By Charles Ray Harris
In support of the Caritas Veterans Case Management Program, I serve as the case manager. The program, funded by the Texas Veterans Commission Fund for Veterans Assistance, provides supportive services to low-income veterans and surviving spouses, living in McLennan, Bosque, Falls, Freestone, Limestone, and Hill counties.
Being a veteran myself, I appreciate and I am honored to work for an organization that provides services to assist this special population. I served over 20 years as a non-commissioned officer in the U.S. Army. The main role of an NCO is the welfare of the soldier and his or her family.
At Caritas, I am doing the same thing I did in the Army, but now the soldier is a veteran. This is a very important program, and I am thrilled to be a part of helping and empowering veterans and their families.
The Veterans Case Management Program takes a two-step approach, focusing on basic needs leading to long-term stability. In order for a person to thrive, basic needs must be met before they are able to build stability.
Available resources include assistance with rent and mortgage, utilities, food, and other emergency services. In addition, the program helps clients gain long-term employment at a living wage. Employment services include pre-vocation training and testing, financial assistance for certification, licensing and educational materials, clothing for employment, and assistance for childcare and transportation costs.
As the case manager, I am here to ensure veterans secure the benefits rightfully earned in exchange for their service in our nation’s armed forces. To schedule an appointment, I can be reached at 254-753-4593 ext. 233, or by cell at 254-644-9391, or [email protected].
For more information on Caritas of Waco, please visit caritas-waco.org.
First Sgt. Charles Ray Harris, Jr., USA, retired, was born and raised in Waco and graduated from Jefferson Moore High School. He served over 20 years in the U.S. Army before retiring. After the military, he graduated from Tarleton State University with a bachelor’s degree in business. He also graduated from McLennan Community College with an associate’s degrees in social work, youth counseling, and mental health counseling. He has been married for 35 years and has one daughter.
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 Hermann Pereira
Everyone is feeling the fatigue of all that we have been through this past year. In our fatigue, it is easy to overlook things, but I want to bring something to our attention as a community that is important for us not to get fatigued about.
Every student graduating from high school deserves an opportunity to move on to their post-secondary plans of choice. In our community we have great higher education choices and growing industries that our students should have access to, but the data says otherwise.
I would like to bring your attention to just the enrollment data, which shows the rate at which high school students enroll in higher education. The numbers from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center are staggering. It compares the data from the class of 2019 and the class of 2020, remember the class of 2020 is the one that graduated in the midst of the pandemic.
| Overall enrollment in higher education | High Poverty Schools | Low Poverty Schools | |
| Class of 2019 | -1.5% | -1.6% | -1.4% |
| Class of 2020 | -6.8% | -11.4% | -2.9% |
In Greater Waco, we have six larger school districts which total 35,000+ students. Three of the six districts are in that higher poverty range, and they have more than 20,000 students. This growing gap in higher education enrollment is a major opportunity gap, and it is only getting bigger.
There are existing efforts that are looking to address this growing opportunity gap. I want to highlight two upcoming existing efforts:
- The McLennan County College Access Network is hosting a Drive Thru Event 10 a.m.-2 p.m. April 24. The event will be for all high school seniors and their parents to get help with financial aid, college admissions, and enrollment. The event will be held at Communities in Schools, 1001 Washington Ave..
- Prosper Waco and Waco Foundation will begin a comprehensive study on the college and career continuum in McLennan County. We hope to capture who is providing what services to which students and to what affect in our county. At the conclusion of the study we will share results openly with the community.
Prosper Waco is committed to ensuring all students in McLennan County have equitable access to college and career resources. If you have any questions or want to discuss education in our community please reach out to me at [email protected].
Hermann Pereira is chief program officer of Prosper Waco.
Drinking Water Week offers consumers an opportunity to recognize the hardworking people performing various roles ensuring tap water is “There When You Need It.” Drinking Water Week is May 2-8.
The City of Waco and partners throughout North America are observing Drinking Water Week by recognizing the vital role tap water plays in daily life, the infrastructure that is required to carry it to and from homes and businesses, and the important work of water professionals “behind the scenes.”
The City of Waco Water Utility Services Department’s staff of 150 water professionals is proud to serve the Waco community, ensuring the continuous delivery of safe, high quality drinking water to all customers.
Whether an engineer designing a capital project, an operator ensuring the safety and quality of drinking water, or a member of a pipe crew maintaining the infrastructure in our community, water professionals work around the clock to ensure tap water is there when you need it.
“The coronavirus pandemic continues to make evident the hard work performed by the people in the water sector,” said American Water Works Association CEO David LaFrance. “The work they are performing throughout the pandemic, often sacrificing time with their family, is nothing short of heroic. I am proud to be associated with them.”
“Throughout the pandemic, I’ve been proud of our employees here at the City of Waco,” said City Manager, Bradley Ford. “Particularly during the recent winter storm, Water Utility Services staff did an incredible job, working day and night in extreme circumstances, to keep our water system functioning. That work will be remembered for years to come.”
To commemorate the week, water utilities, water organizations, government entities, environmental advocates, schools, and others throughout North America and beyond encourage consumers to learn more about the importance of water and water infrastructure, especially in times of crisis.
About Drinking Water Week
For several decades, AWWA and its members have celebrated Drinking Water Week, a unique opportunity for both water professionals and the communities they serve to join in recognizing the vital role water plays in daily lives. Free materials for download and additional information about Drinking Water Week are available on the Drinking Water Week webpage.
By Dexter Hall
As we approach Mother’s Day, my mother Mrs. Mildred Y. Hall has weighed heavy on my heart. I lost my mother on Sept. 3, 2019, and not a day has gone by that something has not reminded me of her.
My mother was a fiercely independent woman who raised five kids and worked her entire life until her health failed. As a kid I knew she worked a lot and sometimes held two jobs. Because of her job(s) she wasn’t always able to make it to my school events. While it was disappointing, as an adult doing financial security work in our community, I have an even better understanding of “WHY.”
The pandemic has been a force to be reckoned with across numerous fronts. This beast has shined light on many disparities in our community, including those impacting women, as it did my mother.
I was deeply troubled when the January unemployment numbers showed 346,000 members of our American community had filed for unemployment. I became more troubled and saddened when I learned 80% or 246,000 of those who had filed were women. February-November 2020 statistics show 5.3 million women have lost their jobs compared to 4.6 million men.
These numbers alone are startling by themselves but are compounded by gender/ethnicity pay gaps.
According to a study by J.P. Morgan Chase on Racial Gaps in Financial Outcomes, “Black women (like my mother) face the greatest gap in take-home income and liquid assets compared to White men, but racial gaps are larger among men than women.”
Women of color and especially Black women have been disproportionately affected by this pandemic.
Working women have now lost more than three decades of labor force gains in less than a year, as reported in the new issue of Fortune. The ongoing employment crisis, which is closely aligned with a widespread caregiving crisis, has especially hurt the women of color who disproportionately work in restaurants, retail, education, health care, and other “essential” industries. These workers, who are often paid very low wages, rarely have the option of working remotely and trying to schedule their paid work around remote learning and other childcare responsibilities.
My mother would say she has known this to be true long before a pandemic.
Having less costs more – especially for those trying to invest in their own education. Black graduates with bachelor’s and associate’s degrees carry 13% and 26% more student debt than their White peers. They also get paid less, earning 27% and 14% less for the same degrees.
Thasunda Brown Duckett, CEO of Chase Consumer Banking at JPMorgan Chase, says we must move beyond the “ingrained perception that talking about money and race is taboo, and that financial hardship results simply from bad personal decisions. . . . It also requires moving beyond a culture with the prevailing ideology that success comes simply from individual responsibility.”
While my mother was not the CEO of a bank, she certainly managed what she had while working two jobs and raising a family like she was the leader of one. I salute my mother, Mrs. Mildred Y. Hall and the fight she instilled in me to fight for our community and ensure an inclusive economy for all.
When women win, we all win! Happy Mother’s Day.
Prosper Waco welcomes you to join us in the fight for an inclusive economy for women and everyone. Please contact me for opportunities to assist at [email protected].
Dexter Hall is chief of staff and senior content specialist for financial security with Prosper 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].
Again in 2021, the Beaumont Foundation of America has granted Caritas of Waco $50,000 to purchase fresh produce and other nutritional food items for clients needing emergency food assistance. The grant has been given to Caritas every year since 2006 and has supported efforts of the organization to provide healthier food items to people in need.
“Nourishing food is essential for families to function optimally,” said Alicia Jallah, Caritas co-executive director. “Caritas is committed to offering the highest level of nutritional food to the thousands of individuals that are struggling with food insecurity in our community. Beaumont Foundation is a strategic partner in the fight against hunger in our community. They continue to provide us with the necessary funds to purchase healthy food options for our pantry.”
In 2020 the food pantry distributed over 5.2 million pounds of food.
Caritas of Waco is a nonprofit that serves McLennan County and the surrounding area by providing individuals and families with urgent support and long-term solutions to poverty. In 2020, Caritas served over 40,680 families with emergency food assistance. For more information on Caritas of Waco or how you can support its community efforts, please visit www.caritas-waco.org or call 254-753-4593.
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 Madison Schick
The value of a college degree or workforce certificate has become nearly indisputable; its critical function within the national and local economy is further secured by the role of college degrees in society.
College degrees enable graduates to achieve a status that may allude others, and this points to an innate worth in higher education. McLennan Community College recognizes Community College Month and its goals throughout the month of April to advocate and support community colleges and their current and prospective students nationwide. MCC invites all to join in the celebration of equitable education in Waco.
In 2016 nearly one-third of community college attendees were first-generation college students, according to the U.S. Department of Education. The American Association of Community Colleges reports for the same year, “two out of every three students at community colleges work[ed] while enrolled, with 20.6% of mostly full-time students working full-time jobs.”
In addition to demographic diversity, community colleges serve various populations of students, each with differing goals. MCC serves well over 1,000 high school students each year through Dual Credit courses – permitting students to receive college credit while keeping their academic and career goals forefront. Half of McLennan County high school valedictorians and salutatorians in 2020 graduated with an associate’s degree from MCC.
A recent Inside Higher Ed article examined results from a survey produced by the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics. Over half of people earning bachelor’s degrees between 2008 and 2017 were previously enrolled at a community college, and one-quarter had received an associate’s degree prior to their bachelor’s degree.
Community colleges will continue to differ from four-year schools, partly due to the goals of the students they serve. Community colleges surpass the ability of four-year schools in supplying the local and national workforce with well-educated, certified, and trained workers. They do this in a shorter time frame while accommodating students’ availability for attending classes.
Community colleges use their multipurpose role within the economy, society, and higher education to meet the needs of students with diverse goals and backgrounds.
“You can go anywhere from here,” said MCC President Johnette McKown. “If you want to eventually graduate from Baylor, Texas Tech, Tarleton, Texas A&M, or anywhere, start here. If you want to be a health professional, first responder, or professional in any other field, start here.”
Madison Schick is social media and communications specialist at McLennan Community
College. A literature enthusiast and graduate of the University of Texas at San Antonio, Madison studied environmental science, English, and history, and still loves all things related to reading and writing.
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 Jeremy Rhodes
I’m currently reading a book by Heather McGhee called The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How we can Prosper Together. Her book begins with an analogy that can serve to illustrate many of the ways we can get in our own way.
By the middle of the 20th century, many towns in America had invested in public swimming pools that were free for the members of their communities. However, attendance at these pools was usually limited to whites only. As Black Americans began winning the integration of public spaces through the 1950s and 1960s, these communities were forced to integrate their public swimming pools.
Many of them, however, refused to integrate. Some of the cities sold their public pools to private organizations, which could charge high fees for swimming, effectively re-segregating the pools. Many more communities decided to abandon the pools altogether, filling them in with concrete. These folks decided that it was better to eliminate a public good than to share that public good with Black people. So, no one gets to swim.
McGhee writes, “A once-public resource became a luxury amenity, and entire communities lost out on the benefits of public life and civic engagement once understood to be the key to making American democracy real.”
Heather McGhee’s analogy gives me a lot to think about. Many of us believe that the cost of racism is exclusively borne by people of color. However, as McGhee points out, racism creates an enormous cost for all of us, regardless of our race or ethnicity.
We would do well to consider the massive impact of all forms of racism, whether overt or subtle. When any of us deny resources to an underprivileged few, we are all made smaller.
Jeremy Rhodes is director of research and community impact with Prosper 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].
By Stephanie Mabry
United Way of Waco-McLennan County Board of Directors is proud to announce Wendy Ellis as the new chief executive officer.
Ellis joins United Way with over 16 years of experience in community development and executive leadership in both private and public sectors. She has leadership experience most rooted in city government, serving as a city administrator, economic development director, and city manager. In addition, she served as executive director roles for Hillsboro and Brady/McCulloch County chambers of commerce.
The Board’s Search Committee conducted a six-month search for the next generation of leadership for United Way. Andrew Pick, United Way Board chair and plant manager for Caterpillar stated: “Wendy has a demonstrated work history in strategically improving economic outcomes for small business owners, non-profit organizations, and their respective communities. She is passionate about amplifying community voice to affect change. This background and perspective is especially critical as United Way moves into the public launch phase of our Child Well-being research, which will take hold late May 2021.”
When asked about United Way’s future and the work in child well-being, Ellis stated: “Quality of life for our children is key to the economic well-being of families, the business sector’s future workforce, and the overall success of the community in which we live. It’s not every day you have the opportunity to join an organization with almost 100 years of service dedicated to strengthening the community and improving the quality of life for everyone. I am honored to join United Way at such a critical time and look forward to sharing more with the community as we launch the research findings in understanding the child well-being indicators for our youngest residents.”
Wendy has family roots going back several generations in Hill and McLennan County and said she is honored to be living and working in the region. In addition to her professional accomplishments, Wendy is the daughter of retired public educators. Her husband, Daniel, is a small, local business owner, and they have an 8-year-old son.
United Way Board and staff have begun introducing Wendy to key stakeholders in McLennan County and Wendy has committed to spending her first 90 days on a listening tour hearing from interested community residents. To contact Wendy, you may email her at [email protected].
United Way of Waco-McLennan County strengthens the community by mobilizing resources to measurably improve lives. It envisions a community where all people have the education, health, and financial stability needed to achieve their full potential.
Stephanie Mabry is senior director of resource development & communications 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].
The Dr Pepper Museum in Waco marks its 30th anniversary in May. It is “one of the
largest nonprofit museums devoted to telling the story of the soft drink industry and preserving
Dr Pepper history,” said a release from museum.
The Museum opened in May 1991 and has grown from the vision of a few devoted enthusiasts to now attracting more than 2 million visitors. “Thank you to the Waco Convention & Visitors Bureau and KDP Waco Distribution for their generous support,” the release said.
Chris Dyer, museum president & CEO, and the Board of Directors said: “We have achieved
this milestone through the hard work and dedication of our staff and our culture of customer
service that exists throughout the entire organization. We have dedicated ourselves to 30 years
of educating and entertaining our visitors with the history of the soft drink industry, and through
that example, the free enterprise economic system. On this anniversary, we will take time to look
at where we started, what we have achieved, and what our plans are for the future.”
Three events are planned as part of the celebration.
FIZZY FRIDAY
Be sure to book your spot for the next Fizzy Friday at 6-8 p.m. May 7. Test your taste buds and enjoy a birthday-themed flight of specialty sodas. The gift shop and old-fashioned soda fountain will stay open late to let all visitors have a chance to shop after-hours.
WHERE- Dr Pepper Museum & Free Enterprise Institute
East Wing Building
300 South 5th St., Waco
COST – $12 per birthday-themed flight
Limit 6 people per group
No admission required
$2 ADMISSION DAY
Visit the Museum Saturday, May 8, for $2 admission (just like when it opened in May 1991).
You can explore the exhibits, book a Make-A-Soda or Taste-A-Soda experience, get your
Dr Pepper gear from the gift shop, and get a treat at the old-fashioned soda fountain.
This will be the last day for museum visitors to enter to win a year’s supply of Dr Pepper,
sponsored by KDP Waco Distribution.
WHEN – Saturday, May 8, from 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m.
WHERE – Dr Pepper Museum & Free Enterprise Institute
300 South 5th St. Waco
COST – $2 general admission
TORNADO ANNIVERSARY
May 11 is the official anniversary of the museum and the anniversary of the destructive 1953
Waco tornado. It seemed only fitting that these two important events in Waco’s history should be
entwined. Visit the museum to celebrate Waco’s history and to remember those who lost their
lives in the tornado, an exhibition opened on the first floor featuring photographs, videos, and
stories of those involved. On this day the two winners of the year supply of Dr Pepper will be
announced.
WHEN – Tuesday, May 11, from 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m.
WHERE – Dr Pepper Museum & Free Enterprise Institute
300 South 5th St.
COST – General Admission
By Rebecca Tucker Nall
Baylor University’s Mayborn Museum Complex received a gold TAMMIE award Friday, April 16, at the Texas Association of Museums’ Annual Virtual Conference. The award is for Mayborn’s new school outreach program, Mayborn Connect.
“TAMMIE” is an acronym for Texas Association of Museums Media Innovation & Excellence. The award showcases museums that are doing innovative things with media and technology. Winning projects are chosen by a jury of media and technology experts in the museum field. Each category is eligible for either gold, silver, bronze, or honorable mention depending on the number of entries in each category.
“Congratulations to the Mayborn on raising the bar of digital media standards for the rest of the TAM community,” said Alex Freeman, TAM executive director. “We want to see how your museums are incorporating technology into exhibits and programs; how you are using technology to reach virtual audiences outside of the traditional museum space; and how you are using social media to engage with audiences in innovative ways.”
Mayborn Connect was developed in spring 2020 as a way to continue to reach schools and school-aged children during a time when most off-site informal education opportunities were limited by the pandemic. This virtual program delivers specialized labs filled with real specimens, artifacts, and real-world connections in both science and cultural history that help kids to explore and understand their environment.
As of April 2021, almost 200 Mayborn Connect programs have reached more than 5,000 students from 26 school districts. Programs have reached schools as distant as New Jersey and as close as Waco ISD through a partnership with the Junior League of Waco aimed at providing a Mayborn Connect program to every preK class in the district.
The award was accepted on the Museum’s behalf by Alan Small, STEM education coordinator. Small spearheaded development of the 12 programs offered within Mayborn Connect with support from other museum educators and graduate students from the Department of Museum Studies at Baylor University.
“I’m so thankful to work with the team that brought the Mayborn Connect program to life in a time of crisis,” Small said. “When school buses parked and the Mayborn doors closed due to the pandemic, it created a chance to rethink how the Mayborn meets needs within the community. Over the last year, the Mayborn Connect team has honed the skills needed to safely deliver our collection out the front door, in living rooms, across school districts, and even across the country. This program would not have been possible without the entire museum staff working together to see it to fruition.”
About Baylor University’s Mayborn Museum Complex
The Mayborn Museum Complex celebrates the natural science and cultural history of Central Texas. This 143,000-square-foot building on the Baylor University campus sparkles with numerous vibrant exhibits and compelling hands-on activities for the whole family to enjoy over and over again. For more information, contact the Mayborn Museum at (254) 710-1110 or visit http://www.MaybornMuseum.com.
Rebecca Tucker Nall is assistant director of exhibits, communication, and visitor services for Mayborn Museum Complex, 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].