Category: Small Town Life

Del Rio, Texas – Why It’s Become Our Home

8/6/2018

In the military, there’s the dream duty locations – Hawaii, Europe, Florida, and so on, depending on what your taste is. And, there are the locations that most try to avoid – and Laughlin AFB in Del Rio, Texas is one of those.

It’s been said many times by military folks here, Laughlin is the Air Force’s best force-shaping tool. In layman’s terms, “force-shaping” is synonymous with “trim the fat” or “to weed out”. In other words, the statement is really suggesting that the Air Force powers-that-be, in an effort to discharge the folks it doesn’t want anymore, simply would threaten to relocate them to Del Rio in hopes that they would leave the Air Force voluntarily. True or not, I’ve seen many families chose to leave the Air Force instead of relocate to Del Rio.

Laughlin AFB Training Aircraft

Who did you piss off? That was what one coworker (who had never been to Del Rio personally) asked when he heard that’s where I was headed before my family arrived over three years ago, implying that perhaps I drew the short stick in the bureaucratic game of duty location assignments – and that the Air Force was simply trying to weed me out. While Laughlin AFB doesn’t have the most glamorous mission of undergraduate flight training while other military bases actively train for warfighting, the surrounding community of Del Rio is what would make or break the deal for me. Assignment accepted.

San Felipe Creek, Downtown Del Rio

After three years in Del Rio, the Air Force certainly did weed me and my family out, voluntarily. Not to avoid Del Rio, but instead rather to embrace the town further. We were ready to leave the military, but not Del Rio.

Photo Courtesy of Del Rio Grande Magazine

Most military people looked at me sideways when they heard the news of my family staying put in Del Rio after I exited the military. While the vast majority of the exiting force counts the days til they see this part of Texas in the rear-view mirror en-route to larger cities, higher-paying jobs, and cooler weather, they can’t seem to understand why we would stay.

Old Sign Outside of Del Rio, Texas

Here's Why:

The People
If you’ve ever relocated a few times in your life, you know as well as I do that the people make or break the location, not the other way around. Of all the places I’ve lived, Del Rio – by a long shot – is home to the friendliest people. Texas, by-and-large, is home to nice people, especially in the more rural areas.

Flag Tribute at the Annual Independence Day Rodeo (Photo from Del Rio Grande Magazine)

Growing up on the West Coast, people aren’t friendly. It’s not uncommon to simply feel like you are just in their way - an inconvenience - and sucked into the rat-race of keeping-up-with-the-Jones’. In Del Rio, no one cares if you drive a $70K SUV (although you might not fit in…) or an old clunker that is one lug nut from not passing inspection this year. You can own a $300K home, or rent a $600 apartment, and your kids can attend the same school. And, vastly different from the beaches of Southern California, you can strike up a conversation with a total stranger – anywhere – they’ll tell you they’re life story, simply for the sake of having a neighborly conversation. Folks are genuine, here.

Downtown Del Rio, Texas

In Del Rio, I’ve had total strangers at the downtown creek-side park invite me to their barbecues. No hidden agenda, just hospitality. When my daughter was born, every lady in H-E-B (local grocery store) found their way to the aisle I was on to meet her. On her first birthday party, our house was so full we had to move most of it outside with the sprinklers on (it was hot). Her second one we held at the church, a smashing hit. Not because she is all-that (she thinks she is, like all two-year-olds), but because Del Rio is a family where a sense of community is important. If you embrace it, it will embrace you.

Sunset in Del Rio, Texas

The Beauty
Dirty, dusty border town? Sure, it is somewhat of a desert climate – hot and relatively dry – but the area does have its green season most years with plenty of rainfall. It also gets a mild winter from time to time – but rarely snow.

The Devils River near Del Rio, Texas

Unlike many desert locations, however, the area also has numerous rivers, Lake Amistad, and Hill Country all within an hour’s drive. Sunrises and sunsets are beautiful, and wide-open spaces are plentiful and filled with wildlife. It’s common to see deer in your front yard in town, and just out of town you can find aoudad (big-horn sheep), numerous types of deer, birds, hogs, varmints, and mountain lions.

Desert Landscape Near Del Rio, Texas

Lake Amistad is one of the clearest lakes in Texas and straddles the international border with unlimited gorgeous desert scenery and great fishing and boating. The Devils River is also a paradise with ultra-pure waters. The Pecos River and Rio Grande both make big cuts into the desert plateau and are frequented by kayakers. Many locals float down portions of the Rio, as well as other local Hill Country rivers like the Nueces, Sabinal, and Frio Rivers.

Val Verde County Sheriff's Office Deputies

The Security
Del Rio is one of the safest cities in Texas. With a crime rate of about half of the national-average according to City-Data.com, Del Rio is an extremely secure town. For a population of about 35,000 residents, law enforcement departments include Del Rio Police Department, San Felipe-Del Rio School District Police Department, Val Verde County Sheriff’s Department, Val Verde County Constable, U.S. Border Patrol and Customs, Texas Highway Patrol, Texas Game Warden, U.S. Park Rangers, FBI, DEA, and U.S. Marshalls. There might be a few I missed, but the point is that criminal activity is highly discouraged due to the shear number of law enforcement officials scattered throughout the town.

I never worry about my wife and daughter out and about anytime during the day or night – crime is so rare, especially violent crime. Even Acuña – Del Rio’s sister-city across the border – is frequented by Del Rioans daily with few problems.

Del Rio Community Garden Farmer's Market

The Cost of Living
Cheap! While the housing rental market is rather inflated due to Laughlin AFB, the rest of the town remains very affordable. Even if you want to buy a house, it’s rather inexpensive, although property taxes and utilities are slightly high in Texas compared to some other states. However, like much of West Texas, you don’t need a high-paying job to live comfortably.

While high-paying jobs outside of federal employment are hard to find, the cost of living allows modest salaries to meet the needs of most families. Some say that it’s only inexpensive because they’re nothing to spend your money on – but that’s far from the truth. My wife and daughter stay busy every day in the community enjoying free – or very inexpensive – entertainment and activities.

Beer Garden Event - Del Rio Parks Foundation

While Del Rio doesn’t have a wide variety of shopping choices, prices are low. Movie tickets are between $4-6 a pop. The Whitehead Museum, Del Rio Community Garden, Civic Center, Del Rio Chamber of Commerce, The Dr. Alfredo Gutierrez Amphitheater, the Lake Amistad Recreation Area routinely hold free events. The Paul Poag Theatre also holds regular musicals and other shows at reasonable prices.

The Upstagers

The Opportunity
Too many people never see Del Rio – they give up the opportunity before they even arrive. Others do relocate with the military or federal service, reluctantly, but come close-minded and ignorant. They stay holed up on on base at Laughlin AFB or in their house in the north part of the city and Del Rio doesn’t even get a fair shot. If my wife and I came to Del Rio with the preconceived notion that we would hate it (like many do), then I probably wouldn’t be writing this right now. But, like the story of a Game Warden’s wife I once met here in Del Rio – she came here kicking and screaming, and left here in tears.

Annual George Paul Memorial Rodeo (Del Rio Grande Magazine)

I’ve found that the culture in Del Rio is accepting of newcomers. Not newcomers that want to make Del Rio a big city, but newcomers that want to contribute to the community – those who take pride in their new city and its culture. Many Del Rioans want to see the city grow through new ideas and opportunities. They welcome – with open arms – families that want to help make a positive impact on the community. Because of this, there are an unlimited number of opportunities for community involvement that will help you and your family in transforming this duty location in a home.

We gave it a shot, embraced it, and in turn it embraced us.

Doc Holliday's Bar - Del Rio Texas (From Beautiful Del Rio Facebook Page)

Del Rio Texas - Chito Martiarena - What We Can All Learn From The Hardest-Working Man

6/15/2017

Who is this guy? Like just about everyone else that does a double-take the first time they see Chito, I didn’t know what exactly to think. My first impression, however, was nothing further from the truth.

Jose Angel “Chito” Martiarena – a Del Rio native often seen pushing a train of children’s wagons with flashy balloons and road cones attached to a lawnmower down Veteran’s Boulevard, continues to inspire me.

Before you read any further, you have to watch this 9-minute video from the Texas Country Reporter.

Chito is – for lack of a better term – a landscaper. His specialty is mowing lawns – but different from all other local landscapers, Chito almost exclusively mows for free – including the grassy medians of Veteran’s Boulevard. He can be seen out there day, night, hot, cold – it doesn’t seem to matter – and he doesn’t take a cent.

I had the privilege of crossing paths with Chito at AutoZone the other day. I noticed Chito at the register counting coins to purchase a $2 Coca-Cola from the cooler at the store. One-handed, he counted, one-by-one.

It was about 95 degrees outside, and I had noticed his lawnmower entourage coned off along the highway when I had driven in. I’m sure he was exhausted and thirsty. I was beat, and I had been working in an air-conditioned office all day. The least I could do was buy his drink for him.

Chito - Being Awarded the First "Del Rio Doin' Right" Award from the Del Rio Chamber of Commerce

Dedication to his family. Chito continues to mourn his beloved father’s death – and feels a responsibility to care and provide for his mother. He mows lawns for free – although he apparently has a few paying customers.

How does mowing for free provide for his family? Although I can only speculate about the mystery of Chito’s mind, I honestly believe that Chito believes in earning his money. While he may receive a monthly disability check in the mail, I think a strong case can be made that Chito feels compelled to “earn” this compensation by service to his community – Del Rio.

Chito - during an interview with the Texas Country Reporter

Chito doesn’t ask for money. I had to convince him to even let me buy him a Coke – and I honestly feel like he more just didn’t want to argue with me about who would pay for it because he felt like he needed to get back to work along the busy highway in the scorching sun. I don’t think Chito even asks for a “thank you”. Chito just sees things a little differently than us narrow-minded, semi-successful citizens.

Chito - From Texas Country Reporter

But Chito didn’t seem to understand – in his mind, it was his own drink, so he should purchase it with his money. After insisting – I think he finally got the point and began to put each coin, one-by-one, back into his pocket.

Everyone wonders why Chito mows endlessly for free – especially because his disabilities prevent him from speaking. In fact, his physical disabilities give him every excuse to not work at all, but he’s not that kind of man. I believe that Chito understands more about hard work, community, responsibility, and family than any of us will ever be able to understand. Each of us can learn from Chito’s example.

Chito holds up a piece of cardboard littered on the side of the road

Community Pride. Chito’s community is his life. Del Rio is his life. Born and raised here, Chito does everything in his power to beautify Del Rio. While a one-man landscaping crew can only play a small part in maintaining the roadsides in a community as large as Del Rio, Chito continues to work longer and later than the highway department does. Chito pulls the weeds, trims the grass, and collects trash up and down the streets of Del Rio – simply because needs to be done. One article even commented that Chito believes that tall grass along the highway by the car dealerships prevents prospective buyers from seeing the cars – and he wants the dealerships to sell cars!

One of Chito's Road Cones

He inspires us to give our time, effort, talents, and passions to our community, simply because it’s our home. He inspires us to embody and encourage hard work and sense of duty over laziness and irresponsibility. “Entitlement” doesn’t exist in Chito’s vocabulary, even though he has that right more than most of us. Chito exemplifies how priorities should be arranged in life – family, community…and lastly – himself. He is the epitome of a dedicated, hard worker – not because it results in personal gain, but because it’s just the right thing to do. It’s not about glory, wealth, or even long-lasting health for Chito – it’s about using the gifts God gave him at their max potential solely for the purpose of making a difference here in Del Rio. Chito has taught me more about life than any life-skills coach could ever teach me, and yet he hasn’t spoken a distinguishable word to me.

If you’re interested in supporting Chito, he’s not hard to find. Look for the trail of wagons attached to an old lawnmower with a bunch of balloons and road cones. Tell him you appreciate him, thank him, pat him on the back, and spend a moment or two talking to him (and he’ll understand you). Chito gives it all for Del Rio, the least Del Rio can do for him is offer their gratitude (and a bottle of water, perhaps).

-Dan

Del Rio Texas - It’s Watermelon Time! Summer Melon Business Booms For Local Farmers, Vendors

6/8/2017

It’s June in South-Central Texas, and local watermelon farmers in Quemado, a small town between Del Rio and Eagle Pass along Highway 277 and the Rio Grande, are harvesting sweet, savory melons by the ton.

It’s always about this time of year that local vendors park their pick-up trucks loaded with melons along the busy roadways of Del Rio. If you’re like me, you drive past them every day and wonder who they are and how they make a living selling giant fruit on the side of the road.

Dionisio, A Watermelon Vendor on the Highway 90 Near Del Rio Middle School in Del Rio, Texas

Well, curiosity finally reeled me in when I was thinking of my next article to write about the unique and awesome culture of Del Rio. I decided to interview a couple of these local vendors to get a better idea of what exactly I’ve been missing on my way home from work every day this week.

I didn’t really need to send any formal invitation for an interview – I just happened to pull off Highway 90 near the Del Rio Middle School and end up at Dionisio’s watermelon truck. Dionisio has lived in Del Rio since 1957, originally growing up outside of Acuña. He sells his watermelons for anywhere between $3 and $5, depending on the size, and has been selling them for about seven years.

Dionisio fills his truck, equipped with a camper-top, full of melons for $390 from a farm in Quemado. When I asked him how much money he made from his sales, he replied, “Not much…but it [gives me] something to do”. Although not a man of many words, Dionisio explained that weekdays are not as good for business as weekends are. “If they stop [to purchase a melon], they stop. Otherwise they keep going,” he remarked as we watched rush hour resume on the highway, closing in on 5:00 PM.

Jose's Seafood Stand "It's my wife's," he added. Across Veteran's Blvd from the Civic Center in Del Rio, Texas

After purchasing a melon from Dionisio, I started making my way home in Alta Vista when I noticed another watermelon stand across the street from the Civic Center. I had to flip a u-turn at Cantu Road and swing back around south on Veteran’s Boulevard – and met Jose and Vicente at their shrimp cocktail stand and watermelon truck (quite the combination!).

Like Dionisio, Jose has lived in Del Rio for the vast majority of his life. Vicente, his nephew, helps him with the watermelon business. Jose and Vicente also purchase their melons from Quemado – a load costing about $180 to $200 – and roughly half the size of Dionisio’s produce selection. Jose has been selling melons in Del Rio for about six years, and says that he only sells in town for a few weeks, then heads west to Odessa, Texas and other cities in New Mexico to ensure he catches the start of the produce vending business in that direction.

Similar to Dionisio’s watermelon business, Jose said that weekends were better for business – and that it wasn’t uncommon to sell his entire truck-load on a Saturday and profit about $200 or more – selling small melons at 2 for $5 and large melons for $5.

Despite slower business during the week, he said that sometimes on weekends he could sell his entire truck of about 175-200 melons out. At an average of about $4 a melon, that’s somewhere between $600 and $800 per load – or a profit of about $200-$400. For kicking back under a tree enjoying the outdoors – I’d say that’s worth it, too.

Of course, melons are only in-season for a short time each year, so Dionisio only vends for about five weeks each year. “I’m retired”, he said, having worked construction and on farms most of his life. I did get to see a sparkle in his eye when I asked about his wife. “She’s still kicking!” he chuckled, “we’ve been married since 1960.”

Jose and Vicente's Watermelon Truck, Across Veteran's Blvd from the Civic Center in Del Rio, Texas

All-in-all, I ended up with two watermelons to bring home to my wife and baby daughter (who recently decided she loves watermelons – just in time!).

So, hurry up and grab yourself a locally grown watermelon the next time you drive past a roadside stand and support these local vendors!

- Dan Schreiber

Less House, More Living - Full Time RV Family Follows God, Explores America

6/3/2017

Jared & Kris Gillis, with sons Eli and Matt

Don’t let your comfort kill your courage. That’s Jared Gillis and wife Kris’ motto as they explore the United States with their two boys – Eli and Matt – living full time in their 5th wheel RV trailer.

That first sentence pretty much sums it up – as major life decisions are often based on comfort and stability, not faith and courage. Not for the Gillis family.

Following a near-death experience during a mission trip in Nicaragua in 2015, Jared’s eyes were opened to the power of God. During a ministry outreach in a park in Nicaragua, Jared found himself face-to-face with a local violent gang opposed to his church’s ministry. “I could be dead, or at least injured and hospitalized,” he said as he recollected the gang swarming the park. Out of nowhere, a very strong wind and rain shower [microburst] collapsed the tent that Jared’s ministry was under, shielding him from the swarm of aggressive gang members – who then ran for shelter elsewhere. “I was terrified,” he said. Through this experience, though, Jared realized God’s omnipotence and omniscience, and began to seek God’s will for his life, and his family’s life, even more.

After leaving his job, Jared and Kris prayerfully decided to either build – or purchase – an RV trailer and truck to pull it. Turns out, God was faithful and provided the Gillis family with both – exactly within the budget that Jared and Kris had set. “God was just speaking so clearly to us,” Jared remarked.

Solid Rock Film - Handcrafted Films

Jared’s plan was to become more involved in his filming industry – Solid Rock Film – by documenting his family’s journey travelling the country as well as producing and selling promotion videos for RV parks and testimonial videos for church ministry.

Solid Rock Film on Thankfulness by Jared Gillis - From Sermon Spice (Click For Preview)

Although some believe that full-time travelling is expensive, Jared explained that his family spends less money on the road than they did owning a house. “We don’t live like we’re on vacation,” he said as he stated that his family’s monthly budget hovered around about 2,000 dollars. “We pray a lot about our truck,” Jared remarked, stating it had over 200,000 miles on it and that every time it breaks down, the money spent to repair it taps into their monthly living budget. “We just pray God will keep it going until we get back to Arizona,” he said as he commented that his family was headed back to family in Prescott for a short period of time before hitting the road again.

“One time I took the engine apart thinking it was the turbo [that broke]. It ended up just being bad diesel fuel,” Jared laughed, in hindsight, after recalling that the RV park did not allow any major mechanical work to be done on-site, yet remembering he was covered head to toe in grease while explaining to the park owners why his family couldn’t vacate their camp site, yet.

“We’ve had to rely heavily on God,” reflected Jared, as he explained the numerous opened and closed doors his family has encountered in regards to income during their adventures across much of the west and central United States. California, for example, was not great for the RV-park promotional filming business because the high cost of living has driven a surplus of permanent RV residents, leaving no room for tourists. "Every day is a fresh new day," said Jared, "[God's] mercy and grace are new every day. It's an idea of living in God's grace [that] gives me an optimistic outlook."

Less House, More Living - The Gillis Family Truck and Trailer

“God just told me one day, when we were in church, to sell the house,” Jared said, after returning from his mission trip. His wife, Kris, had been praying for two weeks about the same thing, but hadn’t mentioned it to Jared, yet. “We listed the house that day, and it [only] took one day to sell!”.

Without a house, the Gillis family decided on a theme for their new adventure – Less House, More Living. “I wanted to be able to spend as much time growing as a family as we could,” said Jared, as he explained how having a bunch of “stuff” can often be a distraction from living life the way God designed it. A general contractor-turned church board member, Jared was often spending over twelve hours a day with the various ministries at the church. “I didn’t want my kids to resent church because [I was spending all my time away from them working at church]."

Of course, there were plenty of concerns, even before embarking on their journey – concerns like vehicle trouble, tires blowing out, lack of personal space, severe weather, and financial stability. But, the benefits outweighed the concerns to the Gillis family – seeing God’s creation, spending time and growing as a family, encouraging one another, and exploring new places together.

Matt and Eli – ages 11 and 13 – are home-schooled on the road, and have been afforded the great opportunity to explore much of the Rocky Mountains, Great Plains, and the Pacific Coast in the past 11 months of their travels as a full-time RV family. “We don’t really look at days as weekdays and weekends, but travel days and non-travel days,” Jared said, “sometimes we do school on Saturday.” In a recent video, Kris explained that she feels that Matt and Eli are learning and retaining much more when they visit places - like National Parks - than they would simply reading and writing about them. Jared concurred, “The [knowledge] that they get from when we travel is just amazing.”

The family records their travelling lifestyle weekly on YouTube, under the title “Less House, More Living”. Jared, an expert video photographer and editing specialist, generally creates short videos of their adventures. He has also been contracted to create a number of promotion videos for RV parks, and hopes to continue sharing the beauty of God’s creation with online viewers. Jared also shares testimonial videos on Sermon Spice – topics that God has laid on his heart to share.

Although money remains tight, both Jared and Kris agreed that God has spoken very loudly to both of them – and has set many opportunities in motion that have allowed them to continue discipling and growing together on the road as the family, and make some great friends along the way.

To support Jared and Kris and their family, subscribe to their YouTube channel and "like" their Facebook Page using the links above. To learn more about Solid Rock Film, contact Jared via the mail button above.

Del Rio Community Garden Promotes, Educates, & Empowers Healthy, Sustainable Living

5/21/2017

Photo courtesy of Snapped with Love Photography.

Food should be free.

That’s the belief that Maria Onofre, a lead volunteer gardener at the Del Rio Community Garden holds dear. She’s not talking about groceries, though, or food from a restaurant. Maria believes that the skill of gardening and raising crops – once a vital aspect of American living – has largely been lost in American culture. We now rely on large, company-owned farms and grocery stores for our food, but that hasn’t always been the case.

Learning how to prepare the food you’ve raised should also be free, she said. “It’s something that used to be passed down from generation to generation,” she commented as she reflected on receiving a notebook of gardening tips and tricks from her grandfather who farmed through parts of Texas in the years past – a notebook that she’s used personally, with a team of volunteers, to transform a vacant lot near San Felipe Creek into a beautiful arrangement of vegetable plants, new saplings, and flowers.

Photo courtesy of Snapped with Love Photography.

The Del Rio Community Garden, situated adjacent to Brown Plaza in South Del Rio, launched last November with a kick-off “Bounty & Brew” festival. Local Texas beer and foods were served, with the help of several local businesses and ranches. Since then, several other events have been thrown at the garden, including a pop-up beer garden social with a live band, local “vine” (wine-tasting) festival, and a women’s class for homesteading, with the proceeds of donation-driven events benefiting the non-profit Del Rio Parks Foundation.

Maria believes that every family should learn how to grow food in their backyard garden. “You don’t have to grow everything you need,” she said, “you just have to learn to grow one thing, and your neighbor another, and the next neighbor another. Eventually [after sharing], you have a full basket.”

She pointed at a small elevated garden, roughly the size of the bed of a pickup truck. “I paid $1.08 for a garden like that at my house, and we harvested 25 pounds of food from it.” Maria aims to teach others how to do just that.

Photo courtesy of Snapped with Love Photography.

Monica Salazar, a member of the Del Rio Parks Foundation Board of Directors – an organization separate from the City of Del Rio – said that the current land occupied by the Community Garden is considered FEMA land – land that cannot be built on because it falls within the flood plain of San Felipe Creek, which was flooded in 1998 by Tropical Storm Charley and caused widespread damage to south Del Rio. The Parks Foundation worked with the City of Del Rio to use the land – and the result is the Community Garden.

“We have a Farmer’s Market on the first Saturday of every month,” said Maria. “We need more vendors and local farmers, it’s a free gathering place.”

“We also have weekly events,” she said, “like our Monday morning mom’s and toddlers social.” Although specifically aimed at mothers and small children, she added anyone was welcome. Maria explained how important it is for children to be exposed to healthy food choices, “I’ve seen little kids literally fighting over who was going to take the freshly harvested beets home.”

Numerous studies across the nation have discovered that children who grow their own garden are more willing to eat – and develop better taste for – vegetables. “They even ate the pods on the peas...and the broccoli flowers, after all the crowns were gone!” Maria remarked, feeling accomplished in her work.

Maria's "perfect little pepper"

Maria’s unique gardening skills – which she teaches free of charge at the Community Garden – have produced the current crop nearly entirely from food scraps – not pre-packaged seeds. “We always save the best plant of the crop,” she said, and went on to explain how she harvests it for the seeds and plants it again as a whole new crop.

The garden also accepts donations of old vegetables and fruits from local vendors and stores – produce that is too old to sell – and Maria, along with a team of volunteers on Thursdays, uses those to sow new plants. The best part – it’s free.

Learning to make pickles, part of the Women's Homesteading 101 class. Photo courtesy of my beautiful wife.

Maria pointed at a small bell pepper plant rooted inside a makeshift cinder-block planter. “Americans waste 40% of our food, simply in production,” she said remorsefully, “everyone wants the perfect-looking vegetable.”

She went on to explain that not all vegetables are shaped perfectly, and many have blemishes (describing the bell pepper) that really make no difference in taste or quality, but are wasted because of eye-appeal. “The reality is that not everything in nature is perfect, but imperfect is perfect,” she asserted, following up with a discussion about how store-bought vegetables, while attractive in appearance, have little taste because of the way that they were grown and produced in bulk, inorganically. “That’s going to be a perfect little pepper.”

Homesteading 101 Class at the Del Rio Community Garden

Photo courtesy of Snapped with Love Photography.

Personally speaking, the Del Rio Community Garden has been a huge blessing for my wife and young daughter. They’re down at the garden at least once a week, if not more often – it’s extremely relaxing, and it’s always fun to watch seeds sprout into food-producing plants – completely organically. Both Monica and Maria encourage the community of Del Rio to become involved in the Parks Foundation and the Community Garden. “If people need help starting a garden, I want to help. That’s why we’re here,” said Maria.

The Del Rio Community Garden is part of the Del Rio Parks Foundation – a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization committed to enriching the quality of life for the community through the development of outdoor park and recreational spaces in the City of Del Rio. If you are interested in becoming involved with this organization, visit their website at http://delrioparksfoundation.com/ and follow their various Facebook pages at Del Rio Parks Foundation, Del Rio Community Garden, and Del Rio Community Garden Volunteers. Article written by Dan Schreiber.

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