Local author speaks on decades of work on the U.S.-Mexico border

Gil Gillenwater, the author of the book Hope on the Border, contributed decades of work on the U.S.-Mexico border with The Rancho Feliz Charitable Foundation. Gillenwater is the founder and president of the award-winning Rancho Feliz Charitable Foundation, which has reimagined border philanthropy since 1987. For nearly four decades, he has worked hands-on along the U.S.–Mexico border, building programs that empower communities through reciprocal giving and shared dignity.

He is a recipient of the Hon Kachina Award, Arizona’s highest honor for volunteerism, as well as the National Association of Realtors’ annual “Good Neighbor Award,” likewise honoring volunteerism. In 2021, he became the first non-Mexican to receive Sonora’s Premio a la Filantropía, as the individual philanthropic person of the year, recognizing his cross-border philanthropic work. He has also written a book called “Hope on the Border.”

Gillenwater joined “Arizona Horizon” to talk more on his book and his work experience throughout the years.