Tagged News

• Annual Sharing Basket Raised Canned Goods for Valley Families

  November 26, 2019 7:03 PM

  SAN JUAN – The annual Sharing Basket event wrapped up on Tuesday. CHANNEL 5 NEWS, Catholic Charities and Peter Piper Pizza got together once again to help the less fortunate here in the Rio Grande Valley. Truck loads of donated food pulled into the Catholic Charities parking lot on... more »

• Sharing Basket: Fight Against Hunger for Valley Children Living in Poverty Play Video

  November 25, 2019 5:03 PM

  SAN JUAN – The room is quiet Monday, but that won’t be the case Tuesday at the San Juan Basilica Auditorium. The middle of the room will transform with a huge pile of canned goods, which will be used for the Catholic Charities Sharing Basket. Organization case workers... more »

• More Than 30 Year Partnership Feeding Holiday Meals to Low-Income Valley Families Play Video

  November 20, 2019 7:31 PM

  SAN JUAN – It’s an event to help feed families in-need for more than 30 years. Last year, the Sharing Basket fed more than 5,000 families across the Rio Grande Valley. Thousands of families will have a Thanksgiving meals thanks to hundreds of Valley volunteers. This wasn’t always... more »

• Catholic Charities Opens Migrant Shelter to Valley Community amid Cold Weather Play Video

  November 12, 2019 10:24 PM

  MCALLEN – A McAllen shelter run by Catholic Charities is open to everyone, not just migrants. Catholic Charities made the decision to open their doors to the public in part because of the drop in temperature. Sister Norma Pimentel says it’s not just for homeless, but also for... more »

• Despite Low Numbers McAllen Respite Center to Continue Aiding Immigrants at Bridges Play Video

  October 16, 2019 8:12 PM

  MCALLEN – The whole idea behind opening a new respite center in Downtown McAllen was to deal with the large number of migrants. The location, the space, the equipment, all selected over months to handle the influx along the border. Now, the number of volunteers is about the... more »

• McAllen Waits for Immigration Reimbursement as Charities Get Approval Play Video

  October 14, 2019 9:30 PM

  MCALLEN – Reimbursement checks are heading to the Rio Grande Valley as payback for helping during the immigration crisis earlier this year. A charity is already making plans for the more than a half million dollar refund. Last year, Catholic Charities racked up $601,000 in expenses for housing... more »

• Migrant Care Reimbursement Granted to 3 Valley Charities Play Video

  October 11, 2019 2:51 PM

  WESLACO – Humanitarian aid reimbursements for three Rio Grande Valley entities, the payback for migrant care. More than $712,000 is going back in the pockets of Catholic Charities, The Salvation Army and United Way of South Texas. The city of McAllen is not listed, but city officials did... more »

• McAllen Makes Upgrades to Building to be Used as Respite Center

  May 31, 2019 5:19 PM

  MCALLEN – The city of McAllen is working on improvements to the building that will temporarily be used by the respite center. The city selected an old store front on South 15 th Street to house immigrants; it’s about a half block from the bus station. Upgrades to... more »

• McAllen Warns about Fake Donation Page for Respite Center Play Video

  May 10, 2019 11:46 AM

  MCALLEN – The city of McAllen issued out a warning to the public of a fake page seeking donations for the respite center. The city says the GoFundMe page titled “Permanent Home for Immigrant Respite Center” is false. According to the page, it was set up by McAllen... more »

• Respite Center Relocation Sparks Concerns within Community Play Video

  April 23, 2019 6:31 PM

  MCALLEN – As the city of McAllen prepares to relocate an immigrant respite center, those nearby are voicing their concerns. The city worked with Catholic Charities to select and approve a new spot near the McAllen Bus Station – they believe this spot will work better. The owner... more »

• Acting DHS Secretary to ‘Work with’ Respite Center Play Video

  April 17, 2019 5:07 PM

  MCALLEN – Before touring the border, Acting Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kevin McAleenan made a stop at the Catholic Charities Respite Center in McAllen. McAleenan met with Sister Norma Pimentel, the executive director at the center, and Bishop Daniel Flores. Flores says McAleenan’s tour is important; it... more »

• DHS Acting Secretary in Valley to Address Immigrant Support Play Video

  April 16, 2019 4:55 PM

  WESLACO – The Acting Secretary for the Department of Homeland Security, Kevin McAleenan, is in the Rio Grande Valley. He will meet with representatives of Catholic Charities, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Immigration and Customs Enforcement. He’s expected to address efforts to aid immigrant families in a... more »

• Zoning Compliance Issues at the Respite Center Play Video

  April 4, 2019 6:16 PM

  MCALLEN – Zoning compliance continues to be a problem for the Catholic Charities Respite Center in McAllen. The center houses as many as a thousand immigrants at its recent peak. Zoning rules including risk of fire and controlling the spread of illness apply to all buildings, including respite... more »

• Harlingen Church Preparing to Take in Migrants Released from Federal Custody Play Video

  March 29, 2019 5:55 PM

  HARLINGEN – More bed space is becoming available for migrants released from federal custody. Volunteers at Queen of Peace Catholic Church in Harlingen are preparing to take people in. The church is preparing to take in anywhere from 50 to 80 people per night. The church opened... more »

• CBP Processing Impacted with Recent Surge of Migrants Play Video

  March 22, 2019 6:58 PM

  WESLACO – Thousands of immigrants seeking asylum continue passing through the Rio Grande Valley's border; but this week was different. Hundreds were released daily to local shelters with a scheduled immigration court date. In collaboration with The Monitor, CHANNEL 5 NEWS surveyed 100 immigrants to learn what may... more »

• Deputy Gives Insight on Busiest Border Areas Patrolled Play Video

  March 21, 2019 5:43 PM

  MISSION – The number of migrants are increasing at Catholic Charities and detention centers in the Rio Grande Valley. CHANNEL 5 NEWS spent an evening with local authorities to patrol one of the busiest areas along the border. Just a handful of Border Patrol agents, organized underneath the... more »

• Neighbors Close to Center Housing Immigrants Concerned for Their Safety Play Video

  March 21, 2019 5:31 PM

  WESLACO - Some neighbors close to one of the churches housing immigrants say they are concerned for their safety. Evelyn Langford, 90, lives close to the Church of the Nazarene, one of the centers helping to meet the high demand of migrants seeking shelter. Langford says she is... more »

• Respite Centers Struggling to Meet High Demand of Migrants Play Video

  March 20, 2019 10:32 PM

  MCALLEN - Staff at the Salvation Army says they are struggling to meet the high demand of migrants seeking shelter. The city of McAllen asked the Salvation Army if they could shelter 200 asylum seekers from the streets. Captain Stephen Correira from the Salvation Army says this is... more »

• Salvation Army to Help Migrant Families Released from Gov't Custody Play Video

  March 20, 2019 5:05 PM

  MCALLEN - The Salvation Army says they’re opening their facilities to unprecedented amount of immigrants released from government custody. Captain Steven Correira, from the Salvation Army, says they accepted a request Tuesday to help from the Catholic Charities respite center in McAllen. Government buses continue to drop off... more »

• Surge of Migrant Families Released from Processing Centers Play Video

  March 20, 2019 12:00 PM

  UPDATE (4:15p.m.): Immigrants continue to be released and sent to the McAllen bus station. A U.S. Customs and Border Protection official says they are releasing more migrants because of the increase in apprehensions. The agency says the processing centers do not have enough space for the people... more »

• Immigrants Released by Gov't due to Maximum Capacity at Detention Centers Play Video

  March 19, 2019 9:29 PM

  MCALLEN – A local respite center is seeing an increase in immigrants released by the federal government. Catholic Charities Respite Center says they've seen nearly 2,000 in just two days. Sister Norma Pimentel says Border Patrol notified her that processing centers are at capacity. “They needed to... more »

• Salvation Army to Help Respite Center in McAllen Play Video

  February 15, 2019 10:13 PM

  MCALLEN – The McAllen respite center will be relocating in three months, but another agency is reportedly stepping up to help. McAllen City Commissioners denied Catholic Charities' one year permit to remain in the same location on Monday evening. Hundreds of migrant families pass through Catholic Charities every... more »

• Humanitarian Efforts Underway for Migrant Caravan Play Video

  February 7, 2019 5:10 PM

  EAGLE PASS – Humanitarian efforts are underway for the migrant caravan near Eagle Pass. Across the International Bridge in Eagle Pass, nearly 2,000 people are waiting in hopes to seek asylum. Ben De La Garza with the Diocese of Laredo says these migrants are traveling through Mexico with... more »

• Local Shelters Struggle to Assist Migrants with Current Budget Play Video

  December 31, 2018 6:10 PM

  MCALLEN – The New Year holds uncertainty for shelters helping migrants in the Rio Grande Valley. Greater crowds of newly released migrants have not been met with greater budgets. A surge in families and unaccompanied children in the U.S. illegally has exceeded the numbers of 2014. Valley... more »

• Donations, Messages Being Sent to Families in Valley Migrant Shelters Play Video

  September 21, 2018 6:49 PM

  WESLACO – Donations and messages from across the country continue to pour in for support of church-run migrant shelters in the Rio Grande Valley. As usual, a number of people and families seeking asylum make a stop in McAllen before they head north. Mike Blum with the Jewish Temple Emanuel’s... more »