$500,000 Grant Awarded to Nonprofit Buckner by The Valley Baptist Legacy

$500,000 Grant Awarded to Nonprofit Buckner by The Valley Baptist Legacy

The grant will support the renovation of the Buckner Family Hope Center ® in Peñitas to continue serving vulnerable children and families. 

MISSION, Texas (Sept. 30, 2026) – Nonprofit Buckner International was the recipient of a recent $500,000 grant from The Valley Baptist Legacy Foundation. The grant will be used for the renovation and expansion of The Buckner Family Hope Center® in Peñitas. The additional space will allow Buckner to expand available services, give collaborating agencies room to offer programming on-site, and serve more families in the area.

“For Buckner to have been awarded this grant says a lot about The Valley Baptist Legacy Foundation’s belief in what we’re doing,” said Criselda Cuevas, executive director of Buckner Rio Grande Valley. “We’re very thankful for their support.”

The Valley Baptist Legacy Foundation’s mission is to improve the health and well-being of all communities in the Rio Grande Valley by investing and serving as a catalyst for ideas, partnerships, medical education, research and programs. The foundation defines health as a state of complete physical, mental, spiritual and social well-being. They have collaborated with Buckner over the last 10 years, awarding $381,840 in grant funding to support its work.

 “We are proud to support Buckner’s efforts to expand access to services and opportunities for families in Peñitas and nearby colonias,” said Judy Quisenberry, executive director of The Valley Baptist Legacy Foundation. “These improvements will strengthen community connections and provide safe spaces that help children and families thrive.”

The Buckner Family Hope Center seeks to keep families together by providing them with critical services, aid and coaching to keep them strong and decrease the likelihood of abuse, neglect and removal of children. An integral service of nonprofit Buckner International, Family Hope Centers are child-centered, family-focused places where families go to find hope, support and empowerment in their community to reach their fullest God-given potential. 

Since its opening in 2011, it has provided families in Peñitas access to community events, after-school programs, summer programs, family coaching, counseling, and spiritual enrichment. It also offers free adult education classes such as English as a second language, parenting and life skills, vocational training, financial empowerment, and more. In 2025, it impacted over 3,000 lives. 

In 2023, Buckner opened a satellite Family Hope Center located in Donna, which has also been supported by The Valley Baptist Legacy Foundation.

“This gift will bring hope for the families that we serve,” said Monica Skrzypinski, director of corporate and foundation giving at Buckner International. “It’s creating a place where families can be welcomed, equipped, and reminded that there is a future full of hope for them.” 

For more information on The Buckner Family Hope Center, visit https://www.buckner.org/family-hope-centers/

About Buckner Rio Grande Valley:  

Buckner Rio Grande Valley, based in Mission, is a faith-based nonprofit ministry dedicated to transforming the lives of vulnerable children, families and senior adults. Buckner Rio Grande Valley is an extension of Buckner International, which was founded in 1879 in Texas and today serves people in the United States and internationally through a variety of programs designed to protect children, strengthen families, transform generations and serve seniors. These programs include foster care and adoption, family transition programs, community-based family preservation programs and retirement services for senior adults. Buckner also provides humanitarian aid and crisis relief to poverty-stricken children and families. For more information, visit www.buckner.org

About The Valley Baptist Legacy Foundation

Valley Baptist Legacy Foundation invests in and serves as a catalyst for ideas, partnerships, medical education, research, and programs that improve health and quality of life in the Rio Grande Valley. The Foundation defines health as a state of complete physical, mental, spiritual, and social well-being. Through grantmaking, scholarships, and strategic partnerships, the Foundation supports initiatives that expand access to healthcare, promote healthy living, and strengthen community well-being across Cameron, Hidalgo, Starr, and Willacy counties. For more information, visit VBLF.org.

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