By Louis Zylka
The 830 Times
City council members have approved a $10,000 grant to an organization headquartered in downtown Del Rio that promotes community health and wellness.
The council approved a resolution authorizing the funding from the Main Street Façade Assistance Program for a façade improvement project by Friends of Val Verde Health and Wellness Inc.’s Bargain Box store at 106 – 110 W. Greenwood St. The council approved the resolution during its June 27 regular meeting.
Councilman J.P. Sanchez made the motion to approve the resolution, and Mayor Pro-tem Steve Webb gave the second.
After the motion and second, Councilwoman Alexandra Falcon Calderon asked Amy Whitehead Perry, building committee chair for the Friends of Val Verde Health and Wellness, to speak to the council. Calderon asked Perry to speak about the Friends organization, their recent name change and the project for which they plan to use the city’s assistance grant.
“We were formerly the Friends of Hospice and Val Verde Memorial Hospital Services Inc. That original incorporation worked with the hospital for their hospice program, and it went that way for a long time and for many years they were very successful in providing care through the hospice program with the hospital at little to no cost to the patient,”Perry said.
“Through time the hospital dissolved their program for hospice, so we ended up having to pivot and changed our name and our scope of what we are going to do with our funds,” Perry said.
She said the organization raises funds through the Bargain Box at 106 Greenwood St.
“It is the old Herald Printing building; It’s a very old building, and the Bargain Box is a thrift store, so we take donated items that are gently used and sell them at a heavily discounted price. We take that money now, in our pivot, and we give grants to selected organizations that have to do with health and wellness in our community,” she said.
Several weeks ago, Perry said, Friends of Val Verde Health and Wellness provided a $50,000 grant to West TX Counseling & Guidance, the Rotary Club of Del Rio, St. James Episcopal Church and the Community Health Improvement Coalition (CHIC). She said another round of grants will be made available in the fall of the year.
Calderon said she was happy to see the group apply for the façade grant because she said she knows how much the group has done and is doing for the community.
Perry said her organization now owns the building in which the Bargain Box is located and is planning to make some improvements.
“We want to give it a little facelift, a very-needed facelift. We’re going to clean the brick, replace the awning and fix the windows,” Perry said.
The council then voted unanimously to approve the resolution to authorize the grant funding.
