ROOTS Natural Hair Club at Baylor University: More than Just a Hair Club

By Gabrielle Chaney

The idea of creating a natural hair club at Baylor University started in my 2001 Honda in Spring 2017. My friend, and now former president of ROOTS NHC, Victoria Ellison and I were casually discussing how it would be a great idea to create an organization on campus dedicated to promoting, celebrating, and educating people about black natural hair on campus. Three weeks later I start receiving text messages and emails about becoming an officer on campus. I was shook! We started something that I would never have thought would be possible at a predominantly white institution.

We started ROOTS Natural Hair Club at Baylor in the fall of 2017 with only four officers: Victoria E., President; Kelcey M., Vice President; Gabrielle C.,Treasurer & Social Media; and  Morenike T., Secretary. For the 2018-2019 school year we have six officers and want to continue growing on campus. Michelle O. (front right), Gabrielle C. (2nd right), Kelcey M. (2nd left), Dr. Scott; advisor (front left), Jayne J. (back right), Chia N. (back left), Victoria M. (not in photograph)

The start-up of ROOTS NHC was not easy. In the beginning, many students did not understand our purpose and were skeptical about having a new organization on campus, administration did not understand our vision.

To gain traction we knew we needed to find something different to attract people to attend our meetings. One huge initiative, which we still continue to do, was providing natural hair products and samples to students who join our organization or students in need. “Why not provide something useful and cost efficient for students to try in their hair?” we thought. In the black community, natural hair products are not cheap. Quality brands of natural hair shampoo and conditioners for black hair can cost over $20, so our goal is to try and provide opportunities for students to win prizes, hair products & samples that natural hair companies provide us, at every meeting. We have been blessed to receive donations and support from huge companies, such as Aunt Jackie’s Natural Hair Products, As I Am, Curls, Cantu, Palmers, Do Gro and many more. 

The concept of our meetings is that hair is the starting point for larger discussions. We have discussed issues such as colorism in society, natural hair in the newsroom and journalism, natural hair in the business world, hair education, and even hot topics such as culture appropriation and the historical roots of African hair. The conversations dive deeper into loving the skin God has blessed us with, appreciating the hair on our heads, and educating non-blacks on the importance of black culture.

As a result of these conversations we had the idea of creating a hair event. We hosted the ESSENCE Hair Show & Expo at Baylor in the spring of 2018. We worked to bring vendors and to have hairstylists showcasing their work. At the event we provided giveaway products, free haircuts, and performances.

This year we will be hosting the 2nd Annual SPRING FEST Hair Show & Expo at Baylor University. Our goals in planning this event are to invite the entire Baylor and Waco community to witness something new and unique in Central Texas. The event has gained traction from start-up businesses, entrepreneurs, and local businesses.  We will have vendors from Waco, Dallas, Houston, and Austin that specialize in natural hair products, hair accessories, skin care, and so much more. We will be hosting even more performances, vendors, bigger prizes, free food and haircuts than last year. All of the ticket sales will be donated to the Family Abuse Center of Waco, Texas.

I am blessed to have this opportunity and grateful for how far our organization has come in the past two years at Baylor. As I close my senior year, I only pray our work as servants of God will continue through this organization.

ROOTS Natural Hair Club is more than just a hair club. We want every attendee at our meetings and events to leave feeling loved and appreciated. I pray, as a president and advocate for black culture, that I have helped cultivate leadership in my officers and freedom of expression in all our members and attendees. We have great ideas and I know that, if we have the drive, ROOTS NHC can reach even further in accomplishing our dreams.

If you are interested in attending the SPRING FEST Hair Show & Expo it is on March 30th, 2019, from 2-6pm at Baylor University’s Bill Daniel Student Center. Tickets are $2 presale and $5 at the door. You can purchase tickets through www.Eventbrite.com, type in “SPRING FEST Hair Show & Expo.” All ticket sales will be donated to the Family Abuse Center.


Gabrielle Chaney is a senior Athletic Training major at Baylor University. She is from Missouri City, Texas, and originally from Lafayette, Louisiana. Her career goals are to work as an Athletic Trainer and Physical Therapist for a University. Eventually, she would like to have her own business. She loves getting to know people, watching sports, music, cooking, and also discussions on social justice and activism. One of her big passions is ROOTS Hair Club at Baylor University. “This organization allows me to have a voice on campus and express the love of hair and community!” she says. One of her other passions is leadership and working on becoming a better leader. “I believe Baylor University has cultivated an atmosphere where my leadership abilities have had room to grow and shine,” she says. “I am grateful for my time at Baylor and ready to see what the world has in store for me in the future.”

The Future of Teacher Education in Waco: A Call to Act

By Brandi R. Ray, Ed.D

The Heart of a Teacher Educator

When I was 9 years old President Ronald Reagan announced that the first citizen to go into space would be a teacher. This teacher would be a part of the Challenger Mission that was set to launch in January of 1984. The teacher that was eventually chosen for the mission was Christa McAuliffe, a social studies teacher from New Hampshire. She spent a year away from her classroom preparing for the Challenger Mission and training for space travel. I followed the news intently that year, watching TV clips about her preparation. Nine-year-old me believed a teacher, a professional lifelong learner and scholar, could do anything…even travel to and teach in space.

Fast forward ten years to January 1994. The 18-year old me was a senior at Coahoma High School, set to graduate third in my class of about 75 students. Although I was a good student, I was unsure of what I wanted to be or what major I should choose for college. I was meeting with my high school counselor.  “A teacher,” I mentioned that day, “I think I could be a great teacher.” The counselor looked up at me with a concerned gaze. “Brandi, how about becoming lawyer? Major in Communication then go to law school. You can do so much more than just teach.” She encouraged me to “set my sights high,” teaching could be my “fallback.”

As I pursued my career journey, that counselor became one of many who referred to teaching as my “fallback.” Boy were they wrong!

Teaching, and now teacher education, are my purpose. Teaching is my calling, my vocation, my chance to be a difference maker, a change agent.  As a teacher I have had the opportunity to continually learn and be creative, to profoundly impact the lives of children, to contribute to my community, and to work in an environment that is never dull. For me, teaching was and is a rebellion. Teaching is a way to impact others and transform myself on a daily basis. I can be a lifelong scholar and student, seeking new knowledge my entire life. I can work and always be relevant. Teaching is my chance to change the future. As the author Henry B. Adams once said, “A teacher affects eternity: he can never tell where his influence stops.” Teaching is power.

The Call to Teach

Each day, over 350,000 teachers in the state of Texas enter their classrooms and work tirelessly to educate our children. In a recent opinion column for the Dallas Morning News two of my personal educational icons, Wesley Null and Diane Ravich, discussed educational reform in Texas.  They noted that: The heart of any school is the teacher. The only way to ensure that every Texas child receives a quality education is to place a well-educated, well-prepared teacher in every classroom. That truth will never change.              

The demand for qualified teachers is growing desperate. According to Texas Education Agency (TEA) estimates, Texas will require a 26% increase in teachers to keep up with our rapidly growing population. According to Jessica Attas, Vice-President of Public Policy for the Greater Waco Chamber of Commerce, there are some tremendous challenges in teacher recruitment and retention in our own community. Citing a recent InvestED TX report, Attas notes that the higher education teacher pipeline is down 22% since 2010, while the K-12 student enrollment growth has increased 10%.

The Call to Act

This data translates into a very clear local directive. Simply stated: If we expect to have the excellent, well-prepared teachers required to meet our needs in the greater Waco community, we need to start growing our own.

We need some of our best and brightest Waco area students to become teachers.  We need an excellent, affordable, local option for those students to get the higher education they need to become high-quality teachers. We need the best teaching professionals in our local school districts to mentor these teacher candidates.  Then we need these brand new, well-trained teachers to go to work for our local school districts and stay here in the Waco area to build a bright future for our community.

TechTeach

In September of 2018, I was hired by Texas Tech University Waco and Texas Tech University College of Education to begin the work of establishing a quality, affordable teacher education program in Waco.

That program, “TechTeach,” is a clinically intensive, competency-based degree program designed to prepare teachers who will improve the academic achievement of K-12 students. New teacher candidates will start working in classrooms in their first semester of college.  They will use state of the art digital technology to capture their instruction. Then they will use this video footage to evaluate and improve their teaching effectiveness.  

TechTeach candidates will work in partner districts alongside an experienced, handpicked mentor teacher. This co-teaching will involve working together to plan, carry out, evaluate and adjust instruction in whole-group and small-group settings.

Our program is an important one. It is rigorous and it provides an affordable educational opportunity for would-be teachers in our community. We expect our graduates to enter the classroom confident in their ability to teach and with very little debt. This can have a profound effect on teacher retention.

High quality teaching in our local classrooms is a critical need.  Institutions of higher education have a responsibility to recruit and train a strong, diverse pool of teacher candidates who can meet that need. I believe our program at Tech Waco will do just that. I am a teacher. Teaching has never been my “fallback” profession. I am proud to say that teaching and teacher education have been my lifelong rebellion.  Just as Christa McAuliffe said during an interview before the Challenger Mission, “I touch the future: I teach.”


Dr. Brandi R. Ray is the Site Coordinator / Instructor for the College of Education at Texas Tech University Waco. Receiving her doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction, Brandi has worked in teacher education at the university level for over 15 years. She has been married to her husband Lee for 18 and half years and has three children, Aidan who is 16 years old, Lily who is 11 years old, and Leighton who is 6 years old.

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 ashleyt@actlocallywaco.org for more information.

Notes:  

Thanking the people who feed our leaders

By Craig Nash

When asked what her favorite part of the job is, Lakaisha Clark, the cafeteria manager at Parkdale Elementary School in Waco, gestures toward a room full of kids eating breakfast and replies, “This.”

“I don’t know what other people say about the kids here, but when I look out across this room, what I see are a lot of leaders,” she said. She loves speaking to kids individually and giving them encouragement to see in themselves what she sees in them.

That ability to see the potential in others is likely one of the reasons she is in her current position. When this school year began, she was hired as a cafeteria worker at Parkdale. The management with WISD Child Nutrition Services quickly saw her leadership abilities and promoted her to Cafeteria Manager. The school has seen a drastic increase in both attendance and breakfast participation this year, which has had Clark overseeing a lot of changes in her cafeteria service. New workers have been added and physical changes to the building were made to accommodate an extra line for students to enter in.

She is at the school by 6:00 am and by the time she leaves around 3:00, has served Parkdale students over 450 breakfasts, 600 lunches, as well as afternoon snacks. All of this while managing a team of workers, placing and receiving orders, and tending to regulations associated with operating a USDA program. According to Assistant Principal Wendy Moulds, Ms. Clark does all of this with a smile on her face and an infectious, upbeat personality that lifts the spirits of students, faculty and staff.

At the Texas Hunger Initiative, we are convinced that addressing poverty and food insecurity requires a multi-pronged approach that includes policy makers, business, community leaders and non-profit organizations. But the foot soldiers on the front lines of ending childhood hunger are the Child Nutrition departments at our public schools. Food Service directors of these departments, like Cliff Reece at Waco ISD and Dave Thiel at La Vega ISD, oversee massive, complicated programs that have one goal in mind: To feed children. They are often the unsung heroes in our community, working behind the scenes to provide nutrition assistance to tens of thousands of kids in the Heart of Texas Region.

Usually food insecurity in families means that meals are spread thin, or difficult decisions have to be made about purchasing choices. But occasionally it means that school breakfast will be the first meal a child has eaten since they left school the previous day. Cafeteria Managers and food service workers like Lakaisha Clark recognize this, which gives them a sense of mission and intentionality about the work they do.

The first full week of March every year is National School Breakfast week, which is set aside to recognize the importance school breakfasts have in all of our communities. This week in the Heart of Texas, student athletes from Baylor visited campuses in Waco and La Vega ISD’s to celebrate the role Child Nutrition Departments play in the health and wellness of our kids. You should consider joining them in this celebration by taking some time this month to speak a word of encouragement to the Child Nutrition staffs of our local schools. Their work is done with great care and a deep love for the children in our communities.


Craig Nash is the Regional Manager for Child Hunger Outreach at Baylor’s Texas Hunger Initiative. He enjoys talking and writing about Waco, Country Music, and Faith. He blogs at 17dutton.com.

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 ashleyt@actlocallywaco.org for more information.

Free Conference for the Community: Building your Economic Legacy

Money, Money, Money!  On Saturday March 9, 2019, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Delta Alpha Omega Chapter will host its First Annual Building Your Economic Legacy Conference.  Ten workshops will be offered centered on building your wealth.  Participants will be able to select from workshops including topics such as:

  • Financial Planning
  • Credit Building and Repair
  • Home Ownership
  • Health Care and Senior Planning
  • Building your own business and brand

Dynamic presenters are prepared to provide information and answer any questions attendees may have.

The conference is Delta Alpha Omega chapter’s implementation of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., International Program Target 3 which emphasizes financial planning, asset accumulation, and wealth building in communities that have traditionally struggled in these areas.  The Conference was the brainchild of Rosemarie Tatum, the chairman of Target 3, along with her committee members, and Delta Alpha Omega’s Vice President and Program Coordinator, Rolonda Burns.

During Delta Alpha Omega’s annual program planning meeting in August, The Target 3 committee posed this question, “What are the biggest obstacles to building wealth in economically disadvantaged communities?”   Resoundingly, the chapter responded, “Access to information and opportunities.”  The Building Your Economic Legacy Conference is designed to address these obstacles. It will provide the community with one-stop-shop access to information and resources geared to building your financial security.

 “It is not often that we talk about wealth building in African American communities. Money is indeed a sensitive subject, but a necessary subject if we want our communities to flourish,” says Connie Nichols, President of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Delta Alpha Omega Chapter. “We want to break that silence and begin conversations that empower our community, to support its businesses, and establish a lasting legacy,” she continued.”  “It is Delta Alpha Omega’s hope that by providing access to information on wealth building, the community members will seek out opportunities to start the process of planning for a healthy and successful financial future,” says Rolonda Burns. 

Delta Alpha Omega Chapter believes that this conference will truly benefit the Waco Community by allowing community members to select topics that are important to their financial success and learn how to be strategic in planning.   “There is no better time than now to start planning for tomorrow,” says Rosemarie Tatum. 

The Building Your Economic Legacy Conference is free and open to all who would like to start the process of planning for their financial future.  It will take place at Carver Middle School, 1601 J. J. Flewellen,  Registrants can select up to two of the ten concurrent workshop session to attend beginning at 8:30am and concluding at noon.  Lunch will be provided to attendees at no cost.  You may contact Rosemarie Tatum at cocotatum@att.net for additional information and to register.  There is no better time to start planning than now!   



Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., is the oldest Greek letter organization established by women of African American descent.  Beginning with the vision of nine college students on the campus of Howard University in 1908, the sorority has flourished into a globally-impactful organization of nearly 300,000 college-trained members, bound by the bonds of sisterhood and empowered by a commitment to servant-leadership that is both domestic and international in its scope.  Chartered in 1946, Delta Alpha Omega Chapter has continually served the Waco community, implementing programs that are designed specifically to address the local needs of the Waco community. 

Better Living for Texans: Activity Matters

(As I’m sure most of you probably know, one of our Prosper Waco community goals is “McLennan County residents will live healthier lifestyles and access the best available care.” With that in mind Act Locally Waco is teaming up with Better Living for Texans to bring you a monthly blog post full of tips for healthy living. For more of the posts in this series, click here: Better Living for Texans. – ALW)

By Kelli Niemeier

Like most people, you’ve probably heard that physical activity, including exercise, is good for you. If you’re already active, keep up the good work! It may even be time to push yourself a little harder, try a new activity, or find new ways to add exercise to your daily life.

Why is Physical Activity Such a Big Deal?

Exercise and physical activity are important to the physical and mental health of almost everyone. Being physically active can reduce the risk of developing some diseases and disabilities later in life. In some cases, exercise is an effective treatment for many chronic conditions. For example, studies show that people with arthritis, heart disease, or diabetes benefit from regular exercise. It can also help with high blood pressure, balance problems, or difficulty walking.

What’s the Difference Between Physical Activity and Exercise?

Both terms refer to the voluntary movements you do that burn calories. Physical activities are activities that get your body moving. This could be gardening, walking the dog, raking the leaves, or taking the stairs instead of the elevator. Exercise is a form of physical activity that is planned, structured, and repetitive such as weight training or an aerobic class. Both physical activity and exercise are important and can help improve your ability to perform everyday activities. In fact, exercise and physical activity benefit every area of your life. They can:

  • help maintain and improve your physical strength and fitness
  • help improve your ability to do the things you want to do,
  • and help you improve your mood and overall well-being.

You probably noticed the key word is you! Whatever your abilities are, the key is to match your physical activity to your own needs and abilities. For some people, swimming can be a great alternative to running for an aerobic exercise. For others, a slow walk around the corner and back is a big achievement.

As a guideline, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends that we get 30 minutes of physical activity per day. Does that mean that you need to go on a 30-minute run? No! You can break up your physical activity throughout the day such as 10-minute intervals. Remember to find activities that you enjoy. If you don’t enjoy what you’re doing, more than likely, you won’t stick to it! Find friends in your community to be physically active with. Making exercise and physical activity social could help to reinforce your behaviors.

What’s New with Physical Activity in Waco?

Get into the habit of getting healthy with a FREE 8-week Walk Across Texas Program. The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service created this annual program to help Texans increase physical activity. The program is designed for teams and individuals to register to walk the 832-mile goal of essentially walking across the great state of Texas. This program is ideal for families, friends, children, and organizations to encourage physical activity. For questions, FAQs, and to register click here http://walkacrosstexas.tamu.edu/. Grab your tennis shoes because Walk Across Texas officially started on March 4 here in McLennan County!

Pairing Physical Activity with a Healthy Lifestyle

Of course, we can talk about the importance of physical activity all we want, but let’s not forget the role that other aspects of our lifestyle play into our overall well-being. This includes getting 8 hours of sleep every night, finding ways to reduce stress, and eating a healthy, balanced diet. For a healthy diet, try to increase fruit and vegetable consumption, eat sensible portions, and enjoy your food! Check out this stuffed bell pepper recipe that is sure to impress! (BONUS: This recipe serves up to 8 people with a cost per serving of $0.89!)


Kelli Niemeier is a Nebraska native who is pursuing a Master of Public Health degree at Baylor University. She is currently an intern with Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service in McLennan County and is working with the Better Living for Texans program. She is passionate about empowering communities to improve health and well-being. Kelli has learned to call Waco her home away from home. She especially enjoys the small-town atmosphere and charm of Waco and trying local food. Kelli is also an adventurer at heart who loves to visit U.S. National Parks!

McLennan Athletics Continues Legacy of Community Engagement with Family Fun Day

 By Cheyenne Atchison

Each year, McLennan Community College hosts Family Fun Day for the Waco community. Neighborhood families are encouraged to bring their kids to the Bosque River Ballpark Complex to receive free admission into both the baseball and softball games. On March 23, the Highlanders and Highlassies are taking on North Central Texas College and Temple College, respectively.

In addition to the athletic games, MCC will have a variety of activities for families to partake in, including inflatables, games, and giveaways. This year, Pokey O’s will be available to serve desserts to visitors. Family Fun Day is a way for MCC to interact with the surrounding community and is only one of the many ways in which MCC engages with citizens of Waco and Central Texas. Throughout the year, students and faculty participate in multiple philanthropic events to support and better Central Texas.

This past January, MCC Athletics raised money for the American Cancer Society. Rather than competing against other colleges, each team competed against each other to see who could raise the largest amount in donations. Teams set up tables in the Learning Technology Center for students and faculty to contribute. Those that donated could sign their name or a loved one’s name on a Highlander card that is on display for the rest of the season. Tables were also set up outside of athletic games to collect donations from attendees. At the end of the month, the baseball team raised the most money for the American Cancer Society and won the competition.

Starting in 2016, the men’s golf team began a yearlong fundraiser for the Folds of Honor Military Tribute program. This program provides educational scholarships for spouses and children of fallen and disabled service members. By June of 2018, the team raised $1000 to support military families and their endeavors.

The women’s basketball team supports Play4Kay, raising funds for the Kay Yow Cancer Fund. Coach Kay Yow, the head coach of the North Carolina State University women’s basketball team, was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 1987 and passed away in 2009 after her battle with the disease. The Kay Yow Cancer Fund is an organization that helps women affected by all forms of cancer. Funds are given toward research, prevention and assistance of those currently affected.

Locally, MCC athletics also works with organizations in Waco to benefit those specifically in Central Texas. This year marks the 30th anniversary of Food for Families in Central Texas. Sponsors, such as MCC’s baseball team, will stock the shelves of local food pantries and food banks with non-perishable items. Today, Food for Families has grown to be the largest one-day food drive in the state, serving nine counties within Central Texas.

The Highlassies softball team volunteered with No Limitations, another local charity established in July 2014 to help those who face developmental or physical challenges. Through No Limitations, affected individuals can take part in various activities, including team sports. By participating in social programs, those with disabilities can feel more included in the community and learn valuable skills. Through partnerships with charities and organizations like No Limitations MCC athletics gives back to the community.

“The athletics department at McLennan is always finding ways to reach out to Waco and the surrounding areas,” Jennifer Norman, Associate Director of Marketing and Communications said. “Community engagement allows us to show our appreciation for those beyond MCC.”


Cheyenne Atchison is a junior at Baylor University studying Marketing and Public Relations, and currently serves as an intern in the Marketing and Communications Department at McLennan Community College.

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 ashleyt@actlocallywaco.org for more information.

The Kindness of Water

By Barbara Bridgewater

I was swimming the other morning at the Doris Miller YMCA on Elm Street, enjoying the feel of the water as it flowed over my broken body, aware of how kind the water was to me.  I don’t swim like my friend Ruth, quick laps up and down to get good exercise!  I float and let the water flow over and around me.  The water is so kind.

I’m grateful that I have a place to do this in Waco:  I’ve been a member of the YMCA since 5 years ago when I had to have a hip replaced.  Since then, I’ve had to have 2 other surgeries and have been very grateful that water is so kind to me.  Although I would prefer other kinds of aerobic exercise like running, playing basketball or hiking, my body right now is only able to handle the kindness of water.

Although I like the larger Family YMCA for all the programs and pools they offer, I prefer the Doris Miller YMCA because it is closer to me and because I really enjoy the people that attend swimming with me there at the 8:00 aerobics class. I often can swim by myself if I get there early or late, but most of the time, I choose to start my days by floating with my classmates.  I hear all the local sports and political news, learn new recipes, and enjoy hearing of life experiences from the others in the class. I’m grateful for all of them. I’ll miss them for the next 6 weeks until I recover once again from surgery. I’m already eager to return!

When I traveled to Portland, Oregon this summer, I was surprised that they didn’t offer a local YMCA pool for me to swim in.  When I went to Ohio last year, I noticed that they didn’t have such an offering, either.  It had not occurred to me that we are so lucky here in Waco to have so much kindness offered.

I feel God’s love and grace surrounding me in the midst of the water. I feel my body, a little like a penguin, enjoying graceful movement, while on “land”, I have to limp and hobble around. Perhaps there are others who need some kindness to their bodies:  come join me (in 6 weeks, anyways) at one of the local YMCA’s pools…


Barbara Bridgewater has lived with her husband, Phillip, and 2 daughters in the diverse north Waco neighborhood of Sanger Heights for 17 years. She teaches English to adults through MCC and works with homeless families at Compassion Ministries (while Phillip works with Habitat for Humanity International). Barbara attends a church in that neighborhood called Hope Fellowship, where Casa Azul was born.

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 ashleyt@actlocallywaco.org for more information.

East Waco Voices: Feeding the (Healthy!) Body and Soul at Carver Park Baptist Church – Part 1

(Carver Park Baptist Church is helping to lead a healthy food revolution in East Waco through their food related ministries.  They have so much going on that we couldn’t squeeze it into one post. This is Part 1 of the story.  Stay tuned for Part 2! – ALW)

By Khristian Howard

In the South, food is the social apex of our culture. In a region that is known for its hospitality and deep religious roots, food could not have a more important role. Nowhere else is this more apparent than in the church. At Carver Park Baptist Church, Evelyn Moore has been leading the Culinary Arts Ministry in healthy, innovative directions.

As the name suggests, the Culinary Arts Ministry is more than just a food and fellowship team. Under Mrs. Moore’s direction, this ministry is introducing the church and community to healthier ways to prepare and eat cuisine that they have enjoyed for generations.

Evelyn Moore has been a part of the Waco community for over seventy years and a part of Carver Park Baptist Church for over forty. After leaving Waco as a young adult, she returned with her husband to raise her children here. “When it came time to raise my children, my husband and I talked about it and we felt that Waco was a quiet, reasonably positioned place to raise children in,” she says.

Having been raised in church, Moore was no stranger to serving the community. As a young mother, she and other church members were involved with neighborhood improvements like advocating for paved streets, getting a local landfill closed, and school integration. Moore says, “Community situations have always been a part of what our life was…we were involved with everything political or that had to do with improving the community.”

In the Culinary Arts Ministry, Mrs. Moore and her team approach service with thoughtfulness and creativity. “We make sure that whenever we have a church function, we have a reasonably healthy meal,” she shared. This includes two Sunday breakfasts, a mid-morning snack for the children, bereavement meals, meetings, and other church events.

When asked how she classifies a meal as “reasonably healthy,” Mrs. Moore explained that the meal components consist of two to three vegetables, little to no fried foods, whole grains, and as many fresh greens and fruit as possible. She stated, “Whatever is in season and is reasonably priced is what we offer on the menu every Sunday.” She explained that improving your diet is all about making informed decisions about what ingredients, foods, and processes to substitute, for example baking instead of frying, having 2% rather than whole milk, and substituting agave for sugar.

In the past, due to kitchen limitations, nutrition was sometimes compromised for time and ease of preparation. The church would often send out for fried chicken when there was an event. Moore says this was one of the first things they opted to change, “We wanted to get away from that fried chicken because fried chicken is…fried chicken! It’s saturated in fat, and it’s not always good for us.”

So, how has this nutritional shift been received by the church members? Evelyn says, “People who never ate carrots before, eat our carrots. People who never ate beets before, eat our beets…They’re learning how to prepare things they’ve never made before.” The key is creating familiarity for people who are afraid to branch out. To help create this, the Culinary Arts Ministry implemented a tasting day, “We have even done a heart healthy menu…We wanted to show people on that particular day that you could have tasty food, without it being bland and it can still be healthy.”

The Culinary Arts Ministry makes it a point to educate the rest of the church staff as well. Every third Sunday, they host a class where they discuss foods from the Bible, give hospitality training, and share tips about what to expect when hosting guests.  More specifically, among Carver Park’s senior Bible study group, Moore is sharing more detailed information about health, nutrition, and exercise. “They’re lifestyle changes, not a diet. Our whole objective is to make us better, and to help others be made better by what we learn and do.”

For the community at large, Carver Park Baptist hosts an annual event titled, Feed My Sheep. Here, community members can join them for a healthy dinner and can receive food basket donations. Aside from this, people can come in to any service and eat there at any time.

The abundance of knowledge and resources within the Culinary Arts Ministry begs a pertinent question: Why doesn’t the community make healthier food choices? “I actually believe that people don’t eat healthy because of finances,” Moore shares. She began to reflect on previous attempts to connect the people in East Waco to healthy food. One of those early efforts was the “Veggie Van” organized by World Hunger Relief, Inc.  As the name implies, the organizers would bring a van full of fresh vegetables to East Waco on a regular basis and offer them for sale.  “I thought that the produce wagon that used to come through was pretty good,” Mrs. Moore says, “but they were a little bit expensive for the people in the neighborhood.”  To remedy this, Moore has high hopes of rebuilding the church garden which would provide fresh produce to the community each week – with no obligation to turning a profit.

Another key ingredient Moore says is needed to help the community eat healthier is education – not only for nutrition, but for buying fresh with a low budget. “We need to get people educated on what they can eat without it being so expensive. Everybody says eating well is so much more expensive, but if [they] knew how to eat and how to prepare it [they] wouldn’t spend as much money.”

Moore is a strong believer in making a plan and sticking to it. Her advice to those who are new to or struggling with eating healthier? “Go to the market with your budget and your menu and have what you buy be geared to that. Work within those parameters. The next week do the same thing, and you’re going to learn that the food is much more tasty and makes you feel much better.”              

Evelyn Moore continues to be a leading voice in improving the nutritional components of meals within her church and her community. However, she is just one of a team of individuals at Carver Park Baptist, and in East Waco, who are seeking to improve lives through better food. Another of these individuals is Helen Lewis, who manages Carver Park’s expansive food pantry. We will share that story in Part 2 of this series.

Khristian Howard is an Atlanta native and a recent graduate of Georgia State University where she earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work. She has a passion for empowering communities through service, and seeks to connect advocacy to creativity. Currently, she is serving as the AmeriCorps VISTA for Texas Hunger Initiative Waco, where her work focuses on fostering collective impact to improve health and eating habits in East Waco. When she is not working, you may find her sharpening her culinary skills or exploring new poetic and artistic pathways.  

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 ashleyt@actlocallywaco.org for more information.

Waco 101: Overlay Districts

(Thanks to Beatriz S. Wharton, Senior Planner, Planning Services, City of Waco, for providing most of this information. – ABT)

By Ashley Bean Thornton

Waco Walks and the Centex Hispanic Chamber of Commerce are hosting a walk on LaSalle Avenue.  We hope you will join us!  We’ll meet up on Saturday, March 2, at 9:30 at the Centex Hispanic Chamber of Commerce offices at 915 LaSalle Aevenue. (Click here for the details.)

As usual, we will be sharing some history and telling some stories as we explore part of Waco on foot.  As is often the case, we will also be learning a little bit about urban planning and, in particular, what “steps” (Get it?) we can take to help make Waco a more walkable community.  

One of the tools a community can use to improve walkability is to create an “overlay district.” The term “overlay” or “overlay district” has been in the news quite a bit lately as the city and business owners consider the future of development on LaSalle Avenue.  With that in mind, it seemed like a good time to learn a little bit more about the whole concept of overlay districts and in particular what is being proposed for LaSalle.

What is an “overlay district?”

An “overlay district” is a tool that a community can use to regulate development in a particular part of town or “zone.”  Almost all land within Waco is “zoned” for a particular use.  For example, some land is zoned for commercial use and some for residential use.  Each zone has a particular set of rules that govern what may or may not be built in the zone as well as regulations and restrictions about design elements, for example, sidewalks, set-backs, parking, windows, landscaping, etc.  

An overlay district is a set of rules that “overlays” the existing base zoning district in a particular area. It provides additional design regulations that address issues that are unique to a specific area. It can include increased regulations/ restrictions or relaxed restriction/ codes. Waco has five existing overlay districts: Brazos River Corridor District, Downtown District, West End District, Neighborhood Conservation District, and College and University Neighborhoods District.

Who can propose an overlay district?

Overlays in Waco have typically been proposed by the city, but can also be proposed by a group who is interested in implementing guidelines to protect or preserve a specific area’s characteristics and/or guide future development.  The proposed LaSalle Avenue overlay, for example, has been more of a grassroots effort. A group of owners of property along La Salle Avenue organized public meetings and brought a proposal to the city.

Who makes the final decision as to whether an overlay district will be implemented?

Overlays are ordinance regulations and therefore must go through the public process. This means public hearings before Plan Commission and City Council (with two required readings). City Council makes the final decision. City Council can approve, disapprove, or approve an amended overlay. Notices are mailed to all property owners within the proposed overlay boundaries, as well as property owners within 200 feet of the proposed overlay boundaries, prior to public hearings.

What are some of the Pros and Cons of an overlay district?*


* Adapted from https://www.rcsanda.com/default.htm,  downloaded 2/26/2019.

Highlights from LaSalle Avenue Proposal

(The full proposal can be found here: https://www.waco-texas.com/userfiles/cms-root/file/Planning/LaSalle%20Ave%20Overlay.pdf )

Purpose:

The purpose of the LaSalle Corridor District is to preserve and enhance a business district that is rich in heritage, historic architecture, business activity and significance as both a destination and a connector.  It further aims to guide the LaSalle Corridor’s development into an area that serves: nearby neighborhoods and neighboring institutions; Waco residents and visitors; and vehicular and pedestrian travelers.  

Application of Regulations:

Within the LaSalle Corridor district, the regulations of each respective base district shall continue to apply to property located in that district, except as expressly supplemented or modified herein. These regulations only apply to new development or a substantial renovation to an existing structure. Designated historical landmarks located in the LaSalle Corridor district may be exempt from section “Architectural Requirements”.

The following uses would be specifically prohibited in the LaSalle Corridor District: 

  • HUD-Code manufactured homes.
  • Television and radio broadcasting towers.
  • Automobile sale (except as incidental to primary use).
  • Repair and servicing of automobiles and other passenger vehicles.
  • Automobile car-washing establishments (unless screened and/or architecturally compatible with surroundings)
  • Heavy machinery storage, rental, sales and repair.
  • Machinery, farm sales, repairing and overhauling.
  • Warehouse storage.
  • Feed processing and grain elevators.
  • Tire retreading, recapping or rebuilding.
  • Motor freight and truck service terminals.
  • Sand and gravel extraction except from the bed of the river.
  • Junkyards, automobile-wrecking yards, salvage yards and scrap operations.
  • Acid manufacturing.
  • Cement, lime, gypsum or plaster of Paris manufacturing.
  • Distillation of bones.
  • Fat rendering.
  • Fertilizer manufacturing.
  • Gas manufacturing.
  • Garbage, offal or dead animals, reduction or dumping.
  • Glue manufacturing.
  • Storage or refining of petroleum or its products.
  • Smelting of tin, copper, zinc or iron ores.
  • Stockyards or slaughter of animals.
  • Agriculture feed lots.
  • Asphalt batching.
  • Screened or unscreened open storage.
  • Sexually oriented businesses.
  • Enclosed outside storage.
  • Smoke shops
  • Pawn Shops
  • Payday Lending
  • Well drilling shops.

Sidewalks 

  • All new developments and substantial renovations fronting on LaSalle must construct and maintain a 10-foot-wide pedestrian way along the pavement of the street. 
  • Fronting LaSalle, the pedestrian way must consist of a minimum 6-foot-wide sidewalk and a minimum 4-foot-planter strip between the sidewalk and street.
  • Fronting other streets, the pedestrian way must consist of a minimum 5-foot-sidewalk and a minimum 4-foot-planter strip between the sidewalk and street. 
  • If the paved portion of the pedestrian way exceeds 8 feet in width then streetscape and landscaping must be incorporated into the design of the pedestrian way. 

Want to learn more about LaSalle Avenue and how all this might look “in real life?” Join us for our walk!  See you Saturday!  Want to find our more about Waco Walks?  Follow our Facebook page or join our email list. 


This Act Locally Waco blog post is by Ashley Bean Thornton, she has lived in Waco almost 20 years now. Far longer than she ever lived anywhere else. She likes to walk. If you see her out walking, honk and wave and say, “Hi!”

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 ashleyt@actlocallywaco.org for more information.

The Business of Health Care: Cancer Care

By Glenn Robinson

Cancer is now the leading cause of death in the United States and globally.  Few among us have not already been touched by cancer in some way, whether it be ourselves, someone in our family or dear friends and colleagues.  With that in mind, the following are a few notes on cancer care that will hopefully be helpful if cancer becomes a part of your life.  

Cost

According to a study in The American Journal of Medicine, cancer forces 42 percent of patients to exhaust life savings in two years. It is expensive to treat, with patients facing potential surgeries, chemotherapy, and radiation treatments – in addition to expensive imaging tests. There are hospital stays, multiple doctor appointments each month, and many tests… not to mention the high cost of cancer-fighting medications, or income lost from missing work.

A recent study found that cancer patients, on average, are more than twice as likely to declare bankruptcy as those without cancer. Should you or a loved one face a cancer diagnosis, here are steps that may reduce some of the financial burden:

  1. Talk to your health insurance company and make sure you understand deductible and copay requirements.
  2. Take someone with you to doctors’ appointments who is not afraid to bring up the cost question on your behalf, if necessary.
  3. Tell care providers that cost is a potential issue.
  4. Discuss therapy options – and their cost – with your provider. Beyond choosing a lower cost therapy, avoiding low-value tests and procedures can save a lot of money.
  5. Consider hiring a financial counselor to help guide the family through this aspect of care.

Following these steps can help patients focus less on finances, and more on getting better.

Alternative Therapies

Nearly four in ten Americans believe that cancer can be cured solely through “alternative” therapies, such as oxygen therapy, diet, and herbs – according to a survey by the American Society of Clinical Oncology.

Many in the medical community were shocked by this finding and the danger it represents. A 2018 study underscores the danger, finding that patients with cancer using alternative medicine were more likely to decline potentially curative conventional cancer treatment, thereby increasing risk of death.

The National Institutes of Health has declared that no alternative health product or practice – such as acupuncture, chiropractic medicine and herbal medicine – has been proven to cure cancer. While these services may help patients manage cancer symptoms and side-effects from treatment, relieve stress, and improve quality of life, they are not a cure.

Patients facing cancer must keep in mind that delaying conventional cancer treatment can decrease the chances of remission or cure, and that using unproven products or practices to postpone or replace conventional medical treatment may be a costly mistake.

Even if they don’t delay conventional care, some alternative therapies may interfere with cancer treatments or be unsafe for cancer patients. Anyone diagnosed with cancer should consult their cancer care providers before using any alternative therapy for any purpose — regardless of whether it’s cancer-related.

Alternative therapies often do have a role in cancer care. As part of an ongoing discussion, patients and their physician can determine which therapies are safe and supported by evidence.

Advanced Treatment Options

For decades, when it comes to treating cancer, there have been three main options: surgery, radiation, or chemotherapy. Often these treatments are used in concert with one another to rid patients of tumors and eradicate any traces of the disease.

While these will likely remain staples of cancer care for the foreseeable future, a host of new advanced treatment modalities are coming online and are expected to expand the cancer care toolbox.    

One is immunotherapy, which looks for ways to bolster the body’s immune system to prevent the spread of cancer. Some cancers take hold and spread throughout the body because they aren’t susceptible to the body’s immune response and even develop immunity to chemotherapy drugs and radiation. Immunotherapy attacks the cancer’s defenses, potentially allowing for effective treatment.

A related field of cancer study is therapeutic viruses and dendritic cell vaccines. These are biological agents, engineered in a lab, capable of seeking out and destroying cancer cells while leaving healthy tissue alone.

Another exciting development in cancer research involves nanoparticles. This advanced, microscopic technology can be used to more precisely target cancer cells in multiple ways without harming normal cells. For instance, nanoparticles can deliver heat to tumors to shrink them, or be loaded with medication and sent to hunt down cancer cells.

There may never be one silver bullet to cure cancer, but rapid progress on many fronts hopefully will someday lead to its demise.       


Glenn Robinson is the President of Baylor Scott & White Medical Center – Hillcrest. He has over 30 years experience in hospital and health care management, and currently serves on several Boards associated with the Texas Hospital Association and the American Hospital Association. In addition, Glenn is Past-Chair and an active member of the Greater Waco Chamber of Commerce, and serves on the Prosper Waco Board.

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 ashleyt@actlocallywaco.org for more information.