OUR MISSION

The Mission of Amigos del Valle, Inc. Is to positively impact the quality of life in the Rio Grande Valley and South Texas through the provision of diversified and effective human services, community development activities and advocacy, which are directed to low income families; and with special emphasis in assisting the elder population to maintain active, healthy and independent lives.

In the late 1960s and early 1970s, the federal government, in its efforts to seek better and more permanent solutions to local problems confronting both urban and rural areas, decentralized and decategorized its human services' programs by placing such programs' administration and implementation responsibilities on state and local governmental entities. "New Federalism", as the concept was popularly called, placed the responsibilities of planning, organizing, implementing, and coordinating of such types of programs on county and city elected officials in hopes of better addressing and meeting the varied critical social, economic, and environmental needs of their respective eligible constituencies.

In 1973, The Texas Governor's Committee on Aging (GCA), in concurrence with the federal government's "New Federalism" concept, introduced human services for senior citizens of the Lower Rio Grande Valley through the Lower Rio Grande Valley Development Council's (LRGVDC) Area Agency on Aging (AAA) federally-funded Title VII Nutrition Project as authorized by the Older Americans Act of 1965, as amended. In January, 1974, however, the GCA directed the LRGVDC to limit its administrative and programmatic responsibilities to regional planning, coordinating, and pooling of resources and transfer its actual implementation and provision of direct services responsibilities to the area's seniors to another entity. In compliance with such directive, the LRGVDC administration recommended to its Board of Directors to create a new agency to take over its services' responsibilities to its targeted population. Thus, the LRGVDC Board of Directors established a new private, non-profit organization under Section 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code to specifically continue provision of human services to the seniors in the area. In August, 1974, the GCA awarded a four (4)-month Title VII grant to the new agency, and thus, officially transferred such responsibilities from the LRGVDC to the agency. During such transition period, the new agency's Board of Directors developed and adopted policies and procedures for the agency and hired its first Executive Director and top administrative staff. In 1975, the agency initiated actual services to its targeted population with an initial operating budget of $357,000. By February, 1976, the agency's annual budget had increased to approximately $1,900,000.

ADV was officially chartered on October 4, 1974 as a private non-profit organization under the State of Texas Non-Profit Corporation Act In 1975, ADV received its tax-exempt status under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. ADV is a consortium of county and city governmental entities that was created to provide nutrition, transportation, and housing services to seniors of Cameron, Hidalgo, and Willacy Counties of South Texas to assist such population to continue to live as healthy, productive, independent, and self-sufficient lives as possible.

The ADV Board of Directors is composed of 19 members. Its structure is the voluntary membership of 3 county and 12 city governmental entities and 1 banking/finance, 2 at-large, and 1 honorary members in its service area. In addition, ADV has established participant or tenant Senior Center or Project Advisory Councils at each of the agency and satellite senior centers and housing projects. Such Councils meet periodically to address issues and concerns and to develop recommendations to the agency's administration for its consideration and required action to meet the seniors' present and future needs.

ADV's current operating budget is over $ 5,800,000. ADV derives its principle financial support from the federal and state governments through the Lower Rio Grande Valley Development Council, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (USDHUD), the Texas Department of Aging and Disability Services (TDADS), the Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation (NRC), the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), and local counties and cities. ADV also generates local funds through county and city governmental entities' membership dues; fund-raising projects; participant contributions; client fees; and private businesses' and individuals' contributions.

ADV currently provides daily congregate meals to 950 seniors; home delivered meals to 1,350 seniors; transportation services to 250 seniors; subsidized rental housing apartments to 600 seniors; and social services and activities to such and other seniors in the service area. In Fiscal Year 2003-04 (October 1, 2003-September 30, 2004), ADV served 5,432 unduplicated seniors through the above services and activities. The administration, implementation, and service delivery of this wide-range of services and activities to the seniors are carried out through an established network of 131 employees and over 500 volunteers at and through 31 senior centers; 9 senior multi-family rental housing projects; a central kitchen facility for the preparation of meals; a fleet of 16 mini-buses and 4 vans for demand responsive transportation; and 7 delivery trucks for the delivery of hot meals to the 31 senior centers on a daily basis.

ADV is the largest non-profit developer and manager of senior subsidized rental housing in Texas south of San Antonio, Texas. The agency currently owns and manages 533 senior multi-family rental housing apartments in the service area, which consist of a 100 apartment complex in Brownsville, Texas; a 73 apartment complex in McAllen, Texas; a 55 apartment complex in Harlingen, Texas; a 38 apartment complex in Raymondville, Texas; a 71 apartment complex in Weslaco, Texas; a 40 apartment complex in Pharr, Texas; a 40 apartment complex in Mercedes, Texas; a second 57 apartment complex in Brownsville, Texas; and a 59 apartment complex in Mission, Texas.

In 1995, ADV established its Affordable Homeownership Housing Project, which assists low and moderate income families toward obtaining safe, decent, and affordable homes that they would not be able to own through conventional financing terms. Through September 30, 2004, the Project provided housing mortgage loans, closing cost and/or down payment loans or grants, and homebuyer education and counseling services to 996 low and moderate income families. Such services assisted the families toward obtaining safe and affordable homes.

In its thirty (30) year history, ADV has assisted approximately 57,000 unduplicated seniors through provision of 12,829,256 congregate meals; 7,364,678 home delivered meals; 4,048,338 one-way transportation trips; and 533 subsidized rental housing apartments and daily social services and activities. Without the dedicated hard work of over 500 senior volunteers, who provide over 80,000 man hours of volunteer work on an annual basis, ADV would not have been able to impact positively on the lives of such seniors during its thirty (30) years of existence.

ADV conducts four (4) major annual events: the Valentines' Dance, the Volunteer Banquet, the Affordable Homeownership Housing Project Fair, and the King and Queen Coronation.