SAN ANTONIO -- When Renee Garvens heard dozens of gift cards were being donated to the San Antonio Boys and Girls Club, it helped ease her mind.
- Magaly Chocano raising money for San Antonio businesses via T-shirt sales
- T-shirts display message: "In This Together"
“So many of our families are food insecure right now so to be able to go out, grab something to-go from a restaurant locally in their neighborhood and bring some food home to their families is something really incredibly wonderful for them,” said Garvens, chief development officer at the Boys and Girls Club.
The kind gesture from Sweb Development CEO Magaly Chocano — 70 gift cards to Panchitos Mexican restaurant — was sparked by tragedy when her tech company caught fire a month ago.
“And we lost the building and the San Antonio community totally rallied for us,” Chocano says.
Chocano is providing hope throughout this pandemic by selling a T-shirt with a powerful message: “In This Together.”
“We all came together, we designed a T-shirt, and pulled money so we could all buy a bulk of gift cards from one restaurant,” Chocano says. “And then those gift cards - [we] donate to people in need.”
She’s purchased $4,000 worth of gift cards from local businesses and distributed 320 cards to nonprofits and medical facilities across San Antonio.
The shirts are created locally by print shop Huarache Turbo, which was hit hard by COVID-19. When Chocano heard the small business was not currently operating, she called owner Cecilia Iñiguez.
“CiCi, I have this idea we are going to do this. Get me some T-shirts. And I was like, 'Yeah, yeah, whatever you want,” Iñiguez said in a FaceTime interview. “Because I really admire her and I know whatever she does, she just kind of gives you that kind energy that things are gonna go well.”
The feedback has been immense.
“If you look at my Facebook feed, everybody has their shirt on. We’ve sold in seven days, 400 T-shirts,” Chocano says.
Chocano needed help as the T-shirt sales increased daily and she got that helping hand from her 18-year-old daughter, Tatiana Sigg.
“It’s really awesome being able to see something she created in literally less than a week blow up,” Sigg says. “And see how much the San Antonio community has been able to help her out as well as themselves out.”
Her mother agreed.
“The most beautiful thing to see is the love, and kindness, generosity, and camaraderie that’s come out of this,” Chocano says. “It’s absolutely stunning.” .
For more information on "In This Together," click here.