matched with pro bono design services. From this RFP, we received many excellent proposals, and in March, a jury of nonprofit, community and design leaders convened to review the proposals and provide their recommendations for this year's selections.

[bc] is excited to announce that the following two projects have been selected for 2017:

Movimiento del Valle por los Derechos Humanos
Movimiento del Valle is currently educating and training community members about their constitutional rights as a strategy against anti-immigration attacks at the State and National levels. Recognizing that the RGV is a very vulnerable geographical area, they seek support in creating more educational resources for the community that help them communicate information more effectively through clear and accessible design and graphics. Through PDII Movimiento wants to start a graphic campaign and an online platform in which RGV residents have access to information and messages from the group. Their proposal includes the production of designs and educational resources to better equip the community on how to defend themselves against anti-immigration laws and a state of militarization and heavy policing at the border.

Equal Voice Network
The Equal Voice Network wants to develop a demonstration project of attractive and accessible social media messages of public interest and benefit. Through PDII the nonprofit wants to create a smart-phone friendly video series (via Facebook) that targets adults who have had limited opportunity for formal education. The first product of the series will break down the very complicated education reform bill passed in 2013 by the Texas State Legislature (Foundation High School Program) to give parents an immediate sense of what they need to be aware of for their middle and high school aged children. The other subjects of the series could cover a wide range of issues that affect the residents of  colonias like health care (Zika prevention), housing (“Is your home address on the 9-1-1 list?”), education (“Will  your child graduate high school eligible for university?”).

Building Equity in the Lower Rio Grande Valley

See more posts about LUCHA and our work in the Rio Grande Valley. 

Building equity in the Lower Rio Grande Valley is a critical part of many of our projects. Together with our partners we are working to increase housing opportunities for low-income residents and to build adequate drainage infrastructure for new and existing neighborhoods, civic engagement, and capacity through design. We invite you to learn more about four of our specific projects: sustainABLEhouse, Drainage Equity, LUCHA, and Public Design Impact Initiative, all of which are working hard to achieve these goals. 

Bridging the Gap: Connecting Nonprofits and Designers

Learn more about our Public Design Impact Initiative!

"Sometimes community groups have this need and designers want to do meaningful work and they don't know how to connect with each other."  Learn how [bc] Bridges The Gap between nonprofits and designers through our Public Design Impact Initiative.

The Public Design Impact Initiative (PDII) is a program to match nonprofit & community groups with local design professional services. This program guides selected projects through a community-engaged design process and partners communities and designers to build the knowledge and experience of both to better serve others.

The PDII 2017 Request for Proposals is OPEN! Are you a nonprofit or community group in the Rio Grande Valley in need of design? Would architecture, planning, landscape architecture, or design expertise help with a project you've had in mind but not the resources to move forward? We encourage you to submit a project proposal! Proposals are due Thursday, February 2nd, 2017.

 

Casitas Los Olmos Nearing Completion

Learn more about Casitas Los Olmos! 

Casitas Los Olmos is an 80-unit multifamily development currently under construction in Raymondville, TX, built in partnership with Community Development Corporation of Brownsville (CDCB). The design of the project incorporates Low Impact Development (LID) strategies, including vegetated swales and permeable driveways to manage stormwater, single family units, and shaded community amenity buildings. Casitas Los Olmos is scheduled to be completed in Spring 2017.

Public Design Impact Initiative | 2017 Request for Proposals

Learn more about the Public Design Impact Initiative!

Our 2017 Request for Proposals is now open!

You can now submit your Project Proposals for [bc]'s 2017 PDII program. 

Are you a nonprofit or community group in need of design? Would architecture, planning, landscape architecture, or design expertise help you with a project you've had in mind but not the resources to move forward? Read through the Request for Proposals: English | Español and submit your project idea!

In 2016/2017, as part of a collaborative effort to extend equity in design to rural, colonia areas, [bc] is seeking proposals from nonprofit organizations and community groups based in the Rio Grande Valley. More details are below.

SOMETER UNA PROPUESTA DE PROYECTO

El plazo para someter una propuesta completa es el JUEVES, 2 de FEBRERO de 2017. El formulario de la Propuesta de Proyecto puede someterse a traves de correo, email, o usando el formulario online. Puede encontrar una version editable, y impresible del Formulario de Propuestas de Proyecto

Para someter a traves del formulario online: 
Use este enlace - bcworkshop.typeform.com/to/SHMOBq

Para someter a traves de email: 
Envíe su Propuesta de Proyecto completada en formato PDF a elaine@bcworkshop.org. Escriba “PDII Project Proposal” en el título del email. 

Para someter una propuesta de proyecto por correo: 
Envíe una copia impresa de su Propuesta de Proyecto a la siguiente direccion. Se le notificará cuando su propuesta sea recibida utilizando la dirección email que provea en la primera parte de su propuesta. Las propuestas deben ser RECIBIDAS EN O ANTES DEL JUEVES, 2 de FEBRERO de 2017.    

Attn: Public Design Impact Initiative
bcWORKSHOP
609 E. 11th St.
Brownsville, TX 78520

ELEGIBILIDAD

Todos los groups comunitarios o sin fines de lucro en RGV (incluyendo orgnizaciones sin fines de lucro, asociaciones de vecindario, grupos PTA de escuelas, etc) son invitados a someter una Propuesta de Proyecto. Los solicitantes deben estar organizados en grupos de 3 o más indiviuos y deben estar localizados en el RGV. Los Proyectos Propuestos deben estar localizados en el RGV y atender problemas o asuntos relacionads a Colonias.

Propuestas de todos grupos y organizaciones comunitarias son bienvenidas, así sean grandes sin fines de lucro o pequeñas y menos formales, independiente de su tamaño o la escala de su trabajo.

Se le dará preferencia a:

  • Grupos comunitarios y sin fines de lucro que usualmente no pueden accesar recursos o servicios de diseño.

  • Propuestas de proyecto que atiendan directamente problemas que enfrentan las comunidades rurales y colonias.

Preguntas y comentarios relacionados al programa de Public Design Impact Initiative deben ser dirigidas a Elaine Morales, al elaine@bcworkshop.org o 347.607.2593

SUBMITTING A PROJECT PROPOSAL

The deadline to submit a completed Project Proposal is THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 2ND, 2017. The Project Proposal Form may be submitted through mail, email, or using the online form. Click here to download an editable, printer friendly version of the Project Proposal Form

To submit via online form: 
Use this link - bcworkshop.typeform.com/to/o41qZl

To submit via email: 
Send your completed Project Proposal Form as a PDF file to elaine@bcworkshop.org. Include “PDII Project Proposal” in the subject line.

To submit a project proposal via mail:
Send a hardcopy of your Project Proposal form to the address below. You will be notified when your submission has been received using the email address provided in your Project Proposal. Mailed copies must be RECEIVED BY THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 2ND, 2017.    

Attn: Public Design Impact Initiative
bcWORKSHOP
609 E. 11th St.
Brownsville, TX 78520

ELIGIBILITY

All RGV-based community and nonprofit groups (including nonprofit organizations, neighborhood associations, school PTA groups, etc.) are invited to submit Project Proposals. Applicants must be made up of a group of three or more individuals and should be both located within the RGV area. Proposed projects must also be located in the RGV and address issues related to colonias.

Proposals are welcome from all not-for-profit groups, from large and established nonprofit organizations to small/less formal community groups, regardless of the scale or scope of work.

Preference will be given to:

  • Community and nonprofit groups that cannot typically access design resources or services.
  • Project proposals that directly address issues facing colonias and rural communities. 

Questions & comments related to the Public Design Impact Initiative should be directed to Elaine Morales, at elaine@bcworkshop.org or 347.607.2593.

PDII 2016 Project Selection

Learn more about the Public Design Impact Initiative!

Rebecca of the Hope Family Health Center and Carolina of ORANGE-MADE discuss schematic design ideas for HFHC's new facilities. The project is currently in the implementation phase and expected to be completed in the spring of 2017.

Rebecca of the Hope Family Health Center and Carolina of ORANGE-MADE discuss schematic design ideas for HFHC's new facilities. The project is currently in the implementation phase and expected to be completed in the spring of 2017.

In May 2016, as part of a collaborative effort to extend equity in design to rural, colonia areas, a Request For Proposals was released to invite Rio Grande Valley nonprofit organizations and groups to submit project proposals to be matched with pro bono design services. From this RFP, we received many excellent proposals, and in July, a jury of nonprofit, community and design leaders convened to review the proposals, recommending the following project to be selected for 2016:

The Hope Family Health Center

The Hope Family Health Center (HFHC) is a primary medical and behavioral health clinic with a mission to exclusively serve the uninsured in the Rio Grande Valley (RGV). 

HFHC proposed a planning and infrastructure design project for a newly acquired 1,460 sq ft rectangle space attached to the current HFHC clinic facility in South McAllen. Due to the continued high rate of medically uninsured adults and children in the RGV and in order to meet its mission of serving the uninsured population, in the last two years, HFHC has sought and secured major grant funded projects to deliver increased quality and quantity of services. The services include medical appointments, mental health counseling, nutritional counseling, community health education classes, support groups, vision screenings, and information & referral services. All of these services have outgrown the physical space of the clinic. The additional 1,000 sq ft of space will greatly increase the number of services available on-site and on the same day knowing that patients have many challenges in arranging transportation to the clinic.

HFHC was in need of the extra space in order to house its growing programs and activities. However, the new open space requires infrastructure that could include walls to define rooms, moveable walls to keep space multi-use, interior design to maximize floor space, and use of green and sustainable materials. The board of directors and medical volunteers have many ideas and thoughts on how best to use the space; however, through PDII, HFHC seeks professional and innovate planning and design assistance to discover, design, plan and implement the optimal use of the space for use by patients, staff, volunteers, and partner organizations.

Optimal use of the new space would immediately increase the number of laughter yoga classes, nutrition classes, grief support groups, stress management groups, exercise classes, staff planning meetings, medical volunteer meetings, professional development workshops, community group meetings, partner organization workshops, and many other opportunities for individuals to gather in groups. Currently the only space available for these types of activities is the public lobby or a small meeting room that cannot hold more than 10 people comfortably. In addition to the group space, the additional space for desks or offices would give patients more opportunities to meet privately with a nutritional counselor, information and referral specialist or social worker on the same day as their medical appointment instead of having to come back on another day. HFHC expects that the new space will achieve increased quality and quantity of all the current and possibly new services for its patients.

MiCASiTA

See more posts about sustainABLEhouse our work in the Rio Grande Valley. 

MiCASiTA offers an alternative approach to providing housing to some of the hardest to reach and most  challenged communities across the country.  The Rio Grande Valley, like many other communities in Texas and nationally, suffers from extreme poverty and lack of quality, affordable housing.  With limited financing and design options, many housing and community development organizations are forced to either turn away or maintain long waiting lists for would-be homeowners who do not qualify for traditional affordable housing delivery models. MiCASiTA, a collaboration between the Community Development Corporation of Brownsville (CDCB), the Rio Grande Valley MultiBank (RGVMB), The Texas State Affordable Housing Corporation (TSAHC), and buildingcommunityWORKSHOP [bc] seeks to change that by offering innovative financing, and design options, tailored to grow with the homeowners needs.  

MiCASiTA offers personalized design options that empower individuals though choice while also improving sustainability and overall quality of housing. "Starter homes" are built focusing specifically on the client's needs;  they can choose to initially build their home with a kitchen, living room, and one bedroom while keeping in mind that in the future they will have the option to make additions to their home. Homeowners who qualify for smaller loan amounts begin with a 600 square foot "starter home". The “starter home” is specifically designed to expand as the family's savings and financial stability grow.  This approach builds on the the success of the CDCB/ [bc] RAPIDO project which created a temporary to permanent disaster recovery housing solution that starts with a small core that can be put in place immediately after a natural disaster and can grow as government assistance is available for the area.

CDCB will take clients and their families through an educational program that will prepare them to make important financial decisions with a new mortgage. In addition, RGVMB will conduct one-on-one financial and credit score counseling to ensure that the client is ready to take on the initial loan for their new home. The initial loan will cover the cost of the "starter home" and payments on this home will begin at this time. Once the client is ready, additional loans will be given in order to make additions to the home. The client's loan payments will grow accordingly with the addition of each new phase of construction. This financial program is structured and designed specifically with the client's success in mind, focusing on allowing for low interest rates, low monthly payments, longer loan terms, and deferred loan amounts. 

 

Abriendo Las Puertas

See more posts on AVAI and our work in the RGV.  

On December 3rd,  Activating Vacancy Arts Incubator will celebrate the work of Artist in Residence Celeste De Luna, Rigoberto Gonzalez and Nancy Guevara and the future of arts, culture and civic engagement in Historic Downtown Brownsville.

De Luna’s large scale wood-cut prints about resistance and rebellion in the valley will be displayed throughout the Historic Market Square.  Her works include portraits of the Buffalo soldiers, Americo Paredes and visualizations of corridos written by Brownsville residents. Guevara will display two large fabric murals made of ropa usada that portray female grassroots activists from the Valley.  Gonzalez will reveal a 14 foot long movable mural to be displayed in the street, that addresses challenges experienced by the homeless in Brownsville.   

Additional programing will include live music performances by Caldo Frío, photographs from the Taquerías of Southmost exhibit, , produced by Texas Folklike and the Brownsville Historical Association and the dance, #soyBrownsville, choreographed by Caty Wantland. Screen printing workshops will be held by Nancy Guevara and Celeste de Luna throughout the event.  All programing is free and open to the public.  

Activating Vacancy Arts Incubator is an art and public interest design initiative in Market Square  in Historic Downtown Brownsville. Artists collaborate with community members to create art that explores the cultural, social, political and economic life in this region. The project is supported in part by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts, the City of Brownsville and BCIC and produced by buildingcommunityWORKSHOP.

For more information on AVAI or Abriendo Las Puertas follow up on Facebook!

Announcing RAPIDORECOVERY.org

Learn more about RAPIDO and visit RAPIDORECOVERY.org!

buildingcommunityWORKSHOP ([bc]) is pleased to announce the launch of RAPDIORECOVERY.org in conjunction with our presentation of RAPIDO on Next City's World Stage at UN Habitat III in Quito. RAPIDO is a holistic approach to housing recovery that enables communities to recover for disasters within months instead of years. Through understanding and redesigning the entire U.S. disaster recovery housing process, alongside people who are affected the most, RAPIDO fosters resilience within Texas, empowers local communities, and abates the social and economic impacts of disaster.

RAPIDORECOVERY.org makes it easy to learn more about the RAPIDO model, view work from the RAPIDO Rapid Disaster Recovery Housing Pilot Program, and keep up to date with RAPIDO advocacy efforts in Texas.

AVAI Artist Proposals

See more posts on AVAI and our work in the RGV.  

Playing with Production: Walking tourPhoto by Elaine Morales

Playing with Production: Walking tour

Photo by Elaine Morales

[bc] is excited to share the project proposals for our three Activating Vacancy Arts Incubator Artists-in-Residence. Celeste De Luna, Rigoberto Gonzalez and Nancy Guevara have been hard at work in their studios and throughout the city of Brownsville; meeting local stakeholders, longtime residents, historians and academics. In June & July, they synthesized the knowledge they have collected to generate an exciting series of proposals for projects for the City of Brownsville.

Their projects will unfold from August through November. Learn about each artist’s projects below and join in the workshops and programming that they have designed over the upcoming months. Be sure to stay connected with us on Facebook for future updates and opportunities to participate in forthcoming events!

 

Celeste De Luna (R) sharing her prints and collecting stories about Brownsville with an attendee at Playing with Production, Photo by Tom Hill

Celeste De Luna (R) sharing her prints and collecting stories about Brownsville with an attendee at Playing with Production, Photo by Tom Hill

Celeste De Luna’s project will center around historical and contemporary narratives of strength and resistance native to the Rio Grande Valley. Over the past months she has identified central figures from Brownsville history, including Americo Paredes and Juan Cortina. In partnership with members of the community, she will work to identify how local stakeholders connect with their stories and collaborate with them to generate visuals representing their own stories of protest.  

De Luna will conduct a series of workshops beginning in August that will include a steamroller printing workshop, a storytelling workshop and a kite making workshop in Lincoln Park. In November she will exhibit 5 large scale prints representative of the stories shared with her by local residents and the history of the region. Prints from the large woodcuts will be wheatpasted throughout the downtown and the final carved blocks will be exhibited at the conclusion of the residency.  

Rigoberto Gonzalez (L) speaking with an attendee and collecting stories about Brownsville with an attendee at Playing with Production, Photo by Tom Hill

Rigoberto Gonzalez (L) speaking with an attendee and collecting stories about Brownsville with an attendee at Playing with Production, Photo by Tom Hill

Rigoberto Gonzalez will work over the upcoming months on a large scale, moveable mural based upon a series of interviews he will conduct with Brownsville residents. As a longtime resident of the Rio Grande Valley, he is particularly interested in the cultural traditions of the region and the stories that accompany them. At the recent AVAI Open Studio event, Playing with Production, Gonzalez invited attendees to sketch their ideas for the mural and to share stories of their experiences downtown.   

During his forthcoming workshops Gonzalez will hold personal narrative workshops to record oral histories and create portraits of the people whose stories he collects. The recordings will become sound installations to accompany Gonzalez’s murals in filling vacant spaces with the stories of Brownsville.

Nancy Guevara (center) speaking with an  attendees at  Playing with Production, Photo by Tom Hill

Nancy Guevara (center) speaking with an  attendees at  Playing with Production, Photo by Tom Hill

Nancy Guevara’s project, Intersections of Transformation on the Border will investigate the experiences that lead people to become activist leaders. Throughout the residency Guevara will work with local women and community leaders to create portraits using fabric from local ropa usada stores that reflect the leaders’ experiences of personal transformation, self-actualization and empowerment. By working closely with community leaders to create designs based on their experiences of struggle and complexity, Guevara hopes to engage aspiring artists and activists in using art as a tool for social justice.

Leading up to the presentation of these works to the public, Guevara will hold a series of workshops and discussions about catalyzing change and cultivation of leadership. Included in this series will be a manta workshop, in which participants will decide upon an issue that has deep personal importance to them and then make a banner representing a cause.  

Playing with Production: Walking tour, Photo by Jesse Miller 

Playing with Production: Walking tour, Photo by Jesse Miller 

AVAI will continue throughout the Fall and will culminate in mid-November with installations, performances and exhibitions throughout the month. Follow AVAI on Facebook for updates on the Activating Vacancy Arts Incubator, important information on our monthly events and more details about the artists’ upcoming workshops.  

Activating Vacancy Fall Calendar

August

8/27 Rebel Corridos: Corrido Writing Workshop with Celeste De Luna

8/27 El Círculo de Mujeres: Manta Workshop with Nancy Guevara

 

September

9/24 Make your own Chingona Outfit: Costume Making Workshop with Nancy Guevara

9/24 Kites Sin Fronteras: Kite Making Workshop with Celeste De Luna

 

October

10/7 Day in the Neighborhood: Brownsville’s first 24 Hour Film Festival begins

10/8  Painting Class Part 1 with Rigoberto Gonzalez

10/8 Work it Out: Open Lab Q and A for 24 Hour Film Festival

10/22Painting Class Part 1 with Rigoberto Gonzalez

10/22 Films from 24 Hour Festival Screened in Collaboration with the First Annual Brownsville International Film Festival

10/29 Steamrolling to the Future: Steamroller and Printmaking Workshop with Celeste De Luna

10/29 Platica Mujeres Líderes en Brownsville with Nancy Guevara

 

November

11/5Painting Class Part 1 with Rigoberto Gonzalez

11/9 Noche de Filosofía y First Brownsville Story Share: A Brownsville Symposium

11/12 Steamrolling into the Future: Steamroller and Printmaking Workshop with Celeste De Luna

 

December

12/3 Abriendo las Puertas: Activating Vacancy Arts Incubator Bridge Event with Artist Exhibitions, Charrettes, Panel Discussions, Performances and Live Music

 

 

 

 

LUCHA 2.0

Learn more about LUCHA. 

A Lucha trained leader engages a local neighborhood around Colonia issues. 

A Lucha trained leader engages a local neighborhood around Colonia issues. 

Once LUCHA 1.0 wrapped up, we along with our project partners, LUCHA representantes, and community leaders got together to review the successes and weaknesses of our first year. One key issue that arose was the small number of residents LUCHA was available to. With that feedback LUCHA 2.0 was developed. To better expand the reach of LUCHA, each project partner built on their strength and created an independent but complementary program. Here at [bc] we working on creating the LUCHA Platform, while our partners LUPE and ARISE are crafting a Leadership Development Program, and TxLIHIS has begun a Platicas Series.

The LUCHA Platform hopes to build power among residents and organizing groups through increasing access to information that residents and community organizations can use to better advocate for their communities.

The Platform will be a digital library of, downloadable and printable, community education resources covering the initial topic areas of governance, drainage, housing, public services, and planning & development. The community educational resources will be a combination of originally created content and existing educational materials. 

On July 26th, 2016 LUCHA community leaders facilitated the Governance Module as part of LUPE's Leadership Development Program in an interactive session. We look forward to see how these potential leaders use the LUCHA platform and activate their com…

On July 26th, 2016 LUCHA community leaders facilitated the Governance Module as part of LUPE's Leadership Development Program in an interactive session. We look forward to see how these potential leaders use the LUCHA platform and activate their communities!

Depending on the needs of the organization, a colonia, an organizer, or organizing campaign one can pick and choose the resources that are best for engaging their community. Over time, we plan to fill the Platform with much more than the initial 15 originally created educational resources, and build relationships with local, regional and state organizations to support long term resource development.

 

Meet the 2016 PDII Jury

Learn more about Public Design Impact Initiative.

The Public Design Impact Initiative was successfully launched in the Rio Grande Valley. We received 6 proposals that address some of the issues border communities face. [bc] has convened a great jury with representatives of the nonprofit, design and grassroots leaders community to provide recommendations on which proposals should be selected for the 2016 PDII projects. Read more about the jurors' backgrounds below: 

Michael Seifert is the Rio Grande Valley Equal Voice Network Weaver, a coalition of eight community-based organizations serving more than 100,000 residents on the Texas/Mexico/Gulf Coast border.  The RGV Equal Voice Network has achieved important policy changes in immigration, housing, access to health care, education and jobs for its clients.

As a former priest who worked for many years in Mexico and Brownsville’s Cameron Park, Seifert has lived and worked in rural underserved communities and colonias in the Rio Grande Valley for the past 28 years. In 1998, he and other Cameron Park community leaders founded Proyecto Digna, a community-based organization which was instrumental in the nearly complete reconstruction of that community's infrastructure. He is currently a resident of West Brownsville, Texas.

 

 

In practice for over a decade, Carolina Civarolo, a Registered Architect and LEED Accredited Professional, has spent her career building experience through various design firms and projects. She began her professional career while attending the University of Houston, Gerald D. Hines College of Architecture. In 2003, Carolina worked in Barcelona, Spain for the office of Enric Miralles + Benedetta Tagliabue (EMBT), where she gained a passion for graphics and presentations. She worked for seven years at the local architecture firm Boultinghouse Simpson Gates Architects (BSG), where she collaborated on different building types and scales and gained experience as a project manager.

Today, she is founder and partner at ORANGE MADE, an architecture studio that explores the process and impact of design and construction of various building types, master planning and adaptive reuse of existing structures. Carolina believes that our clients’ ideas help motivate our solutions. She has served on the Executive Board of the Rio Grande Valley American Institute of Architects Chapter as Secretary/Treasurer + Vice President and currently serves on the City of McAllen’s Building Board of Adjustments and Appeals. Carolina was born in Cordoba, Argentina, grew up in Houston, Texas and now resides in McAllen, TX.

Lourdes Flores is the president of the Support Center at A Resource In Serving Equality (ARISE), an organization of women engaged in leadership development and community-building in four neighborhoods in South Texas. Flores was born in Reynosa, Mexico and moved to Mission,Texas at the age of 12. After high school she joined A Resource In Serving Equality (ARISE). ARISE’s mission is to aid communities by helping residents identify life goals and build capacity; Its guiding tenet: Don’t do anything for anybody that they can’t do for themselves. The organization’s founder, Sister Gerrie Naughton, recruited Flores early on and encouraged her to share her skills. Lourdes, now 42, continues to provide resources that help residents achieve life goals on their own. Under Lourdes’ leadership, this community center network responds directly to each community's needs, combining them with larger efforts that transcend neighborhood boundaries. Lourdes is also a cofounder of one of the ARISE centers in Colonia Muniz. In 2012 she co-founded the first Community PTA know as ARISE South Tower Community PTA, and since then five more comunitario pta’s have been formed.

 

Emma Alaniz is a Colonia leader from Edinburg, TX. She organizes neighborhood meetings and has experience with community outreach and door-to-door canvassing. She believes in equity for all and that all communities should receive essential public services. Emma is committed to the civil rights fight.

Emma has been an active advocate for her community at the local, state, and national levels.  At the local level, Emma represents her Colonia Curry Estates, at Commissioners Court meetings where she has issues regarding flooding and trash collection.  She encourages her neighborhood committee to fight for solutions, succeeding with the development of drainage infrastructure in her Colonia. At the state level, Emma was very active in the fight for Street Lights legislation and has advocated for State issued Driver’s Licenses. The Street Light legislation passed in 2015 and Emma and her neighbors submitted an application to the county to obtain lighting installed in her colonia.  At the national level, Emma traveled with a group of colonia residents and community advocates to advocate for a just and fair comprehensive immigration reform.

As a LUPE member, she has the opportunity to organize on several initiatives like Unidos por RGV and the Planning Committee for the Annual Cesar Chavez March.

Belden Trial Connect Ribbon Cutting Event!

Learn more about Belden Trail & Belden Connect!

Last month the City of Brownsville inaugurated the Belden Connect Project with a celebration ride for the community. The [bc] and Ambiotec Group design is an extension of the mile long Belden Trail that opened to the public in 2013 connecting West Brownsville to Downtown Brownsville and the Mitte Cultural District.

More events are scheduled! Check out the websites below for more information:

LUCHA 1.0

Learn more about LUCHA. 

During its first phase, LUCHA worked directly with 15 colonia representatives, each of whom represent a larger organizing effort in Hidalgo and Cameron county. The goal of LUCHA 1.0 was trifold. To develop representantes’ understanding and expertise in the areas of land use, public infrastructure, development, and water issues. To engage representantes to further focus their top priorities, and begin to make selections of preferences on possible solutions. And to craft policy and legislative initiatives in preparation for the 2015 Texas legislative session.
Some examples of the Colonia and Housing issues that LUCHA leaders addressed were: housing affordability, adequate infrastructure, jobs, public safety, and land use. The initiative has the capacity, through legislative action, to impact the 1.2 million people living in the three county area, Hidalgo, Cameron and Willacy. The demographic targets of the project are low-income residents of rural and urban subdivisions that lack complete, well-functioning municipal services.

Partners

Community Development Corporation of Brownsville
The Community Development Corporation of Brownsville (CDCB)  is a non‐profit community housing development organization, who has been providing safe, sanitary, affordable housing to the citizens of the Lower Rio Grande Valley, Texas for the past 38 years. CDCB participated in LUCHA workgroups, the engagement and management committees and was responsible of overseeing all housing and development initiatives.  

Texas Low Income Housing Services
Texas Low Income Housing Information Services (TxLIHIS) is a nonprofit corporation established in Austin in 1988 to support low-income Texan's efforts to achieve the American dream of a decent, affordable home in a quality neighborhood. TxLIHIS lead and coordinated the Representantes trainings, planned with [bc] the LUCHA workgroups and was responsible of overseeing policy development initiatives. TxLIHIS assisted the Representantes with their political strategy as well. 

La Unión del Pueblo Entero
César Chávez established La Union del Pueblo Entero (LUPE), a non-profit organization, which is rooted in the belief that members of the low-income community have both the responsibility and the obligation to organize themselves, and through their association, to advocate for solutions to the issues that impact their lives. LUPE was responsible of identifying, recruiting and supporting Colonia representantes and of developing the political and engagement strategy for LUCHA. Working with TxLIHIS, LUPE lead and coordinated the representante trainings, and engagement and management committee meetings and assisted with the workgroups. 

A Resource In Serving Equality  
A Resource In Serving Equality Arise (ARISE) was founded in 1987 by Sister Gerrie Naughton, of the Sisters of Mercy order as a grassroots organization of women for women; building on strengths and respecting the dignity of each individual. In coordination with LUPE and other community organizations (START and TOP), ARISE was responsible of identifying, recruiting and supporting Colonia representantes, supporting colonia-wide events, the political strategy and leadership trainings, workgroups and workshops. 

LUCHA: Land Use Colonia Housing Action

Learn more about LUCHA. 

LUCHA emerged from the 2012 Colonia Summit held by state Senator Eddie Lucio, where colonia leaders and state officials gathered to discuss issues which require more systemic change. A key outcome was the determination that a council of colonia residents would be created to work with local and State government. LUCHA was designed to support the council, build capacity of local colonia residents [representantes], and identify community supported policy issues for the 2015 legislative session.

The term "colonia," in Spanish means a community or neighborhood. The Office of the Secretary of State defines a "colonia" as a residential area along the Texas-Mexico border that may lack some of the most basic living necessities, such as potable water and sewer systems, electricity, paved roads, and safe and sanitary housing. Lack of affordable housing, coupled with Texas’ limited regulation and low taxes at the county level, has contributed to thousands of families settling in primarily isolated communities on former farmland, ill prepared to handle the infrastructural needs of residential development.

While significant improvements have been made, including paved streets, potable water connections, and standards for water systems, limited efforts have been made incorporating colonia residents in infrastructure or long-range planning efforts. In 2011-12 colonia leaders, community organizing institutions, Community Development Corporations, planners, and housing policy experts partnered to develop seven (7) model colonia plans. The model colonia plans serve as the backdrop for LUCHA.

 

Water Quality Management in the Lower Rio Grande Valley

Omar Hakeem and Hugo Colón giving Mehmet Boz and David Dilks a tour of La Hacienda Casitas.

Omar Hakeem and Hugo Colón giving Mehmet Boz and David Dilks a tour of La Hacienda Casitas.

Learn more about the Colonias LID program in the LRGV.

[bc] partnered with Texas A&M Kingsville and the Local Stormwater Taskforce during the 17th Annual Water Quality Management & Planning Conference held in South Padre Island. [bc] showcased the role of stormwater management in various RGV-based projects: RAPIDO, Colonias LID and La Hacienda Casitas. 

Through the sponsorship of the Surdna Foundation, [bc] brought two stormwater management experts to speak about stormwater management strategies at different scales that could benefit the Lower Rio Grande Valley and its various colonias. 

Dr. David Dilks, Vice President of LimnoTech, an engineering firm with an international reputation for hydrological modeling, shared his knowledge on the management of floodwaters in low-gradient and rural settings. Dr. Dilks has worked on projects all over the country, but highlighted projects in the DC metro area, as well as an agricultural land management project in the Midwest. Both projects were in very flat topography, so they provided applicable lessons to the Rio Grande Valley.  

In addition, Mehmet Boz, Ph.D., P.E., M.ASCE., and civil practice leader with KCI Technologies in San Antonio, shared his knowledge of Low Impact Development and Water Management in south central Texas. Dr. Boz taught conference attendees that LID strategies can be used in Texas, where there are issues of drought that coexist with severe flooding. LID strategies have been very well explored on the East Coast, but the strategies need to be different here in Texas due to the climate. He showed ways to improve water quality, mitigate run-off and flooding, add shade and increase vegetation. 

 

 Mehmet Boz presenting on LID strategies, featuring a rendering done by [bc] for a right of way improvement in a colonia.

 Mehmet Boz presenting on LID strategies, featuring a rendering done by [bc] for a right of way improvement in a colonia.

David Dilks presenting a hydrological model done to study the effects of an LID strategy.

David Dilks presenting a hydrological model done to study the effects of an LID strategy.

Both Dr. Dilks and Dr. Boz will be part of [bc]'s ongoing drainage initiatives in the LRGV as technical advisors through the sponsorship of the Surdna Foundation. [bc] Planning Associate Hugo Colón participated as co-moderator during these two panels. [bc] led Dr. Dilks and Dr. Boz on tours of the area, visiting several colonias and the La Hacienda Casitas.