KRGV.com

PORT ISABEL - The former principal of Garriga Elementary in Port Isabel knows first-hand the power of Teach The Children. The charity helps needy school children all over the Rio Grande Valley get school supplies.

Nancy Gonzalez left the school after 16 years as principal, but she said the impact the program had left a lasting impression.

"Underprivileged families, they wouldn't have the supplies. They wouldn't have the clothes. And thank God, we had Teach The Children with the vouchers and the school supplies at that time," said the former principal.

She told us people in the Valley have a misconception of the Laguna Madre area. She says most people think it's a rich area, because of its proximity to South Padre Island. Gonzalez said it's the exact opposite.

Ninety percent of the children going to school are consider poor by national standards.
Gonzalez said she's seen the way Teach The Children has changed lives.

"They feel real bad, because the students around them have the supplies. Once we give them the supplies, they feel right at home. They feel comfortable; they're happier. They'll come to school. They have the new clothes to wear, the new shoes to wear. Their self-esteem is raised. Their attendance gets better," she explained.

Gonzalez said providing children the tools to succeed is the best thing we can do for them.