"As we began the MIRA process, we wanted a number of different voices to come to the table. We recruited residents from church, school, work and homes. It was very exhilarating seeing many faces that for some time had not been part of any conversation involving the community. Our approach was to tap into the relationships people had with those that had been out of the loop for some time. This helped us get a good feel for what the real needs of Monte Alto residents are.

Throughout the training process many ideas developed and were proposed as lead projects. Some residents wanted to lead an initiative to sidewalk streets; others wanted more lighting in our neighborhoods and numbers on our homes since ambulances have a hard time locating our homes. These were all needs that concerned everyone but one topic area that everyone was for was education and youth activities. At the time our local school district had partnered with agencies to build a community center. School officials were open to having us partner with them.

Our conversations led us to be specific about our project. We wanted our youth to have a support system that would help them not only succeed in education but to feel proud and part of our community. Many residents felt that our youth had been distanced from the community and were looking to belong. In recent years, our schools have witnessed a high proportionate drop out rate. Our students attend K-8 at Monte Alto ISD; they then transfer over to Edcouch-Elsa High School many of who fall through the cracks. On the other hand, we have those like Blanca Rojas who has recently graduated from Brown University and have come back to our community and contribute. Our initiative is geared in providing a venue through which meaningful mentoring and capacity building occur, an initiative that would connect our community by building meaningful relationships.

Ownership of our project was an important element in our conversations. Though we valued the sincere invitation to house our project at the school community center, we recognized the limitations we would have. School policy would be priority. Our eyes shifted to an old abandoned building that was a haven for misdirected youth. It was a remnant of an old “boom and bust” economy that left our community unskilled and undereducated. Our vision was to transform something negative into something positive. The community team wanted to send a message to the entire community, “together we can create our own opportunities.”

The process of renovating the building was inspiring. Residents volunteered on Saturdays to clean up the place. Electrical work was done through the good hearts of volunteers from the community. Some of our youth learned skills from framing windows to electrical wiring.

The building has been transformed and is now a place for community and capacity building. A seminar was held with the help of the Llano Grande Center for Research and Development. The center brought together school officials and community members to discuss various possibilities for the future. A community newsletter has been published using software students and adults are now learning. The newsletter, in English and in Spanish, informs the entire community of activities at the center and developments around the community. The newsletter also profiles residents and includes local history articles. Youth serve as contributing editors and writers. A variety of skills such as photography and publishing are being built as we publish our newsletter.

Our initiative is not a project but a process. A project begins and ends. Our product is not only the end result but also the partnerships and philanthropy that are created and cultivated along the way. We could have focused on a very specific project that would end in a few months. Ours has continued and even launched other projects; more importantly, it has drawn the horizon of possibilities ever so closer."

----Raul Valdez, Monte Alto Team Member, 08/03/2000