Imelda Rocha is the Facilitator for the Fort Worth Comadres, with former facilitators Rebecca Castro (14 years) and Mona Chavez (10 years) providing support.
The Fort Worth Comadres Network is 14 years old. They meet once a month, usually on the third Saturday of the month from 10 to 11:30am. They meet at a Comadre’s home, or a public place with a private room. During this past year, they have met at the Botanical garden, museum of art, boat ride to an island in a lake, public library, restaurant, and many other interesting places.
“Comadrazos are fun no matter the place!,” says Imelda. And, she’s right. Texas is big and Fort Worth Comadres can drive up to 40 miles one way to attend a Comadrazo. Now, that’s dedication!
Their facilitator for the past 11 years has been Viviana “Vivi” Aureille, but the group is 16 years old. They get together once a month, usually on Saturdays.
Their Comadrazos are exclusively in Spanish, and they’ve brought people together to form smaller groups for all sorts of fun activities. From traveling together, catching a movie, discovering new restaurants, and celebrating weddings to hiking and paddleboarding—there’s always something exciting happening!
The Tennessee Comadres were visible at this year’s Worldwide Comadrazo & 25th Anniversary Celebration in Austin, Texas. Their group leader Vivi was a finalist for 2025 Nora Award – Comadre of the Year. She didn’t win but she’s always a winner to her group.
Join Las Comadres Para Las Americas in celebrating its Members’ Accomplishments and Book News for August.
Vector illustration of a woman winning a race. One of a series
ACCOMPLISHMENTS (in English and/or Spanish)
Sally Acevedo (Austin, TX) – Su nuevo blog; “Creer Sin Dogmas” es un espacio para explorar la espiritualidad sin ataduras, a través de reflexiones profundas, mitos e historia. Descúbrelo aquí: https://open.substack.com/pub/sallyear Sally tiene certificación en Inteligencia Artificial. Plataformas ChatGPT, Gemini, Grok y otras Plataformas de generación de contenido y lenguaje.
Sandra Dominguez (El Paso, TX) – Congratulate Sandra on her New Job as Clinical Education Coordinator at The Hospitals of Providence.
Mirta Rinaldi (Queens, NY) – On April 2025, Mirta got a Diplomatura Universitaria en Sommelier de Yerba Mate from Escuela Argentina de Té. Yerba mate is the national drink of Argentina, and she’s very proud of this achievement. Now, a “matear” con Mirta!!!
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COMADRE AUTHORS
Congratulations to our COMADRE AUTHORS on their latest publications.
Maritere Bellas (Los Angeles, CA) – Her bilingual children’s picture book, TIO RICKY DOESN”T SPEAK ENGLISH/ TIO RICKY NO HABLA INGLES, will be released in October by Lil’Libros.
Karen Gonzales (Denver, CO) – RAMAS Y RAICES: THE BEST OF CALMA was honored as an Anthology Finalist at the 2025 Colorado Book Awards on July 26, 2025, celebrating Colorado’s best literature published in 2024. It will be the Conversations With Book selection of the Las Comadres & Friends Book Club in September, 2025. Karen is co-founder of CALMA and one of her stories appears in the anthology.
Mireya Perez-Bustillo (Brooklyn, NY) – Three of Mireya’s poems were accepted for publication in Voices-online journal of Li2program at G-Center CUNY.
Nimia Ramos Beauchamp (San Juan, PR) – She self-published a AYurPermaVerse Coloring Book series for middle grade children, which has proven very popular.
Gabriela Rives (San Antonio, TX) – Her book, I CHOSE YOU, was just released by Editorial Portable. This is a Self-Help/ Motivational book, and also available in Spanish – YO TE ELEGI.
Lourdes Ruan (Lewisville, TX) – Her book, PAIN, MASTER OF LIFE, is full of autobiographic anecdotes. It is available in Spanish as well, DOLOR, MAESTRO DE VIDA. Dr. Lisette Sanchez (Long Beach, CA) – Her article, “Why Being ‘The Strong One’ Is a Form of Self-Sabotage,” was published in Oprah Daily! On July 21st. Here is the link: https://www.oprahdaily.com/life/health/a65417974/real-strength-rest-healing/
Congratulations to all !
Disclaimer: This list is for promotional purposes only and not intended as an endorsement of any kind.
Gloria Chavez Casas is the Facilitator for MidValley Comadres and has been since 2000 when the original facilitator Cristina Balli moved to San Antonio and asked her to take over.
The MidValley Comadres have met every month since 2000— that’s 25 years! They meet on the third Thursday of each month. Usually one of the Comadres hosts, if not Gloria’s house is always open to her Comadres. They meet every September 16 in celebration of Mexican Independence Day at South Padre Island and invite other Comadres from the Valley. They eat at a restaurant (Dutch), take lots of pictures and dress in their Mexican attire. Everyone looks forward to this day.
Also, in the summer they meet in a popular restaurant in Weslaco. They invite Comadres and friends for supper (Dutch) and listen or dance to Mariachi’s present. This gives them a chance to meet new Comadres and other Comadres from the Valley.
This past year, they added going to movies as a group and visiting cultural places and/or places of interest. They attend Harlingen Mayor’s monthly meeting and Coffee held in the community. They always wear their Comadres shirts and always get recognized. (Gloria orders the t-shirts with her money and then sells them to members. Not as a fundraiser or money maker.)
Gloria has kept a sign-on-book for years with names and phone numbers. Therefore, she can always keep in touch. She encourages other city networks and friends to form a Comadres network group. She places pictures and meeting announcements on Facebook every month to inform the community of their activities and actions. *
