The United Way Board of Directors proudly recognized United Way of South Texas volunteers and supporters at the 2023 Awards Ceremony in March.
Awards were presented to Key Volunteers, Top Supporting Districts, State and Federal Agencies and Top Companies. Golden Apple Awards were presented to Outstanding School Districts, with the Top 5 Campaign Results. The Districts with the Top 5 Campaigns selected exceptional and energetic coordinators to spearhead their fall fundraising efforts. The 2022 Top 5 Contributing School Districts and their Campaign Coordinators were: 1) McAllen ISD; Ann Vega 2) Edinburg C.I.S.D.; Alonzo Barbosa 3) P.S.JA. I.S.D.; Dr. Ruben Borrego 4) La Joya I.S.D.; Marissa Saenz and 5) Mission C.I.S.D.; Sylvia Cruz. These five school districts represented 24% of the overall 2022 campaign.
Dr. J.A. Gonzalez, Superintendent of McAllen ISD, and Ms. Ann Vega, McAllen ISD Campaign Coordinator, accepted the #1 Golden Apple Award. This was the fifth consecutive year that McAllen ISD received Top Honor, although they have always been recognized as a top supporter. Along with the Golden Apple Award, the McAllen ISD – Administration Department also received a Red Apple Award for Highest Per Capita Donations; and McAllen ISD’s Gonzalez Elementary was awarded the Highest Per Capita Donations Campus. Congratulations to McAllen ISD and the other Golden Apple Award recipients for their outstanding support and achievements.
Along with the Golden Apple Award recipients mentioned above, the following School Districts – from Mercedes I.S.D. to Roma I.S.D. – ran successful campaigns to benefit over 185,000 local residents: Edcouch-Elsa I.S.D., Mercedes I.S.D., Monte Alto I.S.D., Sharyland I.S.D., South Texas I.S.D., Valley View I.S.D., Region One, Rio Grande City Grulla I.S.D., Roma I.S.D. and Weslaco I.S.D.
The United Way Board of Directors also expresses their gratitude to all Superintendents, District Campaign Coordinators, Principals, Directors, Professional Staff and School District Employees in Hidalgo and Starr Counties. The community’s support allows United Way to positively impact and empower individuals in Hidalgo and Starr Counties with direct services including: emergency shelter for victims of domestic violence and for the homeless; after school, youth leadership and homework assistance programs; end-of-life care services; advocates for children in foster care; free income tax preparation services for families who earn $60,000 a year or less; assistance for families affected by natural disasters and single family home fires, and much more. The United Way Board of Directors extends their deepest appreciation to all who volunteer and donate to support critical services in the Rio Grande Valley.
About United Way:
United Way of South Texas invests in programs that address critical services in the areas of Health, Education, Financial Stability, and Safety Net. The organization supports over 21 non-profit agencies in Hidalgo and Starr Counties that serve a minimum of 178,500 local residents annually. Services provided by United Way of South Texas through Partner Agencies include emergency shelter, family violence counseling, character building programs, child victim advocacy, and infant stimulation classes. To learn more, visit www.unitedwayofsotx.org. If you would like to support United Way programs with a monetary donation, you may mail a tax deductible check to United Way of South Texas at P.O. Box 187, McAllen, TX 78505-0187 or pledge online at https://unitedwayofsotx.org/donate-now/. For volunteer opportunities, visit volunteersotx.org.