by Dawn Wible

•  A friend blankly stares across the table while you check your texts.  As she anxiously awaits an answer, you have no idea what she just said.
• Your four year old is describing his new friend at school, but you are busy scrolling through the newsfeed and missing the whole story.
• Vegging on the couch was the agenda for the night but instead you are responding to a work email at 11:15pm, because really, what are “work hours” these days anyway?

We have all found ourselves in these situations, myself included. It truly is a sign of the times.

The two questions I ask myself are: “Why am I choosing to put my relationships on the back burner?” and “When and where is the best time to be on my device?” I believe we do not even realize we are making these small and influential choices.  Statistics and studies are actually showing a change in our brain function due to technology addiction. Many neurologists and psychologists are pointing to our dependence on technology as the root of many mental, physical, emotional, spiritual, social and relational issues. These issues range from poor academic or job performance, to job loss, lack of social connectedness, sleep disorders, divorce and in some cases even death.

There’s a crucial conversation happening in our culture concerning the problem of tech addiction, and my family and I want to be a part of the solution! This idea has become so important to the mental health of my family that we started a local movement: Talk more. Tech less.

Talk More Tech Less is for myself, and essentially anyone who uses technology in this tech heavy culture. This is not an anti-technology movement; it is a pro-relationship movement. I’m a mom of three BOYS and technology is very much a part of my family’s life. But, we struggle with the overuse and addiction that causes tantrums, irritability, ignoring, zoning out…you get the picture.  Like most of you, my phone is my home and work computer in hand.  It helps me to be efficient – way more efficient than I would be without my device.  It is valuable, but it also distracts me from the life going on right in front of me.  I realized a few years back that I needed to shift my perspective and priorities.  I saw it not only in my own life, but in society as well. We can get lots of information, facts and communication from our phones, but what we’re missing is the emotion, the conversation, and the connection that should come with communication.

Talk More Tech Less was birthed from mentoring and spending time with teenagers. My husband, Matt, runs a Waco based organization called Field Guides that mentors young men through outdoor activities. We have seen first- hand the benefits of getting young men away from all the distraction and overuse of technology, video games, smart-phones and computers and getting them outside!  As the CRC Health Group says, “There is a strong body of research confirming that direct contact with nature increases mental health and psychological and spiritual development. Benefits include stress reduction, a sense of coherence and belonging, improved self-confidence and self-discipline, and a broader sense of community.”

At Field Guides summer camps we have participants take one-week breaks from their phones.  Working with these guys year after year our eyes have been opened to some true dependency issues involving technology.  We have also been privileged to see the breakthroughs that happened as they embraced this process. With those experiences as background I began researching tech dependency and addiction stats and saw the great need in this culture for balance and freedom.

Last summer we had the campers construct boxes for their phones.  We encouraged them to take the boxes home and use them with their families.  The idea is that family members place their phones in these “Detox Boxes” during meal times and other important moments during the day and night.

Our own family’s experience with technology balance, my research into this subject, and the success of this “detox box” idea convinced me that other people could benefit from a structured way to explore and reduce dependency on technology.  That led me to create the Talk More Tech Less 30 Day Experience.  The 30 day experience is designed to strengthen relationships and create awareness about the overuse of technology. It is a guide to empower individuals, families, and groups to find balance, leading to greater connection.  I hope it will help those who use it gain control of this growing concern in our culture and world.

The 30 Day Experience includes a custom made “Detox Box”, 30 daily note cards, a journal and a decal. The box is created to place our devices in during strategic times throughout the day.  They are locally crafted here in the 254, by Sticker Universe and Hole in the Roof Marketing.  The daily note cards are a true journey to healthy technology usage. Each card takes approximately 90 seconds per day, so as not to take up time, but to give it back. Those involved are actually surprised at how much time they have on their hands during the 30 days.

Research shows negative effects from the lack of face-to-face, eye contact, physical, spiritual and emotional contact. In the 30 Day Experience we pool all that information and combine it with practical ways to deal with and replace this dependency issue. Talk More Tech Less is designed to bring conversation and connection back to our culture. We’d love you to be a part of this movement! For more information please visit us at www.talkmoretechless.com

Dawn Wible is the creator of Talk More. Tech Less.  She is a Waco resident and graduate of Baylor University. Her husband, Matt founded and runs an outdoor ministry, Heart of Texas Field Guides, that mentors young men through outdoor activity. Together they raise 3 amazing boys, Levi, Jude and Ty. Dawn finds life in deep connection with family and friends, volunteering, kayaking, cooking, jogging and she loves a good party.

The Act Locally Waco blog publishes posts with a connection to these aspirations for Waco. If you are interested in writing for the Act Locally Waco Blog, please email [email protected] for more information.

By Cecelia Rodriguez

Do you have an older friend, or perhaps a friend with a disability, who is on a limited income? Booth Garden Apartments might be the perfect home for him or her. We are proud of the environment we have created here at Booth Gardens, and we would like to make sure that those who might need a place like Booth know that it is here for them.

The Booth Garden Apartments are an independent housing community owned and managed by the Salvation Army. We provide safe and comfortable living conditions at affordable costs for seniors, and those with federally defined disabilities, who have limited incomes. At Booth Garden Apartments, residents can live in an atmosphere of love, acceptance and encouragement.

The Booth Gardens Apartments are one-connected building, but they are actually two separate projects: William Booth (which faces N. 19th) and Catherine Booth Garden Apartments (which faces Stewart Dr.). William Booth was first opened for occupancy in 1983 and Catherine Booth was later opened for occupancy in 1997.

The buildings are four stories high, and together contain 196 one bedroom apartments. The apartments include added amenities especially designed to benefit our two target audiences: persons 62 years of age or older, and persons 18 or older who have a federally defined disability. William Booth is for those who are 62 years of age or older and also for those that are at least 18 years of age with a federally defined disability. Catherine Booth is just for senior citizens, 62 years of age or older.

We contract with HUD (U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development) which provides subsidized rent for our residents. The apartments are reserved to be safe, comfortable homes for people with limited income. Annual income limitations (which are subject to change annually) are currently $19,150.00 per year for a single person and $21,900.00 per year for couples. The exact rent charged is based on a formula which takes into account the residents’ adjusted gross income, assets and medical expenses.

Here are some of the things residents appreciate about living at Booth Gardens:

• A group of our residents have formed a very active “Tenant Council” which meets monthly. They lead numerous activities ranging from trips to lunch fundraisers and are continuously working to be a voice for our residents.
• We offer a variety of activities including weekly bus trips to H-E-B and Walmart.
• There is a 24 hour response system in case of emergencies. Emergency pull-cords are available near the beds and in the bathrooms of each apartment and can be put to use in case of a medical emergency.
• Multi-faith groups come-in to conduct spiritual programs. We also enjoy a variety of educational programs hosted by local home healthcare agencies.
• We have a resident chaplain, Major Harvey Harwell. He leads regular Bible studies and devotion times and offers counseling to those who need it.
• Our resident services coordinator, Mrs. Barbara Parnell, is also available to help residents meet their own needs.
• Domesticated pets are welcome.
• We have a total of 3 laundry facilities.
• Although we are independent living, many of our residents have private contracts with home-health care agencies that enable them to remain independent.
• We have a partnership with “Meals and Wheels” program which provides lunch meals to our residents three days a week.
• Friends for Life is a partner and has helped some of our residents meet financial management and budgeting needs. This also helps them to stay independent longer.

It has been an honor and a pleasure to serve with The Salvation Army Booth Garden Apartments for the past 10 years.  I cherish every moment participating in and assisting with housing for senior citizens.  Several years ago I lost my mother, who was disabled, and shortly after, an elderly aunt. They are my inspiration for being part of this wonderful ministry. Like many others, they were on limited means of income, and faced health challenges. They struggled to maintain the aging, deteriorating home in which they lived. We hope that our residents are able to be as independent as possible, for as long as possible and receive the dignity and respect they deserve in a safe and affordable home. If you know someone who is looking for a home who you think might be a good fit for the Booth Gardens, please contact us! You may contact me, Cecilia Rodriquez by email at [email protected], or our Assistant Director, Rachel Sheridan at [email protected], or call either of us at (254) 757-2242. We look forward to hearing from you!

This Act Locally Waco blog post is by Cecilia Rodriquez.  Cecilia began her ministry with The Salvation Army Booth Gardens Apartments as the receptionist 10 years ago and is now the Director of both properties.  She is a Certified Manager of Housing and Certified Occupancy Specialist through the National Center for Housing Management.  She has a passion for senior citizens and also enjoys being an active part in her children’s lives coaching in her spare time.  She is family-driven and thrives on helping to make a difference in people’s lives as she carries out the mission of The Salvation Army.

The Act Locally Waco blog publishes posts with a connection to these aspirations for Waco. If you are interested in writing for the Act Locally Waco Blog, please email [email protected] for more information.

By David Saucedo

The Reinforced Earth Company is a precast concrete company that is part of a national and international conglomerate comprised of construction, technology and concession companies, among others. We are located in China Springs and we employ between 150 to 160 people, many of which are Waco residents.

My personal passion for community change and empowerment has played out in many ways over the last four to five years, but the last two years have been amazing! When I was hired at Reinforced Earth in 2013, I never thought the most enlightening and fulfilling work so far would take place at this company, but it has. I was blessed with opportunities, and I advanced to become the Safety Coordinator in late 2013. This promotion opened doors that I would have never imagined and allowed me to work with some terrific people who have taught me a great deal about what we call “foundational employment” – employment that is foundational to a stable lifestyle.

The Reinforced Earth Company’s Waco plant, managed by James Ashley, is paving a new road in employee development. We focus on a quality made product, produced in a timely manner, as safely as possible. But most importantly we are aiming to promote healthy and stable lifestyles to the men in our community that work here. From a business perspective, it goes without saying that a high turnover rate interferes with those goals and makes it very hard to establish maximum efficiency. In 2014 our company on average employed 58 workers per month through local staffing agencies. This not only increased the cost of producing our product, but it also led to a workforce with less experience and more potential for mistakes or injuries.

We began our work in foundational employment by using encouraging messages in our safety toolbox meetings. For example, we would use words like, “This is a family out here,” or “We want you to use Reinforced Earth as a foundation for your family.” We encouraged car pools to help employees who didn’t have transportation, showing that we are here to help. We introduced simple budget spreadsheets and encouraged employees to ask how they could escape the check-to-check lifestyle. Our most recent, and I think our most fruitful step has been referring and encouraging our employees to a local psychiatrist that is covered by our insurance. In some cases we even covered the copay for employees who are more serious about improving their standard of living.

I’m very proud to report that this month we will be reporting that fewer than 20 employees are working at Reinforced Earth through local staffing agencies. We have increased production and decreased our production hours by improving our production procedures and focusing on better training and efficiencies. By no means would our efforts be considered a comprehensive study, but we are seeing results and we associate these results with the investments we are making in our employees.

From these experiences, I’m very confident that a company dedicated to promoting strong foundations in the lives of their employees will see improvements in the quality of their workforce, a decrease in their turn over, a reduction in overhead, and — the icing on the cake — an increase in their profits. What would our community look like if more companies were encouraged to promote strong and healthy foundations in the lives of their employees? That’s a question I have been asking myself more and more.

This Act Locally Waco blog post was written by David Saucedo. David is a local minister with Life Church Waco and has committed the last 8 years of his life to impacting his community in a positive way. David has a loving wife, Michelle and three beautiful children, Lianna (7), Isaiah (4) and Isaac (10 Months).

The Act Locally Waco blog publishes posts with a connection to these aspirations for Waco. If you are interested in writing for the Act Locally Waco Blog, please email [email protected] for more information.

By Alfred Solano

What do new bike lanes, the Hippodrome reopening, Franklin Place, Dichotomy, Lula Jane’s, Muddle, Tinsley Place, Barnett’s Pub, and McLane Stadium all have in common? They’re all recent developments that have collectively changed the landscape of Downtown Waco during the past few years.

In 2010, we, as a community, began to dream and imagine what we want our city to look and feel like. The Imagine Waco plan was developed and adopted. Five years later, we look around and see a new, livelier downtown—one which we proudly call home. However, there is still much to accomplish. As we plan for the next five years of growth and development, we need to update the Imagine Waco plan and include everyone’s voice.

When the Imagine Waco plan was adopted in 2010, goals included activating the riverfront, building connections for people to get around, and creating an organization that implements development in Downtown Waco. More than two-thirds of Imagine Waco’s proposed action items are in the realization process. Over the past five years, public space investments have included improvements to sidewalks and crosswalks, added bike lanes, and new trees that have been added along streets to upgrade the walkways. Future shared spaces will include the transformation of the Heritage Square parking lot and the riverfront. Some of the private sector developments (leveraged by public investments) include Franklin Place, Tinsley Place, the Hippodrome, and Lula Jane’s. A small area planned for the “Near Northside” area around 15th and Colcord resulted in increased public and private investments, including streetscape improvements that beautified the intersection.

Organizational developments included the creation of the Downtown Development Corporation, 1,000 Friends of Waco, and efforts by the Sanger Heights and North East Riverside Neighborhood associations to improve their areas and business districts, according to the Imagine Waco plan.

Behind the scenes, the City of Waco has embedded principles from Imagine Waco into planning and engineering decisions. This paradigm shift has changed the design and the feel of projects and Downtown Waco altogether.

As we look at the first years of Downtown Waco’s renaissance and the series of projects that have been accomplished by private investors and the City during the last five years, we look ahead with excitement and anticipation about what is next for our city.

Five years ago, the Waco community dreamed together…and now it’s time to dream again!

What makes The Imagine Waco plan achievable and exciting is that it is designed by the people who live and work in the Waco area for the benefit of the entire Waco community. We want your dreams and aspirations to be a part of the Imagine Waco update. Next week, there will be severral opportunities for your voice to be heard. Everyone is invited and encouraged to give their input about the future of Downtown Waco.

• Monday, April 13th, The Jubilee Theater @ 6PM
  (1315 North 15th Street, Waco, TX 76707)
• Tuesday, April 14th, The Cen-Tex Hispanic Chamber of Commerce @ 6PM
  (915 LaSalle Avenue, Waco, TX 76701)
• Wednesday, April 15th, The Greater Waco Chamber of Commerce—1,000 Friends of Waco Meeting @ 10AM
  (101 South 3rd Street, Waco, TX 76701)
• Thursday, April 16th @ The Eastern Waco Development Corporation, 6PM
  (715 Elm Street, Waco, TX 76704)

Is there something that was missed or left out of the initial plan? Are there some good things in Waco that could be made great? What do you want Downtown Waco to be known for? Come share your thoughts and let us know.

Waco’s beautifully diverse culture deserves your continued support. Let’s continue to work together to build up Waco in a way that benefits everyone!

Alfred Solano was raised in Waco and is the Sales Manager for Texas Document Solutions. He and his wife Rachel are passionate about our city’s current trends and future possibilities. Alfred is the Vice President of the Business Resource Center, Waco’s downtown development corporation. He has served on the Board of Directors since its formation in 2011, representing the Cen-Tex Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

The Act Locally Waco blog publishes posts with a connection to these aspirations for Waco. If you are interested in writing for the Act Locally Waco Blog, please email [email protected] for more information.

By Janae Griffiths

We are all busy people. We go about our days checking tasks off our lists, sometimes putting little thought into what we are actually doing. Often, this is harmless—we get everything done and no one gets hurt in the process. But, for those of us who have the opportunity to walk alongside someone in difficult circumstances or to offer assistance in a unique way, rushing through can do more harm than good.

I had not given this much thought until a few weeks ago, when I met with a wonderful woman named Stella. Stella lives here in Waco, and due to some life circumstances has found herself to be the recipient of multiple social services in our community. She shared with me part of her story—a part that made me uncomfortable. Stella spoke of feeling forced to become her own advocate, of not knowing what resources were available to her or how to tap into them. She felt like she couldn’t find anyone who would take the time to explain the available resources to her.

She told me about how she has sometimes felt like she was just another item to be checked off of someone’s to-do list. She felt like she was falling through the cracks, but had no way to stop it.

“The professionals need to be proactive in spreading information,” she explained. “They need to have the passion to go above and beyond, not just rush through.”

I didn’t know how to respond to her at first. I wasn’t with Stella as she made her way from place to place seeking help. I don’t know how the people working with her actually responded, the words they actually said, the looks on their faces, or the tone of their voices. I don’t know the pressures they were under, or how long their days had been, or even how Stella treated them.   I certainly don’t know their intentions. I don’t know if they felt empathy, or annoyance, or kindness, or frustration. I don’t know if they tried their absolute best to help, or if they did indeed feel like Stella was just “another item to be checked off.”

I only know how Stella felt.

“In some places I felt valued, but in many places, I did not,” Stella explained. From her point of view, the people who worked with her seemed to expect that she would automatically know what was available to her, when she felt like no one had ever clarified what services she qualified for and which she did not. She felt uncomfortable and short on information.

As a graduate student at Baylor School of Social Work, I have spent the past two years interning for various Waco nonprofits and working to address needs in our community. One of the key values of the social work profession—which we are taught right at the start of Baylor’s program—is the inherent dignity and worth of every individual. I absolutely believe that every human has dignity and worth, and I am fairly certain that the Waco nonprofit and social service community as a whole believes the same. But, while I may believe those things in my mind, Stella’s story made me start to think about how much more challenging it is to honor those values in my day to day actions.

Of course social service professionals shouldn’t just rush through their work. We all know that. But, in the day in and day out busyness of the work day, it is easy to do.

Fortunately, Stella is a strong woman with a strong personality. She quickly educated herself on the resources available and became an advocate for herself and others that she knew. But, as she pointed out to me, not everyone can easily become their own self-advocate, especially individuals whose primary language isn’t English.

I deeply appreciate Stella sharing her experience with me. I have been reflecting on her words in the weeks since, and they have reminded me about why I entered the field of social work in the first place. I want to be someone who meets people where they are, recognizes them for who they are, and cheers for them as they take steps to become more. My hope is that I, as a member of the social service community in Waco, can approach my work with a renewed sense of the dignity and worth of each individual I have the opportunity to serve. My hope is that I never rush through my work, but take the time to treat each client with kindness and offer as much assistance as I am able.

I hope that I always remember Stella and how she feels. I hope I always remember how uncomfortable it feels not to have the information you need, how bad it feels to be treated like “another item on the list,” how scary it feels to be “falling through the cracks.” I hope that my actions with each person who comes my way will reflect the values I so fervently believe.

This Act Locally Waco blog post was written by Janae Griffiths. Janae is originally from Chicago, but has been happy to call Waco her home for almost six years! She is finishing her Master of Social Work degree from Baylor University, and currently interns at the Texas Hunger Initiative. She is passionate about issues of poverty and justice, especially in our community.

The Act Locally Waco blog publishes posts with a connection to these aspirations for Waco. If you are interested in writing for the Act Locally Waco Blog, please email [email protected] for more information.

By Carrie Kuehl

A ribboned birthday gift and the contents of your front seat fly onto the floor as you slam on the brakes to avoid hitting the car in front of you that just slammed on its own brakes. A squatty, blond dog with long ears squeals with the heavy bump of the car’s tire. He dashes to the safety of a front yard, still crying and licking at his paw. He has a bruised shoulder and skinned back foot. You are late for the party, but it’s no big deal.

Sleep has become a rare luxury since the pregnancy. Your toddler is teething and inconsolable. As the two of you finally doze off, two toms and a female begin vocalizing with mating wails which are heard outside the kitchen window, throughout the subdivision, and in the ears of your baby. Sigh…another chance to sleep will come tomorrow night; it’s no big deal.

The ambitious, dream-filled couple from Ohio are trying to decide: will they relocate to Waco or to Greenville, S.C.? They have good job possibilities in both. After a smooth flight they drive along Lake Shore Drive in their rental car. A new future is dancing through their minds when they see a dark shape in the road. It’s the contorted body of a beagle mix, similar to his boyhood best friend who was put to sleep in his arms only a few years before. Three blocks later they meet their realtor at charming little house in a neighborhood with big trees and just the kind of character they were hoping to find. The little house is so cute they almost don’t notice the thick, fluffy dog nosing through garbage and strewing it all over the yard next door and into the street. They do wrinkle their noses a little when the animal waste stench from a porch and yard across the street wafts into their nostrils. The real estate agent dismisses this as common. The couple decides to pursue the opportunity in Greenville. “Drat! I really thought we had them!” the realtor thinks as she hangs up the phone after hearing the news. “Oh well, you can’t win’em all. It’s no big deal.”

If you are still reading, you are likely an animal lover, or even if you aren’t, you have a deep concern and a strong sense of ownership for the future of Wacotown.

In 1988 a group of similarly concerned and dedicated Wacoans got frustrated with the neglect and suffering of animals and the negative effect this neglect was having on our city. When they found they could not get ahead of the problem by spending their free time cleaning poop at the animal shelter, this visionary group took the initiative to begin a spay/neuter program. The goal of this program was to prevent the suffering and dying of unwanted animals by preventing the births of unwanted litters.

That was a quiet year for spay/neuter. The clinic was only open one day a week back then, and they performed about 15 surgeries for cats or dogs a day. Today at the Animal Birth Control Clinic it is common for our licensed veterinarians and supportive staff of veterinary technicians to perform over 50 high-quality, affordable spay and neuter surgeries a day, five days a week. Back then huge numbers of cats and dogs poured into our rescue centers and into the shelter by the dozens daily, now the daily intake rarely goes over 25. And to top it off, our community just celebrated its third month of No Kill (90% or more of the animals exit alive)!

This decreased intake has been made possible because of a perfect mix of donor and taxpayer-funded spays and neuters, and because of transparent communication among goal-focused partners. We all benefit from the safer living and higher quality of life that is the result of this reduced burden on our community.

The next step is upon us. The shelter is being reconstructed to properly care for the remaining cats and dogs who find themselves in need of temporary care. The community campaign, heartily led by Mayor Malcolm Duncan, is wrapping up within weeks. I welcome you to contribute to this project and to support spay/neuter.

The reasons to support spay/neuter and to continue to lift this burden on our community are tangible and intangible, direct and indirect. Here are a few:

• To enjoy your afternoon birthday party rather than having it derailed by a car accident because the car in front of you hit a stray,
• To have a peaceful night of sleep and sanity for yourself and your toddler because the feral cat mating “opera” has been taken off of the marquee,
• To woo young professionals to our Waco neighborhoods instead of giving them a reason to start their bright futures elsewhere.

Quality of life and safety for humans intersects with the lives of the cats and dogs in our city more often than we sometimes realize.  This work must continue.  It IS a big deal, and it affects us all!

This Act Locally Waco blog post was written by Carrie Kuehl. Carrie is an enthusiastic Wacoan who began her time at the Animal Birth Control Clinic as a volunteer in 1994. Her BA in Sociology from Baylor, ten years in the financial planning/securities industry, and her passion for the efficiency of spay/neuter prepared her to become the Executive Director of ABC in 2006. In the last few years, Carrie has enjoyed growing the clinic and mentoring additional Texas communities to boost their spay/neuter impact. In her personal time, she enjoys kayaking, houseboating, and being an aunt.

The Act Locally Waco blog publishes posts with a connection to these aspirations for Waco. If you are interested in writing for the Act Locally Waco Blog, please email [email protected] for more information.