Posts by Ashley Thornton
Staying Healthy, Eating Affordably: Cooking Matters
by Abby Loop Women at the Kate Ross Apartments in Waco now have the opportunity to join in the fight against hunger by learning and sharing cooking ideas through an innovative program called “Cooking Matters.” Cooking Matters is a part of the nationwide “No Kid Hungry” campaign to end childhood Hunger. In the program participants learn…
Read MoreLearning about former prisoners returning to the community
by Cameron Goodman Introduction to Recidivism The issue of recidivism is what brought me to Waco just six months ago as a Volunteer in Service to America (VISTA). When I told my family and friends about the impending move, I found that many had no idea what the term recidivism even meant, let alone why…
Read MoreHow Decisions in Washington Could Affect Housing in Waco, Part II – Homeless Assistance Grants
by Phil York, Act Locally Waco Housing and Homelessness Policy blogger In the Act Locally Waco blog post on May 18, we introduced information about a bill called The U.S. House of Representatives Fiscal Year 2015 Transportation Housing and Urban Development (THUD) bill (HR 4745). In this post, I would like to give you an…
Read MoreWaco Music and Fun: 26th Street!
When my 13-year-old son came home from school one day last year and told me he and some friends had formed a rock band, I was skeptical. We had tried violin lessons in third grade and guitar lessons a few years later — and bought all the equipment that goes with it. But it wasn’t…
Read MoreExploiting Our Citizens: Predatory Lending and its devastating effects on our Waco economy
by Ryn Farmer Each year, nearly 9 million dollars are drained from the Waco economy because of excessive fees charged by predatory lenders. Recently, a documentary came out called “Spent: Looking for Change.” It follows the lives of four different families who are struggling to get by and end up using payday loans and auto…
Read MoreDigesting a chewing out…
by Ashley Bean Thornton I got chewed out this week over something I wrote in an Act Locally Waco blog post. I don’t like being chewed out – who does? The chewing out wasn’t by someone who disagreed with me. In fact, I think my chewer-outer and I, when all is said and done, want the…
Read MoreA Response to Laura White’s Recent Post about Riding the Bus
By Erin Venable, Marketing Director, Waco Transit Thank you, Laura White, for your recent foray into Waco’s public transportation system! Your recent blog post helped shine some light on why a robust public transportation system is so very important for our community. You are correct in your conclusion that riding the bus can be time-consuming…
Read MoreVOICE is strengthening families and empowering young people…you need to know more about them!
by Cheryl Allen Resource Coordinator for VOICE I recently began working for VOICE (Viable Options in Community Endeavors), a nonprofit that serves sixteen counties, including McLennan and its neighbors. Before joining the staff, I was aware of VOICE’s existence, but not exactly what they did. Turns out, I was not alone in that lack of…
Read MoreSummer Reading Club is the Best!
By Ashley Bean Thornton, Act Locally Waco My mom was a librarian – or maybe she still is a librarian. She’s retired, but I’m not sure you ever really stop being a librarian. Because she was my school librarian for a while when I was in elementary school I enjoyed a great many advantages. For…
Read MoreRead, Waco, Read!
By James Karney, Director of the Waco-McLennan County Library The end of the school year is in sight. Summer is upon us: a time of lemonade, vacation trips, summer camps, and sleeping late. But for far too many children and teens, it’s also a time when they close up their books and do not read.…
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