Educate, Engage & Empower Families for the Future.
To empower low-income families to be healthy and self-sufficient community members through educational programs, family activities, and preventative health services.
Educational Programs, Family Activities, Preventative Health Services, & Advocacy.
Can you believe that we are approaching the end of 2022? As we close in on the last month of a lessonlearned year, I ask you to reflect on the year and celebrate the positive things you accomplished despite the odds. I’m so thankful for the support I received during my transition of development in leadership to lead an organization that the community trusts. As we approach our 20th anniversary, we would like to thank everyone who has been part of our journey and continue to believe in our mission.
On behalf of the PJD family, we look forward to serving the community in 2023 and beyond. In the true spirit of Christmas, let us reach out to the less fortunate and remember the reason for the season. Have a Merry Christmas and a Prosperous New Year.
Sincerely, Lidiana Ramirez
Meet Yesenia Ramirez, a PJD volunteer since July! She first learned about Proyecto Juan Diego from one of our staff members and instantly fell in love with the cause. Yesenia chose to volunteer with us in her spare time but also wanted to be more involved, so she became an active member of the Integrated Family program!
"Estoy muy contenta y agradecida de ser voluntaria aqui en PJD. Me gusta mucho cuando los participants se van contentos porque logran sus objetivos, es bonito de alguna manera ser parte de la meta de cada una de esas personas y en mi persona eso me hace sentir contenta porque nunca imagine que ser parte de una asociación que ayuda a la comunidad. Muchas gracias a PJD por esta oportunidad!"
(I am very happy and grateful to be a volunteer here at PJD. I like it when the participants leave happy because they achieve their goals. It is nice to be part of the goal of each one of those people, and for me that makes me feel happy because I never imagined that I would be part of an association that helps the community. Thank you very much to PJD for this opportunity!)
"I first learned about Proyecto Juan Diego in 2012 when our CPA firm began assisting PJD with monthly bookkeeping and payroll reporting. After a couple of years, PJD became self-sufficient in those areas and therefore we ceased to assist them
At the end of 2015 Sister Phyllis called to inform us that they had a vacancy on the board for somebody, preferably someone with financial or accounting skills. My partner Moises Gomez had been assisting Proyecto Juan Diego, but he was already committed to several other non-profits, so he gladly volunteered me and I was accepted. February of 2016 was my first board meeting as a member.
Proyecto Juan Diego is an organization that is truly helping our community of Brownsville, TX, and Cameron Park All the people involved in the development and crystallization of this idea represent an inspiring and motivating group that helps us continue with its evolution. God works in mysterious ways, I volunteered for board membership, but I have found being on the board of PJD to be one of my life’s true joys. I am honored and humbled to be part of PJD."
Our adults over at our P.E.S.A.S. group have been hitting those sets every class! They might have a few years than some of us, but they sure have the energy to go through a whole hour of low-impact exercises. This type of exercise helps them stay independent and prevent many health problems that come with age.
The ladies at the group exercise program have been working hard as well! Did you know we have a variety of exercises? If Zumba isn't for you, try weights, step, bar, or mat fitness.
Bring your bottle of water and join us at 8 a.m. Mon-Fri or 5:30 p.m. Mon-Thur. Enrollment is open all year!
GLB offers individuals the information, motivation, and resources they need to achieve their healthy aspirations. Currently, we have three active groups, two of which are at PJD and one at Rio Grande State Center (RGSC) in Harlingen, with an average of 20 members each.
Verenise Cavazares, the GLB instructor, has found that the interesting part of this program is that participants understand they are not alone in their battle; they discover others are struggling with the same challenge, and knowing this, allows them to relate, connect, and inspire one another on their journey. Participants have expressed how, in contrast to other settings, they see real outcomes with the GLB classes.
Below are some pictures from GLB class, learning about nutrition and its portions!
A new initiative to encourage more male engagement at Proyecto Juan Diego
From the name, all the way to the curriculum development, the intention was to create a space to welcome male participation and involvement in community services and events. Sergio Quiroz, Master Level Social Work intern, conducted the psychoeducational group for six weeks, addressing subjects such as stress management, conflict resolution, leadership, communication, and personal growth. The initiative's long-term goal is to develop programs and activities that involve more male participants, impact the family system, and increase community engagement
The picture above shows our proud first generation of Compadres!
When it comes to new things at PJD, our Open Closet event was a tremendous hit! Our first event was in July, but because it had such a positive influence on the community and people requested more, we decided to organize a follow-up event!
Parents received 20 tickets each for 20 pieces of clothing, home decor, or household items (donated by PJD staff) while children received 3 tickets each for 3 different toys This way, the kids were able to be part of the event and get something to take home as well!
This effort helped around 107 households, including grandparents, single mothers, and a total of 117 children. It also resulted in people becoming more aware of PJD and wishing to contribute by donating clothes for the events or in general.
Do you remember your favorite childhood toy?
Our annual toy drive involves encouraging parents to select a toy for each of their children, which is then wrapped and given as a lovely surprise to them on Christmas Eve.
Because of the generosity and kindness of all the companies, PJD participants, and volunteers that participated in this event, we gathered a large number of toys and impacted over 300 children, which included San Benito's children at the Wellness & Giving community event, each of whom now has a favorite toy they will remember forever.
Thank you for making a difference in people's lives st
If there's something we can't say no to, is activities for our after-school tutorial kids.
"We have returned to face-to-face tutoring, and it's great to see the kids come in and learn from one another. This year featured lots of new enrichment events, such as the community Book Fair, where over 200 children received books and school supplies Generation WE offered youth with the opportunity to engage with grandparents and share their stories. Our first Picture with Santa was a fantastic success, bringing parents and children to tears as they met Santa. I'm looking forward to what new adventures 2023 will bring to PJD."
m Coordinator
Higher education is difficult for anyone, especially those whose school years were long ago. Because of the pandemic, the Spanish GED program started as virtual but has slowly tra
During summer, we were delighted to host a hybrid graduation ceremony, celebrating 7 excellent students who completed the program and received their GED diploma despite the obstacles.
We registered more than 100 people for the GED program in 2022, and we will support each one of them as they pursue success in better opportunities.
On another note, we're happy to celebrate the first year of our strong partnership with BISDACE (Adult Continuing Education). This collaboration focuses on offering free English Second Language (ESL) classes to the community, which has turned into a vital resource because this is a greatly needed service. It is never too late to achieve success!
Over 240 of our citizenship participants were naturalized after taking our citizenship classes to be best prepared for their interviews. There are still 140 people in the citizenship program who will become citizens of the United States in 2023 Above are a few photos of this year's citizens!
If you're interested in this program, click here to find out more information.
As a result of our annual GOVT campaign, we registered over 150 new voters and impacted over 15,000 registered voters by canvassing precincts 7, 17, and 74. In addition, besides doing countdowns and shoutouts to early voters on our social media, we distributed flyers at local stores in the communities and drove around 6 neighborhoods with speakers to remind them about election day. Below are some pictures of staff and community members exercising their right to vote!
We had our awesome 8th Annual Business & Leadership Conference with the topic Health is Wealth. There were new and old faces, but overall happy smiles. Thank you very much to our speakers, Alexandra Anzaldua, Dr. Edward Dramberger, and Kelly Tipton for sharing insightful information about living a healthier lifestyle. Huge shoutout to our Platinum Sponsor, WellMed, and other sponsors for supporting this event. Until next time!
Sisters On the Run is a peer-to-peer fundraising effort that encourages community partners and friends to actively exercise in a race. Participants can walk, run, bike, or even skate whatever distance they choose so their friends and family can see and support their effort towards Proyecto Juan Diego. This event brings awareness and funds to continue our mission of educating, empowering, and engaging low-income families in the community.
Support this fundraiser