La Salle rallies for awareness of homelessness, hunger

By Editor | November 20, 2024

“One in nine Americans struggles with hunger every day,” La Salle County Judge Leodoro Martinez III said Monday, November 18, signing a proclamation to dedicate the week to increasing awareness of what he described as a critical issue, nationally and locally.
“These are more than just statistics,” the judge said. These are human lives. These are our neighbors, our friends and our family.”
The dedication of the week before Thanksgiving as special to educating the public on crises of homelessness and hunger is poignant, according to Cotulla Woman’s Club representative and school district Trustee Louisa Franklin.
“When you think of small towns in America, you conjure up images of idyllic Hallmark-card communities, but that’s not necessarily so,” Franklin said. “You don’t think of families having to worry about putting food on the table.”
Homelessness and hunger, according to the county judge, remain foremost in the minds of those who work in volunteer services, advocacy groups, school, city and county governments, healthcare and shelter, food pantries, emergency response and law enforcement, and are based on several contributing factors. Economic instability, mental health, a lack of affordable housing, and the apparent absence of a social safety net, he said, are among the reasons many in cities and small towns face critical choices every day.

La Salle County community volunteers and advocates join the Cotulla Woman’s Club, County Judge Leodoro Martinez III, the La Salle County Sheriff’s Office, county government and school district representatives, emergency responders, food pantry organizers, the Wintergarden Women’s Shelter, churches, and the Cotulla Housing Authority this week in calling for support of a community-wide collaboration to combat homelessness and hunger. (CURRENT Photo: Marc Robertson)

“We should never have to choose between feeding our families or paying the rent,” Martinez said. “No one should go to bed hungry. This touches our society, often in ways we do not see, but our involvement makes a difference.“Let’s commit to raising our voices, because these are not just issues for someone else,” the judge said. “Every small act of kindness, every way we can contribute, makes a difference. We can build a world where everyone has access to resources that so many of us take for granted.”
County Attorney Elizabeth Martinez, also representing the Woman’s Club and advocacy groups, said she believes small communities have the strength to help those who are in need.
“Homelessness does exist in small communities, and the challenges are just as severe as in the city,” the county attorney said. “We can build collaborative networks between churches, schools, city and county, and acknowledge their unique strengths, and this in turn will strengthen the fabric of our close-knit communities.”
Franklin said she believes a recent meal and family gathering hosted by local volunteers may stand as an example of the rural community’s willingness to rally for the less fortunate. Food was served to scores of invited guests, she said, and children from infant to teen were provided with activities in which they were glad to take part.
“I was touched by something that we just thought of this summer,” Franklin said of the first community meal last week. “It teaches us that we can pay it forward this season. We can make a difference and come together to make something like this happen.”
Franklin and Atty. Martinez joined Judge Martinez in calling for community-wide support for the needy, and said donations can be made in many ways, including provisions for the local food pantries, and giving clothing, bedding, and even furniture to charitable collections.
“We must recognize that hunger and homelessness continue to be a serious problem in La Salle County,” the county judge said. “But we can come together to do something bigger, greater.”

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