From 1958 to 1963, Herb was in charge of elementary schools for the US Air Force in Zaragoza, Spain, and in Madrid. Jackie gave birth to their fourth child while living in Madrid. 

For the next 16 years following their return from Spain, Herb directed the California Mini-Corps Program, an organization patterned after the Peace Corps. He recruited college students with rural migrant backgrounds to work as teacher assistants in migrant-impacted schools with the idea of their serving as role models. Jackie proudly remembered one of the young assistants, who later became an associate dean at a university, and added, “Herb loved all of their successes.” 

One evening in 1983, at a cocktail party in Chico, California, someone mentioned to Jackie that she had overheard Herb announcing that he was going to retire. “What?” was Jackie’s incredulous response. “At age 58?” Surprise that it was, the decision was made and Jackie adjusted. The Whites made plans to settle down in Chico, which over the years had become home. They loved their redwood barn, pool, and acreage, and to their delight many family members had followed them to that part of California.  

There was a problem, however. Smoke from the autumn burning of the stubbles in the rice fields aggravated Herb’s asthma, making that time of year miserable. “A cloud of smoke, no sun,” was Jackie’s description of the conditions. With “no planned progression,” they began going to Mexican beaches for December and January and to San Miguel for February and March. Free from the Chico air pollution, Herb was happier and healthier. They continued that lifestyle for ten years.  

In 1993, another decision was made, Jackie said with a big smile. She bought a lot on Suspiros in San Miguel and built a house. She said with a laugh that “Herb said I was crazy, and later he claimed it as his idea.” 

Throughout the years, the Whites had attended St. Paul’s Church and became friends with people who would end up being instrumental in Feed the Hungry. In 1983 or 1984, Jackie, an art major in college, came to know Bill Casselberry who painted with her in a local studio. 

Although Bill is often credited with starting Feed the Hungry, Jackie said it was his wife Martha who was the initiator. Jackie recalled Martha saying, “I don’t enjoy eating when I see, from my kitchen window, people going through the garbage.” From that emotion and observation, Martha made things happen. “It was really Martha, and she got Bill into action,” noted Jackie. 

As many of the early founders of Feed the Hungry have observed, San Miguel de Allende was different then. “San Miguel didn’t have many cars. It was much poorer than it is today. I often saw many hungry children on the street, slogging along, barely able to make it.” 

Something happened that touched Herb White deeply. One day, at a Feed the Hungry kitchen, he asked a little boy what he had for breakfast that morning, and the boy replied, “It wasn’t my turn to have breakfast.” According to Jackie, Herb never got over that. It increased his desire to help Feed the Hungry. After Alice Foster Minton left the directorship, Herb stepped in.  

Herb and Jackie both believed that in San Miguel you can pay back. “Elsewhere you give money and find out the CEO makes $250,000 a year. Here you can see where your puny volunteer labor can do a lot.” 

Herb served as president of Feed the Hungry San Miguel. Jackie has been president of the garden club, has a book club at her home, is on the Vestry of St. Paul’s, and delivers food once a week for Feed the Hungry. “I keep myself busy.” And with another laugh, “Obviously I’m too busy, because I overslept this morning and missed picking up the Feed the Hungry food to deliver to Centro Infantil San Pablo.” When I asked her exactly where the Centro Infantil was, she gave directions that even I can follow: “You take that road that goes around, turn at the buildings with all the frogs, go over four topes, and it’s on your right.”