A small gesture that will go a long way: The Back to School Fair in San Antonio

The Mexican American Unity Council (MAUC) is excited to bring the Back to School Fair to San Antonio, Texas. This fair will bring needed resources to our community as we kick off the 2022-2023 school year.

By Crystal Requejo*, COO of Programs and Development, UnidosUS Affiliate MAUC

Throughout the ongoing pandemic, our youth have demonstrated their resilience and their adaptability to new challenges, new forms of learning, and ever-changing health and safety protocols.

We are honored to partner with UnidosUS and Bank of America to bring school supplies, backpacks, and important information about the pandemic to our families in San Antonio.

SOMETHING NEW TO ESTRENAR

The Back to School Fair will give needed support to our families and encouragement to our youth as they prepare for the school year.

We at MAUC know the financial toll that preparing for the school year can take on families. From buying new clothes to buying school supplies, getting students ready for school can get very expensive very quickly. Parents want to treat their children with something new to estrenar—to show off on the first day of school—and the Back to School Fair will help them do that.

By relieving some of the cost of getting ready for school, the Back to School Fair will help students start the school year off right, with new supplies and backpacks in hand, putting some extra pep in their step as they walk into class for their first days of school.

BEYOND SCHOOL SUPPLIES

We have also partnered with Walmart Mobile and health agencies to provide families with COVID booster shots, testing kits, and important information about the pandemic.

We know that COVID is not going away soon, so we will prepare, educate, and equip families with the tools and information they need as they start the new school year.

ALL IN THIS TOGETHER

It truly takes a village: MAUC could not do the great work we do without the partnership of the Health Collaborative and so many others here in San Antonio.

MAUC’s mission is to empower communities through affordable housing, education, and economic opportunity. Together with our partners like UnidosUS, MAUC has developed the Back to School Fair to help our youth have a great and successful school year. It may seem like a small gesture, but it will go a long way for the community MAUC serves here in San Antonio.

*Crystal Requejo was born and raised in the Westside of San Antonio, TX. Her desire to serve her community has led her to continue her passion at the Mexican American Unity Council (MAUC). Crystal has been with MAUC for 16 years, and she currently serves as the Chief Operating Officer, overseeing all programs and operations at MAUC and its three affordable housing properties. She holds multiple certifications that help reduce social determinants of health in the community. In addition, she is certified as a Financial Counselor for National Housing and Network Learning Alliance (NHNLA) and a Texas Community Health Worker. In November 2018, Crystal completed the National Association of Latinos Community Asset Builders (NALCB) Pete Gallegos Fellowship and received her Non-Profit management certification from the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA). She attended the University of Texas at San Antonio majoring in psychology with a minor in Spanish. Crystal is married and the proud mother of twin girls Emily and Eliana.