By Wendy Ellis
United Way of Waco-McLennan County launched its Annual Campaign on Friday, Aug. 27. This yearly tradition is a community-wide effort made possible with over 100 businesses, as well as thousands of local individuals who give personally to support the programming impacting residents in and around McLennan County. In its 98-year history, United Way has raised over $100 million through its campaigns.
Funds raised through the Annual Campaign support United Way’s grant making, which provides funds for projects aimed at improving health, education, and financial stability for area residents, and support for safety-net services programming. Local nonprofits are invited to apply each year for funding. In addition to grant support, the Annual Campaign provides resources for United Way’s child well-being movement, a community-wide effort to understand and improve the quality-of-life indicators for both families and their children.
United Way provides the mechanism for individuals to easily and effectively give through their workplace and support numerous local nonprofits through one simple donation process. Whether it be $5 per paycheck, or $25,000 a year, our local workforce continues to unite in support of their community. It is United Way’s privilege to sustain this bridge between the businesses and individual employees who want to give and the nonprofit who serves on the frontlines of addressing the most challenging hurdles our communities face. We are proud to help put local dollars to work supporting local people.
In 2020, the top five workplace campaigns were by H-E-B, Texas Farm Bureau, Caterpillar, Atmos Energy, and Central National Bank. Dan Ingham, our resource development chair and VP of marketing & communications for The First National Bank of Central Texas, Dan Ingham said:
“It has been my experience that the employee wants to know that their dollars are making a difference, and United Way makes that happen. The grant process is rigorous and ensures the nonprofits eligible to receive funds are truly making a positive impact in our communities. I’m proud to be part of such an important effort. United Way’s ability to collect thousands of individual donations to support dozens of local nonprofits is a unique service we’re proud to offer for McLennan County and the surrounding areas.”
There are currently 43 local organizations that are eligible to receive funding from grants or designations through United Way . The opportunity to participate in this year’s campaign will continue through the end of the year. To learn more about how you and your business can get involved or to view the full list of partnering agencies from 2020, visit UnitedWayWaco.org.
United Way of Waco-McLennan County strengthens the community by mobilizing resources to measurably improve lives. We envision a community where all people have the education, health and financial stability needed to achieve their full potential.
Wendy Ellis is chief executive officer for United Way of Waco-McLennan County.
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 Ferrell Foster at [email protected].
By Susan Menninger Krause
Did you know that walking is one of the easiest, least expensive, most accessible ways to improve your health?
Walking will help you maintain a healthy weight, lose body fat, improve cardiovascular fitness, strengthen bones and muscles, improve balance and coordination, and increase energy. It also can help prevent or manage conditions such as heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, cancer, and type 2 diabetes. And walking can also improve your mood, cognition, memory, and sleep.
It’s not complicated. There’s no pressure. No elaborate or pricey equipment or memberships are necessary. You control your schedule, your distance, where you go, and who you go with. Just put one foot in front of the other and join “Let’s Walk Waco” this fall.
If you’re looking to start or continue your walking journey, join the “Let’s Walk Waco” community-wide challenge. This walking challenge is sponsored by the Live Well Waco Coalition and the Waco-McLennan County Public Health District. This free eight-week program begins Sept. 20 and runs through Nov. 15. Registration begins Aug. 30.
You can create a team of your friends, neighbors, family, or co-workers or join a team and get the chance to meet and make new connections. Anyone can join, and McLennan County residents who log their miles may win prizes along the way.
For information on how to register, create, or join a team, visit our website. There you will also find information about community center parks and indoor walking opportunities, City parks and trails, frequently asked questions, and other helpful tips and resources. Come join the fun and “Let’s Walk Waco.”
Susan Menninger Krause is manager of parks and rec facilities and programs for the City of Waco Parks and Recreation. Susan formerly was branch executive director at Waco Family YMCA. Before coming to Waco, she worked 16 years at Greater Joliet Area YMCA near Chicago. Susan holds a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Texas at Dallas and a master’s degree in kinesiology from the University of North Texas. She and her husband, Ken, have two sons, Zachary and Tyler, both are in college.
Act Locally Waco also has an informal group of walkers called Waco Walks. There is more information on our Waco Walks web page.
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 Ferrell Foster at [email protected].
By Cindee Millard
Baylor University’s Mayborn Museum Complex will host a community dialogue Oct. 2 titled, “Human Genome Editing: Framing Our Biological Future.” The dialogue is part of a three-year research project funded by the National Institutes of Health.
Arizona Science Center, Baylor College of Medicine, and Boston Museum of Science chose Mayborn to host, facilitate, and participate in the dialogue at the museum, 1300 S. University Parks Dr., beginning at 10 a.m.
Forum participants will include people from Central Texas. The goal is to create conversations between experts and community members that both will find valuable and informative. During this citizen dialogue we will take part in discussions that will solicit input that will be used to feed into global negotiations about our futures with human genome editing.
We are looking for individuals with a variety of backgrounds and viewpoints representing the diversity of our community. No prior knowledge is required. There are no incorrect answers and every viewpoint is welcome.
Interested persons may apply no later than Sept. 19 and will receive notification if accepted to be a part of this day long community forum. Those selected will receive lunch and a $100 gift card for participation in this project. Masks will be required for all participants. You must be at least 18 years old to apply.
Apply online at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/HGE-Waco. If selected, you will receive a confirmation email by Sept. 21, with more information.
Please note that this forum may be moved to a virtual format to comply with Baylor University’s COVID protocols. Registrants will be informed via email.
NIH, a part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is the nation’s medical research agency — making important discoveries that improve health and save lives. This project on Human Genome Editing has completed a literature review, interviewed experts in the field, developed workshops for future scenarios, and conducted stakeholder workshops. The public forum will be the next step to completion of this project.
The Mayborn Museum, Baylor University, and Waco were chosen because of their central location, non-metropolitan cross section of the U.S. population, their association with public deliberation initiatives, and their experience in gathering diverse community voices in public forums. Only two other locations in the United States have been funded to participate: Boston Museum of Science and Arizona Science Center.
The Mayborn Museum will benefit from this collaboration by receiving national visibility and by helping to add to the fulfillment of their strategic plan goal of building relationships with communities that represent a diversity of backgrounds, ages, and cultures to increase accessibility and relevance.
For more information: [email protected] or 254-710-1733.
Cindee Millard, a native Wacoan and Baylor University graduate, is public & community engagement manager for Mayborn Museum Complex. For more than 10 years Cindee has worked with nonprofits and community organizations collaborating in projects and programs to provide relevant museum programming to diverse audiences. Millard lives in Waco with her husband, Mike.
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 Ferrell Foster at [email protected].
Iazzetti will replace Sykes who was first elected to the board in 1999.
By Josh Wucher
Following interviews in closed session Tuesday, Aug. 31, the Waco ISD Board of Trustees voted to appoint Emily Iazzetti to represent Trustee District 5, which includes the neighborhoods between Richland Mall and the lake as well as some areas near Baylor University. Iazzetti was appointed to serve until next May when voters will elect a trustee to a new three-year term.
The mother of two students at Lake Air Montessori, Iazzetti is passionate about Waco ISD. She has led the PTA at her children’s school, helped plan the Waco ISD Education Foundation’s annual fundraising event, supported the Waco ISD Women’s Empowerment Summits held in partnership with the Junior League of Waco, and served on the advisory committee for the district’s gifted and talented program. More recently, she was a member of the community advisory committee that studied the district’s facilities needs and recommended replacing four existing schools with new buildings. A former television news anchor, Iazzetti is currently an adjunct faculty member in the Department of Journalism, Public Relations and New Media at Baylor University.
In her letter to the board, Iazzetti wrote: “I am interested in serving on the board, because I believe we are all responsible for the success of our schools. … I have appreciated the work this board has done to increase teacher retention, and I would like to be part of the team laying the groundwork for continued improvement.”
The board received letters from four voters who live in Trustee District 5 and interviewed two of them during tonight’s closed session.
“Being a school board member is a volunteer position,” said Angela Tekell, board president. “It was inspiring to hear from people who want to give their time and their talents in service to our kids at this critical moment for Waco ISD. I am looking forward to the perspective that Iazzetti will bring to the board and know that she will be a voice for the families in our community.”
Iazzetti will be sworn in at the board’s next meeting on Sept. 9.
The vacancy that Iazzetti was appointed to fill was created by the resignation of Allen Sykes last month. He was first elected to the school board in 1999 and was the board’s longest serving member. In his resignation letter, Sykes told trustees that other commitments were “making it increasingly difficult to allocate sufficient effort to fulfill the requirements entrusted to me.”
Iazzetti joins the board just weeks after its members voted unanimously to ask voters to consider a $355 million bond package to replace Waco High, G.W. Carver Middle, Tennyson Middle and Kendrick Elementary with new schools built in the same location as the existing campuses. If approved in November, the bond program is projected to increase the district’s tax rate by 10 cents per $100 of assessed valuation. For the average homeowner in Waco ISD, that is approximately $117.62 per year or $9.80 per month.
Joshua Wucher is Waco ISD’s executive director for communications.
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 Ferrell Foster at [email protected].
By Josh Wucher
Last week, Waco ISD Superintendent Susan Kincannon announced that face masks would be required inside all schools and other district buildings starting today (Monday, Aug. 30). The following are some of the responses that the district has received from families and employees:
Tracy N., Dean Highland Elementary School parent: “As a parent and healthcare worker, I appreciate this very much. Thank you for keeping my family safe, and I’ll do the same for yours.”
Brittany R., Mountainview Elementary School parent: “It is so comforting knowing I can drop my child off at school knowing she is being protected by those I entrust her to every day. Every child deserves access to a safe and healthy learning environment, and you all have made the courageous decision to provide that here in Waco!”
Erin S., Hillcrest PDS parent: “Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for taking this step to protect our children, families, and community!”
Megan W., Cedar Ridge Elementary School parent: “We know navigating the legal, ethical, and political environments has not been easy this past year, but as new Waco ISD parents last year, we felt we could steadfastly rely on information and decisions you and the Waco ISD Board made and implemented. We greatly appreciate the mask requirement and look forward to another great year!”
Emma P., Waco High School teacher: “THANK YOU, thank you, thank you for protecting the teachers and students alike by instituting this mask order. It will go a long way in helping stop the spread of this disease!”
LouAnna A., Waco High School employee: “Thank you so much for doing this!!! We sure want to be with our students in the safest way possible. Thank you!”
Marilissa Y., Bell’s Hill Elementary teacher: “I’m sure this decision was not an easy one. Thank you for making it. I know you are doing the right thing. I applaud you for caring about our students. This is the best way we can protect those that can’t be vaccinated yet.”
Joshua Wucher is Waco ISD’s executive director for communications.
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 Ferrell Foster at [email protected].
Editor: Act Locally Waco is sharing a series of blog posts — Faith Doing Good — about local religious groups working in the community. These pieces were written by Baylor University students from the Department of Journalism, Public Relations, and New Media.
By Sarah Skelton
Mosaic Waco has led by example that doing good in a community doesn’t mean changing everything about the community.
The multicultural Christian church in East Waco opened its doors for the first time two years ago and immediately started partnering with existing programs such as Restoration Haven and the local elementary schools.
“It’s not charity, it’s justice,” said Pastor Slim Thompson. “The Bible talks about justice all over. And so what we’re doing is actually what is right by people.
“It’s not right for people to live in poverty. It’s not right for people to have to wonder where their meals are going to come from. And it’s on us as Christians to go like, ‘That’s my brother, that’s my sister. I’m not OK with that.’ Just like if it was your literal brother or sister. I’ll do whatever I can to help them out. We just have to see our connection is much deeper than just actual family.”
Aside from the Bible, Thompson has centered the church on the philosophies of John Perkins and Jemar Tisby. They are both civil rights activists who want to see an end to racism.
“[Perkins] talks about when you move into a new community, you don’t really want to ask what can we do to fix it or change it. Instead, let’s ask what is it doing well and let’s serve them and let’s join in on that,” Thompson said.
Mosaic Waco’s congregation recognized the school systems and nonprofits such as Restoration Haven were already serving the community. Following Perkins’ idea the church started working with these organizations.
Before the pandemic, church members would volunteer in surrounding elementary schools by leading after-school clubs and reading with students. COVID-19 unrooted this idea in the spring and caused the schools and church to be more proactive.
“When kids go home for a week — like they have often — I’d say most kids get excited there’s no school for a week. Well, when you’re dependent on breakfast, lunch and dinner that also means you have no food for a week,” Thompson said.
To overcome this problem, the church worked with the school to pack students’ backpacks with bread, peanut butter, and jelly. Now the students can still eat when they are off of school for a week.
The founder and president of Restoration Haven, is an active Mosaic Waco church member. The nonprofit and church partnered together to provide necessities such as toiletries to East Waco families.
Many of the items Restoration Haven provides go to residents in Estella Maxey Place. Mosaic Waco is passionate about helping the families in this apartment complex. Once or twice a month, church volunteers invite children living in the apartments to play games and attend a Bible lesson.
The church welcomes everyone and especially residents of East Waco to join them every Sunday at 10 a.m. The pandemic has been difficult for everyone, but Mosaic Waco created a successful method to gather while obeying social distancing rules with their drive-in service.
“People can stay in their cars and listen through a radio and it just gives people who may not feel comfortable worshipping in person a place to go,” Thompson said. “Because it’s hard to sing out loud when you’re watching a TV.”
Sarah Skelton is majoring in Journalism on the public relations track at Baylor University.
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 Ferrell Foster at [email protected].
Editor: Act Locally Waco is sharing a series of blog posts — Faith Doing Good — about local religious groups working in the community. These pieces were written by Baylor University students from the Department of Journalism, Public Relations, and New Media.
By Courtney Lefebvre
There are more than 200 churches in the Waco area, most of which are involved in local outreach and missions programs. First Waco Methodist Church, led by Rev. Ryan Barnett, leads his congregation in both local and international outreach programs, with a specific focus on the Waco community.
First Methodist focuses on spreading the gospel to the community through its involvement with food pantries, Waco ISD, and other avenues.
“From the church’s perspective, doing good is doing the work of Christ, which is bringing food to the hungry, clothing to the naked, shelter to the homeless, and bringing good news to people who are perishing, who don’t know that they are loved,” Barnett said. First Methodist seeks to show people that they are beloved and that there is grace and forgiveness.
Serving is a large aspect of being an active church member, and Barnett said he considers the church’s identity and what they believe as a reason why it is important for his members to serve. He discussed how their beliefs reflected the reasoning for their emphasis on these outreach programs.
First Methodist, formed in 1850, is the oldest church in Waco and refers to itself as First Waco. “And we really feel like God has called us from our inception to be a part of the community, to be in the community, to be partners with others in the community for helping to make Waco a great place for everyone to live,” Barnett said.
Members of First Methodist are proud of their food security efforts. They partner with Shepherd’s Heart, Caritas of Waco, Meals on Wheels, and also have their own food pantry at their south campus. Members are also involved in volunteer programs that are not run through the church.
“I did a survey of our church one time, to tell us where they’re engaged locally, and it was like 113 organizations that they represented in their service, which is extraordinary,” Barnett said.
He explained how the church is on mission in the community in hopes to support both spiritually and tangibly those around them. While the church body strives to provide physical needs for those that need it, they are also advocating for their faith, and delivering the message of good news to the people of Waco and beyond.
“For us, our advocacy with our people is to represent Christ in the church and in the community whether they’re doing that explicitly or simply because of what’s in their heart,” Barnett said. “God has called us to serve our neighbor, to be good news, both in spiritual form and in tactile form.”
Barnett encourages members of the congregation to become involved in areas they have personal interest in and said there is a place and opportunity for everyone in serving. He said that it’s a matter of “finding your gifts and talents and applying them where you’re passionate,” when considering the idea of participating in outreach.
For those considering becoming involved as a volunteer in local missions, Rev. Barnett believes one must pray about where they’re being called and root their actions in doing good on behalf of the kingdom.
“Doing good for us is meeting the whole needs of the whole person in the name of Jesus Christ,” Barnett said.
Courtney Lefebvre is a Baylor journalism student.
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 Ferrell Foster at [email protected].
Editor: Act Locally Waco is sharing a series of blog posts — Faith Doing Good — about local religious groups working in the community. These pieces were written by Baylor University students from the Department of Journalism, Public Relations, and New Media.
By Briana Garcia
The Spanish-language congregation of First Baptist Waco, led by Associate Pastor Israel Loachamin, has created a program called La Puerta to help the Spanish-speaking community have access to resources in Waco.
La Puerta, meaning “the door” in Spanish, uses social, legal, educational, mental, and medical services for the Waco Hispanic community to connect with others.
“Our mission is to be under the umbrella of ministry of accompaniment in the practice of hospitality,” Loachamin said. “This is why we opened La Puerta.”
Since 2017, La Puerta has focused on three key approaches, Loachamin said. These are educating, advocating, and accompanying. Through these three, the Hispanic community can learn to speak English and to overcome barriers in the community.
“We have a space, and we create a space for people to come and bring their friends and feel comfortable,” Loachamin said. “Everyone is welcome to our ministry.”
The program especially helps the immigrant community, Loachamin said. La Puerta has resources to help the community in times of trouble and worry by connecting people with legal services.
As an immigrant, it is hard to trust reliable legal resources, Loachamin said. But First Baptist tries to find dependable attorneys in Waco to guide the immigrant community and help them feel comfortable in their surroundings.
In 2018, La Puerta created an Immigrant Task Force. It meets two to three times a year, and anyone from Waco or Central Texas can join and talk about how they can support one another. They also go to health fairs with agencies to help build relationships.
“We made a friendship with the attorneys,” Loachamin said. “We like to expand the service to the community.”
Loachamin said some people in his congregation and in the community are struggling. “We provide classes in the Spanish program for people to talk about their fears and to have an idea that they have a group to speak about their problems with one another,” Loachamin said.
La Puerta also provides resources such as clothing, food, education, and medical services.
It is important for the Hispanic and immigrant community to feel like they have all the resources they need to feel welcomed and loved by the First Baptist community, Loachamin said.
When groups of immigrants come to the United States, they do not know the English language or have many friends, but they have skills, Loachamin said. La Puerta has created groups such as a sewing class where they can develop additional skills and develop friendships.
“Another group that we have created makes organic soaps,” Loachamin said. “A group of eight women have been doing well for two years and are selling their product and in the process of opening their own shop.”
Faith is a big component when it comes to the Spanish service and La Puerta, Loachamin said. Teaching others in the community and expanding their knowledge about faith is what Loachamin and other pastors at First Baptist Waco strive to accomplish.
“I know that faith at First Baptist is not just to be practicing in myself,” Loachamin said. “It is the living process and how I want to show my faith.”
Briana Garcia is a Baylor student-athlete and journalism major with a concentration in news-editorial major and minor in corporate communications.
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 Ferrell Foster at [email protected].
By Dexter Hall
There are many different approaches or levers that must be pulled to ensure an inclusive economy for all Wacoans.
The question, of course, is which levers will we pull to provide the financial economic security for all of our citizens or will we adopt a “throw spaghetti against the wall” approach and see what sticks.
Varying organizations and institutions across the nation compile numerous reports to show what is and what is not working. We know the lessons of the past and the intentional levers that were pulled to create an unequal economy leaving our BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and other people of color) communities to suffer in poverty.
The National Urban League’s “2020 State of Black America: Unmasked” report, shows a Black-Equality Index of 73.8 indicating Black Americans are missing 26% of the pie. The same index shows Hispanic Americans at 78.8 indicating they are missing 21% of the pie.
The overall Equality Index is made up of the five areas with each being weighted based upon urgent need and importance. The chart below shows where Black Americans ended in 2020. The 59.2% index in economics shows Black Americans are missing almost half of the economic pie in comparison to White Americans.
On May 26 this year, Prosper Waco hosted “Addressing Financial Empowerment: Waco Prospers when All Wacoans Prosper.” I had the awesome opportunity to share with our mayor and other community leaders the levers that Prosper Waco would be pulling to move toward ensuring the economic and financial security for all Wacoans.
Through the work of the City of Waco’s Financial Empowerment Blueprint, we shared intentional strategies in the areas of Asset Building, Banking Access, Consumer Financial Protection, Financial Education, and Small Business Development and Financing.
In each area we shared a plan of work that we would be initiating or that was being done through partner organizations in our community that addressed the needs of our low-to-moderate income (LMI) community and small business owners.
We are grateful to work with individuals and organizations in developing specific intentional work to address the needs of all Wacoans and ensure an inclusive economy in our area.
Instead of throwing spaghetti against the wall and hoping something sticks, we are partnering and working together to address immediate needs as well as short- and long-term needs of our community through intentional drivers that led to the 73.8 score in the National Urban League’s Black-White Equality Index.
Working together we can build the right spaghetti and meatballs for all Wacoans to prosper equally and equitably.
And, by the way, who likes spaghetti without meatballs?
Join us in the work for financial and economic security for all Wacoans by adding your sauce to this intentional spaghetti.
How can you help?
Volunteer your skill or experience in financial or legal services.
Donate to support the various initiatives in each area of focus.
Sponsor Financial Education Workshops for your groups, employees, associations, clubs, sororities, and fraternities.
If you would like to help or invest in supporting the financial and economic security for all Wacoans please contact me at [email protected].
Dexter Hall is chief of staff and senior content specialist for financial security with Prosper Waco. For more information on financial security contact Hall at [email protected].
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 Ferrell Foster at [email protected].
Editor: Act Locally Waco is sharing a series of blog posts — Faith Doing Good — about local religious groups working in the community. These pieces were written by Baylor University students from the Department of Journalism, Public Relations, and New Media.
By Bella Vinson
St. Alban’s Episcopal Church started as a church plant in 1946 in Waco. Since the church opened its doors, the members have been able to develop decades-long partnerships with organizations in Waco, sharing a common humanity with others in the community.
Rev. Aaron Zimmerman is the rector of St. Alban’s, serving the church for eight years.
When Zimmerman went to college he got involved in campus ministry. He enjoyed it, he said, but was still unsure if it was something he ultimately wanted to pursue.
“For two years after graduation, I went to Central Asia to teach English with a Christian organization,” Zimmerman said. “Part of it being I wanted to contribute in a meaningful way, but also part of it I wanted to test whether ministry was something I wanted to do.”
Zimmerman said he loved it, which ultimately led him to decide that he wanted to serve others in a path of ministry.
“I wanted to give my life in some way that could help other people as they are asking those questions. Not to say I have all the answers, but I know someone who does,” Zimmerman said. “So my ministry is mostly just to point to him.”
St. Alban’s partners with a number of public and private schools throughout the Waco area. The church has a long history of connections within the education community in Waco, as many of the members are teachers. They have been working with Cedar Ridge Elementary for over 10 years.
“We have done everything from people going to read to students there and tutoring them,” Zimmerman said. “The thing we do the most is providing meals when they have big open houses, meet the teacher nights, things they want to get a lot of the families to. We make dinner here at the church and take it to the school and serve it there.”
St. Alban’s also does work with reVision, sending mentors for incarcerated teenagers in the Mart facility. They also partner with Mission Waco. Members lead monthly devotionals at their homeless shelter, and collect toys for them during Christmas time.
Although it is not an expressed ministry of the church, St. Alban’s partners with Alcoholics Anonymous and other 12-step groups by providing a space for them to meet in the church’s Community Outreach Center.
“That is a place where lives get transformed and healed,” Zimmerman said. “We have had groups here four to five nights a week, sometimes around 70 to 80 people. Just a really strong community of folks on the path to hopefully find recovery.”
The church’s community outreach continues, even during times of crisis. During the winter storm that hit Waco in February, the church opened as a warming center for those who were affected and in need. They had over 50 volunteers assist that entire week by cooking meals and spending time with the people who came in.
“It was really meaningful to see our members build relationships with those people who were here, some still ongoing, and recognize our shared common humanity,” Zimmerman said.
St. Alban’s main mission is to share time and resources to serve the physical and spiritual needs of individuals and communities. Zimmerman reflected on the values of the church’s mission being displayed by members work in the community.
“One of the most rewarding things for me is when people realize the humanity of those they are helping,” Zimmerman said. “It’s not someone down here, some sort of nameless face, giving handouts. We are both fellow humans, we stand at the same level, although we’ve had different experiences.”
Bella Vinson is a Baylor sophomore from Waco.
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 Ferrell Foster at [email protected].