About us
Who we are
Valerie Villegas was inspired to found The Robert Villlegas Foundation in honor of her late husband, Robert Villegas, who lost his battle against COVID-19 in January 2021. The COVID-19 crisis has devasted the world and Mrs. Villegas has developed a vision to keep her husband’s legacy alive. A vision to meet the needs of families and children that feel defeated by life.
Robert Villegas was a master martial artist who inspired many people in their community. He was the original professor who brought the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu discipline to the Corpus Christi /South Texas area. During his lifetime, Robert coached and mentored many at-risk youth in these martial arts disciplines to the core values of the foundation.
Valerie Villegas is a native of Robstown, Texas, which is near Corpus Christi. Valerie has been a registered nurse for the past 20 years, with expertise in pediatrics and hospice. Robert and Valerie have a blended family consisting of seven children that they have raised in Portland, Texas. The Villegas family members have participated in ALL types of the sports and spent a great deal of time traveling and competing in tournaments. Camping, sports, and outdoor activities have always been important to the Villegas family. Participating in these activities fuels Valerie’s desire to offer these opportunities to families who do not have access.
Valerie Villegas was inspired to found The Robert Villegas Foundation in honor of her late husband, Robert Villegas, during the SARS-CoV-2 global pandemic. Mr. Villegas succumbed to COVID-19 in 2021. The COVID-19 crisis has devastated the world and Mrs. Villegas has developed a vision to meet the needs of families and children. Robert Villegas was a master martial arts practitioner who inspired many people in their community. He was the original professor who brought the Jiu Jitsu and Taekwondo disciplines to the Corpus Christi/South Texas area. During his lifetime, Robert coached and mentored many at-risk youth in these martial arts disciplines to the core values of this foundation.
Valerie Villegas is a native of Portland, Texas, which is near Corpus Christi. Valerie has been a registered nurse for the past 20 years, with expertise in pediatrics and hospice. Robert and Valerie have a blended family consisting nine children. The Villegas family members participated in ALL of the sports and spent a great deal of time traveling and competing in tournaments. Camping, sports, and outdoor activities have always been important to the Villegas family. Participating in these activities fuels Valerie’s desire to offer these opportunities to families who do not have access.
Our approach
Our Mission
The Robert Villegas Foundation will meet the needs of the children and families impacted by unforeseen circumstances and remove the barriers to learn and experience the benefits of martial arts training and other sports to disadvantaged children nation wide.
Our Vision
The leaders of The Robert Villegas Foundations’ vision is to bring inspiration and support to disadvantaged children, spouses, and caregivers through the resources of our youth centers; helping them realize their full potential.
Our Core Values
The Focus on Physical Activity:
Physical activity releases endorphins and causes natural immune system responses to trauma. Keeping our children active and engaged is crucial. In the future, The Robert Villegas Foundation will provide sponsorships to keep our children active in martial arts both in home gyms and through our future RVF Youth Center, we will also host quarterly martial arts seminars and women’s self-defense classes.