As the No Kid Hungry team reflects on Hispanic Heritage Month, we honor the incredible contributions Hispanic hunger heroes make to nourish their communities. We sat down with the Honorable Mayor Trey Mendez from Brownsville, Texas. He is a member of the Mayors Alliance to End Childhood Hunger, an initiative from No Kid Hungry to harness the individual and collective leadership of mayors to end childhood hunger in communities nationwide.
What inspired you to become a public servant for your community?
Prior to becoming mayor, I served nine years as a trustee at Texas Southmost College (“TSC”), one of the oldest community colleges in the state. My service at TSC helped build my skill set as a public servant and opened my eyes to the value and impact of the decisions that elected officials are responsible for.
I had the added comfort of knowing that we helped provide a valuable education to thousands of students in our community. Once the college had been placed on a stable foundation, I felt that I was the right person to become mayor for the city of Brownsville at one of the most critical moments in our history.
The city had been stagnant for some time but had almost limitless potential; it just needed a leader who would put the needs of their community above all else and steer the ship in the right direction. After a runoff, I won the election and became one of the youngest mayors that Brownsville has had. During my tenure, we have experienced record growth and economic development at the city despite numerous challenges. It has been a wonderful experience.
What are some of the most significant nutrition issues the city of Brownsville experiences? What are some of your achievements in this space?
With a large Hispanic population and an economic situation that ranks us as one of the poorest in the country, Brownsville has certainly seen its fair share of issues regarding nutrition, food insecurity and access to fresh and healthy options.
We have been fortunate to work with many great community partners that have assisted us throughout the past few years. Some of the notable contributors are the United Way, which held weekly drive through food distributions during the pandemic.
The Brownsville Wellness Coalition has been instrumental in promoting fresh food, community gardens and a weekly farmer’s market. Just recently, we broke ground on the Cannery Public Market, a formerly abandoned warehouse that will serve as the new home for our Farmer’s Market and will house a food bank where members of the community can access fresh fruits and vegetables. This was made possible thanks to the work and contributions of many wonderful entities, including Share our Strength (the organization behind No Kid Hungry). Without their monetary assistance and guidance, this project would not have happened.
As we celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, what makes you proud of the Hispanic community?
The Hispanic population in Brownsville is a very welcoming community that is bilingual, binational and bicultural. Border cities are unique in that we rely on each other to sustain our economies and many times, our residents have family and friends on both sides of the border. At a time when the border can be stigmatized, I believe life on the border should be celebrated.
To find out more about Mayor Mendez’s accomplishments and work, visit the City of Brownsville’s website here.
