Texas Border Business
By Roberto Hugo González / Texas Border Business
The Basilica of Our Lady of San Juan del Valle in San Juan, Texas, held its annual Sharing Basket Thanksgiving Food Distribution on November 25, 2025. The event, organized by Sister Norma Pimentel, brought together youth groups, families, Catholic schools, and volunteers from within and beyond the Rio Grande Valley to prepare and distribute Thanksgiving food supplies.
Volunteers began assembling food packages at 7:00 a.m. under the direction of Sister Norma. Participants arrived throughout the morning to assist with organizing donations, making bags, and loading vehicles. Many of the volunteers were part of parish groups or schools, while others arrived individually. Among them was a young man from Detroit, Michigan, who returned to the Valley specifically to volunteer for the event.
Select the gallery below to see more images from the event: All images by Noah Mangum González:
The program’s purpose was to provide Thanksgiving meals to families experiencing food insecurity. Parishes from four surrounding counties were invited to participate and receive food bags for distribution in their local communities. Each bag contained canned goods donated by Catholic schools, purchased food items funded through community contributions, a whole chicken, and assorted pantry staples.
Volunteer activities included setting up tents and distribution stations, sorting donated and purchased food, assembling bags, and coordinating the pickup process. Parishes arrived throughout the day to collect their allocated supplies. Distribution to families took place at parish locations, and recipients were not required to be Catholic.
Sister Norma described the event’s objective as providing food to families so they could celebrate Thanksgiving. She stated that the distribution was open to all community members through participating Catholic churches and noted the range of groups and individuals who contribute to the event each year.
The 2025 Sharing Basket Thanksgiving Distribution brought together volunteers from multiple counties and states to support families facing food insecurity. The event continued its longstanding role in supplying Thanksgiving meals and coordinating community participation across the region.
