Several Del Mar employees were not clowning around when feeding the hearts and mouths of families staying at the local Ronald McDonald House.
Members of Del Mar College’s chapter of the Texas Association of Chicanos in Higher Education served breakfast items such as eggs, sausage patties, biscuits, fruit, cereal and milk for families staying at the facility.
TACHE volunteers included Suzette Weis, Jennifer Jimenez, Rosa Reynoso, Newman Wong, Christopher Hernandez and Dolores Huerta.
“We do it once a semester and have been doing it for over five years,” said Hernandez, president of TACHE at Del Mar. “Our goal is to prepare breakfast for the 30 to 40 families who are staying there. This community project lines up with both the college and organization’s mission.”
The Ronald McDonald House is an independent nonprofit organization that has locations throughout the nation. It provides a place for families to stay if they have children hospitalized in a city where they don’t live. Its mission is to create, find and support programs that directly improve the health and well-being of children.
Weis, a court reporting instructor, has had a personal experience with the Ronald McDonald House.
“Rochester, Minnesota, is where the Ronald McDonald House helped my family. We spent a week living in one while my daughter was having medical issues we couldn’t figure out,” Weis said. “They also helped us get paperwork together, find doctors and hotels along the way. It feels good to give back and I wish I could do more.”
Weslaco residents Adan Castillo and Olivia Cardenas brought Stephen Cardenas to Corpus Christi for chemotherapy treatment.
“My son was diagnosed with cancer and had a tumor above his heart,” Olivia Cardenas said. “With only two doses of chemotherapy the tumor went away.”
The family said they were grateful for the volunteers.
“This is the second time I’ve volunteered. It’s a good group and we try to help the community,” said Wong, an institutional research associate.
TACHE started in the Coastal Bend area in 1996 and included Del Mar College, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi and Texas A&M University-Kingsville. Del Mar’s chapter was so active that in 2000 the state organization voted to let each institution form its own chapter.
The organization was known for hosting a dance fundraiser for student scholarships for over 11 years. Since the death of the chapter’s former president Mike Anzaldúa, TACHE has had a scholarship endowment and hasn’t had the need fundraise anymore.
Hernandez is considering bringing back the dance fundraiser along with other ideas to get students involved with TACHE.
“There are internships, career building opportunities and many more in the state level of TACHE. For me it’s important to let students know that just because you join a club at Del Mar it doesn’t just stop there,” Hernandez said. “Because of our period of inactivity we are trying to get our names out there again on campus.”
The association still has several events for the end of this semester. On April 22 they will be hosting a free breakfast at the Venters Building from 8:45-9:15 a.m. They will also be hosting a community luncheon from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on April 29. Reservations are required and food will be served in the Retama Room. Finals Fiesta is their last event of the semester on May 1. TACHE will be at each campus to help give testing supplies, snacks and drinks.
To get involved with TACHE, contact Hernandez at 361-698-2250 or chernand66@delmar.edu.
