On Thursday, November 20, volunteers from Winter Ranch RV Resort prepared food to provide the Veterans on Friday, November 21. The food was delivered to the Weslaco Veterans Peer Center and then served to the Veterans and their families.

Approximately 50 Veterans, spouses, and children were served a ham dinner with all of the fixings. They were all very appreciative. The remaining leftovers were placed in the refrigerator for additional meals to be eaten later by visitors to the peer center.

The meals were made possible by the generous donations of the Winter Ranch residents which were a little over $600. After Bob Coakley paid for the food, $352 remained. The remaining funds were used to purchase gift cards for the Veterans and given to Anthony Beltran, Peer Center Coordinator. This was in addition to just over $250 of gift cards that were presented at the dinner.

Coakley wants to give a huge thanks to all of those that donated toward the Weslaco Veterans holiday meal. This is the first time the park has donated to the peer center. Coakley said Beltran is a resident at the park. After finding out about the need due to a shortfall in funding, the park decided to step in and help.

“We feel he is part of our family and wanted to help,” said Coakley.

Beltran said donations like this are always appreciated. The homeless Veterans and common Veteran clients are always grateful.

“They express gratitude easily,” said Beltran. Donations help alleviate the burden of the food pantry when the food bank runs dry and provide hygiene items for homeless Veterans to take with them on their travels.

“There is a sound applause of ovations for these kinds of community gestures,” said Beltran about what the Winter Ranch residents did for the center. “So many smiling faces and shared camaraderie are visible when these meals and luncheons are provided. There is a positive mental health aspect in social facilitation that is supported by having such meals take place and this mental health boost is very much needed for Veterans that can be reintegrated and given the opportunity to create conversations that give them insight and encouragement to apply for programs that they may, otherwise, avoid without guidance or information.”

The donations, both by sustenance and that which is monetary, he added, are both highly effective in providing additional center inventory stock and group motivation to break bread together as it should be. While state grants and facility budgets may be tight, donations help compensate for supply that may not readily be available or simply don’t exist. For this reason, the centers and staff within are always humble and reciprocate kindness and goodwill to those that can provide toward our service members, Veterans, and their families (SMVF).

Beltran said he is happy to provide a tour of the Veteran Center for any interested parties that would like to refer SMVF to them or would like to take advantage of services for themselves. You can reach his office by calling (956) 520-8967, or (956) 520-8860, or by emailing him at anbeltran@ttbh.org.

About the Veteran Peer Center

The Tropical Veterans Peers Centers in Weslaco, Harlingen, and Brownsville are facilities that offer several service amenities including showers, a computer lab, kitchen and food pantry, a laundry room with washer and dryer, a common area for service members, Veterans and military family members.

At the facility they can watch tv, study, or socialize with other military peers. There is also a mental health objective of providing professional and peer counseling for individual therapy and group activities. Several suicide prevention trainings are scheduled every month, including a calendar that reflects scheduled holiday luncheons, craft activities, and several donation drives for the homeless Veterans as well as for military brats and families in need.

These services are paid for by Tropical and the Texas Veterans Commission. If they do not have what the Veteran needs, they will act as a referral system to ensure they can send the Veteran and his family into the community where they may find the benefit or resource they want to receive.