Can AltaCair make a difference? ‘I do like our chances,’ says board member Manny Vela.

RIO GRANDE CITY, Texas – Manuel ‘Manny’ M. Vela has explained what the nonprofit AltaCair Foundation is all about and why it wants to establish a pilot program to help in the colonias of Hidalgo County.

Vela is a proud board member of AltaCair.

“I am incredibly proud to be a founding member of the board. Rashmi (Chandran) and all of our fellow board members are completely aligned, Steve, in regards to wanting to do what we possibly can to help those members of our community, throughout our communities in South Texas, who don’t necessarily have access to the things we take for granted,” Vela said.

“Whether it be health care, transportation, access to utilities, all of those kinds of things. And so, I love the way AltaCair is evolving with regard to how we’re looking at this.”

Currently, AltaCair is organizing what it calls “cluster meetings” in different sectors. Key stakeholders have been invited to these meetings to give their input. The sectors so far covered include education, healthcare, nonprofits, government, and business.

“We’re having clusters, as you mentioned previously. You’ve participated in some of those clusters. Thank you for the attention you’re giving to AltaCair because it sheds light on the needs and the challenges that we’re trying to address,” Vela said.

Vela is associate vice president and chief operating officer for Texas A&M University Higher Education Center in McAllen. In that regard his work with AltaCair ties in somewhat because Texas A&M University has for many years run a much-heralded Colonias Program. The aim of the program is to increase self-sufficiency and enhance the quality of life of colonialism residents living alone the Texas-Mexico border. AltaCair has made colonias its top issue this year.

“And so AltaCair is going through these listening sessions at multiple levels in industries throughout the Valley in an effort to try to gain as much knowledge as we can about the challenges that folks in colonias, for instance, face,” Vela said. “We’re concentrating right now on the number of colonias in Hidalgo County with the thought process of establishing a pilot project. The whole thought process right now, which is subject to change, as we learn more and more, is to act as a central repository, where we can provide roadmaps for people who live in those communities, who don’t have some of the basic infrastructure that we have access to, etc.”

Vela continued: “We can provide a roadmap as to what opportunities exist, either through governmental agencies, private corporations, for profit or not for profit, it does not matter, or individuals in our communities that want to try to help. And so, we’re in the early stages of developing our strategy in that regard. But I couldn’t be more proud to be participating with an organization that is concentrating on helping those around us, who at times, many times, don’t have a voice to help themselves. So that’s our goal.”

Vela was asked whether AltaCair can get groups to work together more, to break down the silos that some in the Valley say have traditionally existed. 

“Let me turn that into something positive. We (AltaCair) are trying to be a positive force and catalyst to bring those folks to the table simultaneously. So that when we are talking about a comprehensive roadmap, a comprehensive list of help, that it does involve all of these incredibly well-intended folks,” Vela said.

“I’m not suggesting other folks aren’t already doing a good job of coalescing some of these folks. We want to take it as far as we can in regards to trying to get as many of these folks and agencies and entities at the table at the same time, so that when we start talking about an actual true comprehensive roadmap, it’s as comprehensive as we can get it.”

Vela added: “We’re in this deal because we’re aligned in regards to wanting to help folks around us. If this is the opportunity we have, the best shot we have, let’s go. I do like our chances. I like what AltaCair is doing. Rashmi is a great leader. We’ve got some great folks who are participating on the board as advisory board members. Let’s go. Let’s go make a difference.”

Editor’s Note: Here is an exclusive video interview the Rio Grande Guardian International News Service secured with Manny Vela about his work with the AltaCair Foundation:

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