by Bill Gaventa

This month is Autism Awareness Month. The Heart of Texas Autism Network sponsors a number of wonderful activities in pursuit of recognizing children and adults on the autism spectrum as full members of our communities. Last month was Developmental Disabilities Month and well as national Traumatic Brain Injury Month. March also included an international Down Syndrome Day (March 21).The last week of September is an International Deaf Awareness Week.  October is both national Disability Employment Month, and National Mental Illness month, followed by November as national Alzheimer’s Awareness month, a month started by a proclamation from Ronald Reagan. There are multiple others. One could go on and on.

What’s more, each of those awareness months and days compete with other kinds of awareness campaign that have nothing to do with disabilities.  You name it. There is probably a day for it. I remember a commentary about all of this on NPR a long time ago, with the speaker yearning for the possibilities of a “National Nothing Day,” one that would probably be appreciated by many as long as they did not have to sign declarations about it, lead public relations campaigns, or do the multiple other things that one has to do in order to help one of these days or months become something more than “in name only.”

Of course, all of these groups know that awareness is something they yearn for all year round. There are daily needs that go unseen and unmet, assumptions and stereotypes that go unchallenged, and both people and caregivers who go forgotten and unsupported.

Many also know there is a double edge to special awareness days, weeks, or months.  Calling anything “special” can unwittingly imply that that people are more different than alike, that special skills are needed to be human and hospitable with another, and that specialized programs are more important than friendship and being part of neighborhoods, congregations, clubs, and community activities of all kinds.  Hopefully, one day, “special” becomes unnecessary, because everyone is treated as unique and valued, receivers and givers, citizens and potential friends. Everybody, as Nigerian novelist Chimamanda Adichie

says in a famous TED talk, is more than a single story. In fact, she says it more forcefully: There is danger in being seen as having a single story.

But we are not there yet. People with disabilities, their families and friends, and organizations that support them all need supporters and allies as the work of weaving people into community life goes on, and they are known as people with multiple interests, gifts, and stories.

If you stopped for a moment to ask, “Do any of these groups work together, the answer is “Yes.” Waco is lucky enough to have several organizations that seek to link these individuals, families, organizations and services together. One of them is the Waco Mayor’s Committee for Disabilities.

It’s a mouthful of a name. It sounds formal and official, but truth be told, it is neither. It is one of those organizations that only exists because of the voluntary commitment and work of the people and organizations who choose to be involved.   No one’s paid.  We get by financially with the help of our friends, organizations and businesses who help donate to, and sponsor, two major events each year for people with disabilities, their families and friends: The Starry Night Holiday Celebration during the Christmas season, and Join the Pride, the upcoming free day at Cameron Park Zoo (April 22) that also serves as an information and resource fair for people with disabilities, their families, and friends.

What else do we do?  We have been thinking about that, and have a vision of serving as a collaborative, active network that can (1) respond as a team to people and families searching for services and supports, (2) share information with one another on new and exciting ideas and supports, and (3) work together across disability labels and organizations to support one another and to meet needs we cannot by ourselves.

Many cities established Mayor’s Committees several decades ago. Many of those have withered on the vine. Some key people in McLennan County, including Darlene Nobles of Signs of the Times, Anita Karney of the Heart of Texas Autism Network, and Kelly Yarbrough, formerly of DARS but now of the Texas Workforce Coalition, have helped keep the Waco Committee alive. Now there are new voices wanting to strengthen current projects and do things together that we cannot do separately. The key phrase these days in human services, as in other arenas, is taken straight from the farm:  Get out of our silos and talk to one another.

Anyone’s welcome to join in as a member (no dues), participant, advocate, and worker. If you come with curiosity, we can hopefully answer questions. You don’t need to fill out forms. If you come with ideas and dreams, be prepared to work on them.  We may not yet have all the supports and services people need, but through this Committee and network, you’ll have allies, people willing to listen, and others willing to celebrate the wide diversity of ways that people and groups in Waco are working to give everyone the chance to participate in the community as they wish. As Waco begins to grow and thrive, let’s help the lives of those with one form of disability or another flourish as well, and become known more for their grit, gifts, and desire to contribute to this community as well.

How to get started? Email [email protected], and Like the Waco Mayor’s Committee for Disabilities on Facebook. Put out a question there. And share information. Find out about next meetings. (usually once a month) Come to Join the Pride on Sunday, April 22, and meet a bunch of the people involved.  Join the Pride started because the lion’s pride at Cameron Park Zoo once had a lion who was shunned by the others because of a disability. So the founders wanted to be part of her pride, at least symbolically. Now, we have a zoo that is known for its skills in rehabilitation of animals, and multiple support organizations seeking to help individuals and families feel pride in their own lives and community.  We need dreamers and workers. Everyone has gifts. It is our job together to find ways to use them.

Here’s the information about Join the Pride… be sure to register online so we have an idea who is coming.  To request free tickets for families with special needs children, adults with disabilities, or veterans with disabilities and a guest, visit: http://www.tinyurl.com/2018JTPZooTickets or email [email protected]

To sponsor a family or for a free booth register at: http://www.tinyurl.com/2018JTPBoothSponsor.

Bill Gaventa is the Current Co-Chair, Waco Mayor’s Committee for Disabilities.  He is an  ordained Baptist minister currently serving as the Director of the Summer Institute on Theology and Disability and the national Collaborative on Faith and Disability. Bill’s pastoral career has been in a variety of roles at the intersections of faith and disability, including community supports with people with disabilities, training for clergy, seminarians and community services staff, aging and end of life/grief issues in intellectual and developmental disabilities, cultural competence, and community building. He served as the President of American Association of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities for 2016-2017.  He and his wife Beverly moved to Waco in 2013 where she serves as Professor of New Testament Interpretation at Baylor University.  In Waco, Bill serves on the Mayor’s Committee on Disabilities, the Board of the Arc of McLennan County, and the Professional Network Advisory Committee of the Heart of Texas Region MH/MR Center. You can email Bill 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 [email protected] for more information.

By Andrew Patterson, Kristopher Ruiz & Caroline Capili

400 hundred years ago, immigrants from all over the world boarded ships to escape persecution, to start a new life. A life free from fear, a life with endless possibilities, a life with hope for a better future. Today, that same thing is happening with children ranging from a few years old to teenagers. Only these children are not boarding boats or sometimes not even traveling with their family. These children are jumping on moving trains, trekking across deserts, crossing streams all the while trying to evade those seeking to exploit them. These children are fleeing domestic abuse, violence, poverty, and food insecurity in hopes that they may have a better life and help out their families.

Our project began last fall when we, Caroline Capili, Kristopher Ruiz, and Andrew Patterson signed up for a brand-new class at Baylor University led by Dr. Victor Hinojosa and Dr. Lori Baker focusing on the issue of child migration in the Western Hemisphere with an emphasis on the Northern Triangle countries. We attended weekly lectures, read reports and books, and met with numerous experts in the field. We were asked to develop an innovative project to address the child migrant crisis. We spent many classes going through the process of design thinking to come up with ideas about what we wanted to accomplish and how we were going to do so. After months of going through this process, we agreed that we wanted to bring attention and awareness to this crisis and start a dialogue here in Waco. Once we had this purpose, we thought the best way to approach a problem with multiple facets was through art. We looked up different examples of art exhibits focusing on the issue of immigration, and that’s when we first came across Northern Triangle.

Northern Triangle is an exhibition created by Borderland Collective that opens a space for constructive dialogue and exchange around the current Central American refugee crisis along the U.S./Mexico border and the long and complicated history of U.S. intervention in which it is irrevocably entangled. The exhibit is comprised of pieces such as items collected along the border, pictures drawn by child migrants, news articles, and photographs. Northern Triangle is everything we wanted in an exhibit and more. We found Northern Triangle through one of the guest speakers we had, Mark Menjivar. Mark is a former Baylor student and friend of Dr. Hinojosa. He is one of the lead collaborators of Borderland Collective. Borderland Collective is a long-term art and education project based out of Texas State University designed to engage community members with complex issues in order to foster discussion on those issues. The lead collaborators of Borderland Collective are Jason Reed (Director), Ryan Sprott (Co-Founder), Mark Menjivar, Molly Sherman, Erina Duganne, Daniela Hernandez, and Cacey Wells. Mark Menjivar had been our point of contact with Borderland Collective.

Our panel discussion at the opening night event will consist of three portions. First, Caroline Capili, Kristopher Ruiz, and Andrew Patterson will introduce the project, the process they went through, their goals for this art exhibit, and how those goals brought them into contact with Borderland Collective. Second, Mark Menjivar, Jason Reed, and Erina Duganne from Borderland Collective will discuss the exhibit, Northern Triangle, and explain what they have learned in their time studying this issue’s history and the current state it is in today. Third, Dr. Victor Hinojosa, Dr. Lori Baker, and Dr. Andy Hogue will discuss their many years of work on this issue in the areas of political science and anthropology.

Here are some of our reflections on how this project has affected us:

“This project has given us the opportunity to start a dialogue regarding the issue of child migration and address the misconceptions surrounding it. Tackling this issue starts with education about what is really happening and not just what is portrayed in the media. My perception of this issue changed more and more as I spent time learning about it, and my hope is that this art exhibit does the same with the community. As a college student, I never once thought I was going to be able to participate in a project like this that could actually make a difference in something as important as children risking their lives by attempting to come to America.” – Kristopher Ruiz

“As a college student, I never thought that I would be able to engage with professional change-makers on a weekly basis. Through this project, I have been able to interact with many individuals with big dreams and big ideas. The “wicked problem” of migration from Latin America has been a hot topic in the news lately, and we wanted to create a space to foster conversation about the issue. I hope that this art exhibit will impact the way the Waco community views the migration crisis by showing them multiple perspectives, and allow them to experience the issue in a new light.” -Caroline Capili

“Coming from a state like Wisconsin, I never had much of an exposure to the the child migrant crisis before I signed up for this class. If you asked me last fall what I thought was going to come out of this class, I would never have imagined I would develop such an interest in this wicked problem and become passionate about helping these kids. I never would have imagined bringing an exhibit like Northern Triangle to Baylor. This class has been one of the highlights of my college career and I am immensely grateful for everyone who made this class possible and helped us make this project into a reality.” – Andrew Patterson

April 19 – 6 PM – Northern Triangle Opening Night Event at the Mayborn Museum – The opening night event will be free and open to the public. The Office of the Provost’s Social Innovation Collaboration Initiative (BAY-SIC) will host a conversation at 6 p.m. to discuss the event’s focus: The Central American refugee crisis. If individuals wish to visit the exhibit after April 19, the price is included with museum admission. The exhibit will be on display through September 19. There will also be light refreshments at the event.

Andrew Patterson is a junior Political Science and Economics Major, from Mukwonago, Wisconsin.  Caroline Capili is a Junior, Political Science Major, from Beaumont, Texas, and Kristopher Ruiz is a junior, Political Science Major, from Round Rock, Texas.

By Emily Mills

Have you ever watched a fire burn, mesmerized by the flames, rightfully fearful of its power? Have you seen a small flame light up the night, or the tiniest spark begin a raging forest fire? Fire can bring both massive destruction as well as health and life to a community. Fire is primal and ancient, a symbol of the Divine, Holy Spirit…life to humanity. Fire molds, transforms, destroys, and heals.

And such has been the journey of Jesus Said Love, carrying and holding a hot and holy vision that has burned us through and through, leaving us with a blessing. My husband, Brett, and I began reaching women within the commercial sex industry about 15 years ago after our first daughter was born. We had no clue we would be consumed with a love like we had never known. Before hitting the clubs we were singing contemporary Christian/worship music to an audience that largely spoke our same language. It became familiar, lackluster, and cliché.

After our first outreach to strip clubs in Waco, Texas, we began to hold stories of women whose lives were impacted by severe forms of abandonment, neglect, and loss. Then, a spark was lit that would soon burn our “ordinary” lives to dust. The outreaches took on the name Jesus Said Love and a movement across Texas to “awaken hope and empower change” began.

We launched teams in Dallas, Bryan/College Station, Killeen, San Antonio, Houston, and eventually Tyler. We held the love of Christ out like a hot meal to be consumed right then and there, and it was gobbled up. We began advocating for women whose lives were wrecked and hope waned.

Homelessness, addiction, mental illness, attempted suicide, financial instability, transportation issues, single motherhood, dental problems, health issues, lack of education, legal problems, and even human trafficking were all now landing in our laps. These issues were wicked problems and how do you fix problems, but not people?  We couldn’t twist love into control and domination, we couldn’t manipulate and call it empowerment. We had to trust in the truth of Love at all costs. We are still learning.

Today, Jesus Said Love has grown deeper with its headquarters at 1500 Columbus Avenue in Waco. We have current outreach teams in Waco, Dallas, Houston, Tyler, and Killeen….these outreaches are the deep roots that ground our fruitful tree. Programs at JSL HQ include:

• ACCESS: an 8 week holistic paid internship program for women leaving the sex industry including job training, leadership, parenting, mental health, nutrition, financial literacy, and Bible classes.
• Counseling via The Advocacy Center Crimes Against Women and Children on location.
• Fight Club: an all female AA Recovery group open to the Waco Community.
• Stop Demand School: a sex buyers intervention course for those arrested for buying sex (not located at our building).
• Prayer and Worship on Outreach nights.
• Lovely Enterprises: a social enterprise of JSL aimed at reducing recidivism into the sex trade by providing living wage jobs and launching micro businesses.

There’s a lot of sense in discerning the times we are living in, not merely plugging through life unaware of what is stirring, transforming, and shifting in our culture. We are living in a time where the light is shining on the issue of exploitation and objectification of women and we are learning how this affects our communities. This year at Wild Torch, our annual gala experience, we will voice a clarion call for hope and change and share the beautiful stories of transformation in our midst! Wild Torch uses the visual and performing arts to share these stories at the Waco Hippodrome!

Incredible food pairings by Chef Jason Rolf (of the Grape) and Chef Corey McEntyre (of Milo Provisions) will light up your taste buds, your eyes will feast on visuals from the collaborative effort of Sidekick Agency and Matt Davidson Creative and the live fine art auction will include the talented Ty Clark of Waco and a custom oil painting by Samuel Shelton among others! Brett and Emily Mills along with their band including The Union Revival will take the stage and debut their new song, “Gold”. It’s an event like none other and one that is sure to leave you fired up!

Come “carry fire” with us. April 23. Waco Hippodrome.

Emily Mills is the Chief Ideation Officer at Jesus Said Love.  In 2004 Emily began reaching women in the commercial sex industry and laid the foundation for what would become Jesus Said Love in 2007. Emily loves leading worship alongside her husband Brett and is a hesitant public speaker. She loves writing music, is drawn to almost any body of water, and adores learning new things. Emily has three incredibly gracious children: Hattie, Lucy and Gus.