Hernandez: Rotary ‘Unites for Good’

When Mario Reyna, coordinator of the Prosperity Task Force, reminded us that the poverty rate in Hidalgo County is 27.1%, down from 29.5% in 2019, but among our children, the poverty rate is 39%, he got my attention.  

Then Mario goes on to explain the importance to our local economy of the federal dollars that have traditionally been invested in our region for border security, infrastructure, education, food security, housing, and health, and that cuts to these programs and their corresponding federally sponsored jobs will impact our communities in a negative way.

So, what can we do?  

This is the time for all of us to “Unite for Good,” the message guiding all Rotarians and Rotary Clubs, as we begin our new Rotary year on July 1. 

Rotary International is the largest humanitarian service organization in the world, with a membership of over a million business, professional, and civic leaders who believe in “Service Above Self” and who volunteer their time, talent, and treasure to help address the challenges that face our communities, both at the local and global levels of influence.

I now have the honor (and responsibility) of serving as the new District Governor for Rotary District 5930 – a region that covers South Texas, from Laredo to Victoria and Corpus Christi, down to Brownsville, and along the border including Harlingen, McAllen, and Rio Grande City.   We have 49 clubs and 1,400-plus members who are ready to partner with other like-minded organizations and agencies to find local solutions to local problems.

Rotary District 5930 is a member of the Prosperity Task Force, as are Rotarians identified with other organizations, so we have a voice at the table, but also the responsibility of moving from talk to action. 

In order to create change that is sustainable and impactful, Rotary Clubs must first attract and retain members who have a “calling” for service. I extend a special invitation to all leaders who are reading this article and who want to make a difference and fulfill their life’s purpose. Come and discover the power and potential of Rotary.

The members of Rotary Clubs also join other organizations, as parishioners, board members, or as employees of institutions.  Rotarians are expected to wear multiple hats, advocating for those whose voice is not heard clearly, and identifying how each organization or agency to which they belong can be more effective.

My first task as District Governor is to strengthen the “infrastructure” of our network of influence.  Rotary Clubs are encouraged to partner within our own network of Rotary Clubs, both locally and globally, to identify projects that can be funded through The Rotary Foundation.

But Rotary Clubs must also partner outside our network and build new relationships and alliances that can leverage resources and create a greater impact as a result of these joint investments. Could you imagine how effective we could become if we worked together with higher education institutions and school districts, faith-based organizations, Boys & Girls Clubs, American Red Cross, Food Banks, Scouts of America, Regional Health Departments, non-profit health agencies, Councils of Government, city and county governments, Community Action Agencies, Chambers of Commerce, Housing Authorities, Economic Development Councils, Goodwill, Salvation Army, Library Associations, Medical Associations, Law Associations, and for-profit corporations? 

Fortunately, our local Rotary Clubs already have members who represent many of these external organizations, but we have not yet figured out how to align our goals and resources, measure our indicators of progress, analyze our results, and tell our powerful story of transformation.

We need a “Stone Soup” solution, where we identify the ingredients available locally and the people willing to contribute those ingredients, and the cooks who will mix them all in a big pot, (and who has a big pot?) and those who bring water and firewood and matches, the servers who will dish out the bowls of soup, the ushers who seat those who are to be served (who are the beneficiaries?), the dishwashers, the cleaners who will tidy up after the meal, the supervisors who make sure all is coordinated, the monitors who measure the input and output, the evaluators who measure the results and identify best practices and lessons learned, the storytellers who think about how the stone soup affected their lives, and the person who organizes and hosts the workshop afterward, to relate the experience and then see how we can “scale up” to feed more.

The Prosperity Task Force has the contact information of all those people who are willing to bring their ingredients to the meal, and the names of those willing to play a role in the preparation, serving and cleaning up. What if our higher education institutions were willing to submit a research grant to engage their faculty and students in designing a large-scale development project with a logical framework (logic model) before the stone soup concept is implemented, the monitoring of the event with data collection, the evaluation and report writing, and collecting stories, so that the Prosperity Task Force could host the party to celebrate the impactful results?

Oh, but I forgot. The Federal Government has cut funding for higher education and research, and for all the local government agencies and non-profits who serve the 39% of children who live in poverty and those who are homeless, who cannot read, or access specialty healthcare.  So, we come full circle and return to talking. Hmm.

Who could help fund this transformative project? Not government. How many Foundations can we bring together in our region to fund the staff and resources necessary so that Mario Reyna and the Prosperity Task Force can scale up and take their coordinating process to a higher level?

The Rotary Foundation does not pay salaries or construct buildings but can help with purchasing equipment, training, and resources while local Rotarians volunteer in the “project.”  We can bring a pot, firewood, training, some carrots, and some volunteers. And District 5930 can partner up with any of the 515 districts around the world to seek additional financial support.

Are there any other Foundations that are willing to come to the Prosperity Task Force table and consider funding other ingredients or processes and bringing more volunteers?

Let’s “Unite for Good,” creating a clear vision of what is needed to address the complex issue of poverty in our region, how much it would cost to develop and manage a large-scale development project with sustainable results, and who could help finance this work.

Please contact me if you would like to discuss this further or would like to learn more about joining a Rotary Club.

Elaine Hernandez, PhD

District Governor 2025-2026

District 5930 (South Texas)

Rotary International

Cadre of Technical Advisors

Cell: +1 (956) 648-9061

Email: ehernandez2125@gmail.com

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Editor’s Note: The above op-ed was penned by Elaine Hernandez, PhD, 2025-2026 district governor for Rotary International’s District 5930 (South Texas). The op-ed appears in the Rio Grande Guardian with the permission of the author. 

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