by Saul Cornejo Bravo
Throughout history there have been many times when the youth, frustrated by issues affecting society, have rallied together to invoke change in our nation. In previous decades, those issues included civil rights, education, the Vietnam War, and free speech. What made the movements of these past generations successful was hope that change could be enacted and a willingness to use the collective power people hold in our democracy to achieve it. In contrast, our generation, the millennials, are currently described as too lazy, sensitive, safe-space-confined, selfie-obsessed, and self-absorbed to care about anything going on in the world. If judged by voting percentages of 18 to 29 year olds, that assertion might be correct. Millennials’ voting participation rate peaked in 2008, when 51% of the eligible voters from the youngest voting block participated that presidential election year. In contrast, during the last midterm election only about 21% voted. Because of this, politicians have had little incentive to act in our generation’s best interest. In particular, there is an urgent issue that I, along with the other members of the MCC Up to Us team, believe must be addressed because of its impact on our generation: the national debt. This debt issue threatens the future prosperity of our country and the future livelihood of young Americans through its effect on taxes, and federal spending.
The Up to Us team at McLennan College is running a national debt awareness campaign, as part of a national competition, in the hope that we can inform our peers about the issue and inspire them to take action by participating in the political process. Our campaign is non-partisan; we aren’t endorsing any political ideology, party, candidate, or even legislation. Instead, we believe this issue should transcend party lines and ideologies because Democrats and Republicans alike have gotten us to this point, and everyone will be affected by it, whether they consider themselves liberals or conservatives. Additionally, we do not want to promote intergenerational conflict, but we believe that our current political leaders, in regard to the national debt, are making decisions hurting our generations’ best interest, because the debt accumulated today will affect society tomorrow. Our main goal is to make our peers aware of the national debt and the importance of government fiscal responsibility, because our federal budget, apart from showing how we allocate our resources, demonstrates where our values and priorities lie.
After years of continued borrowing from the prosperity of future generations by running high federal budget deficits, the national debt is close to 19 trillion dollars. This debt accumulation trend, if left unaltered, could have negative consequences for our country. For example, in 2015 we spent approximately $224 billion in interest, more than we spend on education, research and development, and infrastructure– which are investments for our future– combined. Additionally, our annual interest payment is expected to more than double to $772 billion by 2025. Therefore, we must consider our priorities when thinking about increasing the national debt because we can’t fund the government through deficits indefinitely.
Currently, major drivers of the national debt are the national healthcare programs, but sadly there has been little done to make them sustainable. Over 40%, or about 1.8 trillion dollars, of our federal budget goes towards social health programs like Medicare, Social Security, and Medicaid, with costs growing every year. For example, due to the baby boomer generation retiring, Social Security and Medicare, in particular, have become extremely costly and are unsustainable under current law. In 1960, the worker to beneficiary ratio was 5 to 1. In 2009 it reached 3 to 1, and by 2035 it’s projected to reach 2 to 1, which will make Social Security an even bigger burden on our budget. Granted, these programs are important for our society, but if we want to continue having them, we need to make them sustainable in a way that won’t sacrifice the future of our country.
Our current political leaders are heavily divided among political parties and ideologies, and are unwilling to solve the issue. This led to a government shutdown in 2013 and inaction to reduce our budget deficits. Additionally, politicians from both sides of the aisle continue to irresponsibly propose plans that could have a significant negative effect on our deficit, such as heavily increasing spending or cutting taxes, the government’s revenue, by trillions. Proposals like this borrow from the prosperity of future generations for immediate political benefits. Therefore, it is up to millennials, the generation that in the future will suffer the consequences of the decisions made today, to demand action and hold our politicians accountable by participating in the voting process. By joining together now, we can cement our legacy as the generation that ensured America’s prosperity by demanding fiscal responsibility and ensuring our resources are spent investing in our future.
Follow the McLennan College Up to US campaign on Instagram @MCCUotoUs to learn more about the national debt and follow their campaign.
Saul Cornejo Bravo is a student at McLennan Community College and currently interns at First Friday Waco. He is passionate about community development and plans to transfer to UT Austin and major in Economics.
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.
Notes:
https://www.ssa.gov/history/ratios.html
https://www.ssa.gov/oact/trsum/
https://www.cbo.gov/topics/budget/long-term-budget-analysis
by Natalie James
About Project Link
Three years ago, the Bernard and Audre Rapoport Foundation, under the leadership of Executive Director Tom Stanton, began exploring ways to increase the rate of post-secondary success for Waco-area high school and college students. Over the course of many months, a group of about 40 individuals from local school districts and colleges (including school counselors, administrators, superintendents, and college presidents) assembled to discuss the challenges and barriers their students faced with college readiness, high school transition to college, and college success.
The result? After much collaboration and continued conversations, the group proposed to increase the number of counselors available to students at both the high school and college level so that students could receive consistent support for post-secondary success from ninth grade all the way through college or technical certification. This additional counseling would provide the “link” between success in high school and success in post-secondary studies.
In January 2015, The Bernard and Audre Rapoport Foundation Board approved the grant proposal for Project Link in the amount of $1,020,000. Prosper Waco serves as Project Link’s “backbone organization.” They work with the multiple organizations involved in the grant to provide oversight of the project’s implementation, including collecting data, tracking outcomes, and reporting to the Rapoport Foundation.
Project Link officially launched this past fall to help students from La Vega High School, University High School, McLennan Community College and Texas State Technical College. The project link team consists of one Project Link Coordinator, three Project Link High School Liaisons, and one Project Link Outreach Specialist. The Project Link Coordinator serves as the team’s lead and manages grant operations on a day-to-day basis. Three Project Link Liaisons, one at La Vega High School and two at University High School, work with students in the ninth through twelfth grade to prepare for college and workforce opportunities. The Project Link Coordinator and Outreach Specialist work together with the high school Liaisons to ensure a smooth transition to college and to provide continued support for Project Link students at the college level. Our team includes me as the Project Link Coordinator at McLennan Community College; Brandon Chappell, Project Link Outreach Specialist at Texas State Technical College; LaTishia Watson, Project Link Liaison at La Vega High School; and Marlayna Botello and Brittany Davis, Project Link Liaisons at University High School.
So what exactly do we do?
The goal of Project Link is to help students and their families chart a more assured and successful post-secondary journey. To accomplish this, Project Link participants develop personal relationships with professionals who provide intense one-on-one college, career, and financial advising and mentoring.
Really…who wouldn’t like having someone they can go to when they are unsure of what their next step is or when they need reassurance that they are on the right track? At both the high school and college level, Project Link provides academic and college support as well as personal and life coaching.
At the high schools, the Project Link team works to create a college-going culture by developing an environment that recognizes the value of higher education, by building awareness of post-secondary resources, and by nurturing student’s individual college and career aspirations. The participating high schools each have a dedicated space where the student can come to learn, explore, and begin to outline their own college and career path with the appropriate support and guidance to do so. Through one-on-one meetings and group sessions, the high school Liaisons help students with planning for optimum college and career readiness. They help students determine their career and college goals, think about enrichment and extracurricular engagement, figure out how to afford college and manage their money, navigate the application and registration process, prepare for SAT/ACT/TSI tests, and transition from their high school to the college of their choice. We encourage and support students as they explore and find a college that best meets their academic and career goals, and their personal needs – their true college match.
Project Link students participate in college and career nights, college application fairs, financial aid and scholarship application workshops, college tours, career days, and more. The students work on building their own educational resume by developing strong academic competencies and by participating in leadership and community service opportunities. College representatives from MCC, TSTC, and Baylor provide site visits for one-on-one advising for students who are considering attending one of these local post-secondary institutions.
Project Link is not designed to recruit specifically for MCC or TSTC, but statistically we know that many of our students for various reasons end up matriculating to one of those, so we provide additional support at those two schools.
At the college level, the Project Link Outreach Specialists provide one-on-one advising, life coaching, and other services. Students have the opportunity to participate in workshops that cover topics such as academic skills and support, careers, degrees, employability, life skills, personal wellness, computer and technology skills, and financial literacy and resources. Participants have additional opportunities to build their educational resume through community service, leadership, and internship opportunities. The goal of all of this is to help students develop the needed academic competencies, life skills, and strategies to attain their personal goals like earning their college degree, landing the job of their dreams, and achieving lifelong success.
Overall, Project Link helps to increase awareness, access and success for college readiness and retention. While building long lasting growth-oriented relationships with our students, the program allows each student to not only dream, but to make those dreams come true. At the end of the day, our program is not designed to do things for them, but instead to provide them with guidance and understanding about what steps they can make next in reaching their own dream, their own success. We can provide each of these students with all the knowledge, insight and information we have about pursuing a college or workforce degree that will land them the job of their dreams, but in the end, ultimately, we will not be the ones who will make these students successful. THEY WILL. Their persistence and hard work will be what takes them to their desired level of success. We are just serving as a beacon of light, showing them that with an advanced EDUCATION, comes great WORKFORCE and career opportunities that will lead them to be more productive members of our society and COMMUNITY. I would say that is a win, a victory, a SUCCESS for us all.
Natalie James is the Coordinator for Project Link. A native of the Waco area, she has proudly worked in Higher Education for the past 10 years at McLennan Community College. She earned her AA degree from MCC, a BSAS degree from Tarleton State University through the MCC University Center, and M.Ed. from Angelo State University. She is also a proud wife and mother to two amazing daughters. If you have questions about Project Link, feel free to contact Natalie at [email protected] or at 254-299-8517.
By Amy Jimenez
His smile was unlike other smiles teenagers wear. It screamed bravery and courage, masking the pain and loneliness I could clearly hear behind his words. That day, he showed up to school. We celebrated his step forward. One step toward his goal of graduating was worth celebrating. The dream of graduation is easily clouded when your report card shows half the credits you need to walk across the stage. However, this smile showed the determination of fulfilling a mother’s dream, a dream passed on to a son who painfully works through her loss every day. His smile can get lost in the labels and numbers I see in the literature, headlines, and records. Unaccompanied. Homeless. Food Insecure. At Risk. Instead, his smile should represent a dreamer—his dreams of travel, of college, of somehow experiencing hope again.
Teenagers just like this student bring me to a place of humility, of wanting more for them, and dreaming big dreams alongside them. My heart for high school kids led me to work with Waco ISD Homeless Outreach for the past two years, a phenomenal department that works with families and high school students who are homeless as defined by the McKinney-Vento Act. Unaccompanied homeless youth (UHY) are students who experience homelessness and are not in custody of a parent or legal guardian. Right away I learned about the extensive issues homeless high schools students face, including risk of dropping out, family conflict and violence, low self-esteem, sex trafficking, and other deep wounds.
- In the U.S., 1.6 million youth experience homelessness.
- 20-40% of unaccompanied homeless youth were abused sexually in their homes
- 40-60% of UHY were abused physically
- 20-40% of UHY have been thrown out of their homes because they are gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, or pregnant.[1]
Many of our students don’t realize they are homeless. To them, staying at a motel or sleeping on a couch or in a car is just life and they are fighting to keep up with their school work and jobs. Their stories are really tough to hear, but it’s a privilege when they bravely share them. Stories I’ve heard from our students in Waco range from unsafe living conditions, abusive relationships, couch surfing, incarcerated parents, and aging out of a life in foster care. Some students have confided being kicked out because of whom they love. The calls that really punch your gut are ones from our partners at UnBound, who prevent and intervene when girls have been trafficked. Hearing that students from Waco High and University High have been rescued from a trafficker will never get easier, but it sure ignites a desire to find ways to care for them and prevent it from happening again. These stories are also filled with winning medals at track meets, making the top 10% of their class, reuniting with mom, receiving a scholarship from Mary-Hardin Baylor, and walking across the stage at graduation. On paper, we call them “Unaccompanied Homeless Youth”. But when you get to know them, you instead begin to see them as resilient, persistent, tenacious, and brilliant.
The Cove began as a dream of Cheryl Pooler’s six years ago after hearing the stories of homeless families in Waco ISD. With over 1,300 homeless students, Cheryl, Waco ISD’s Homeless Liaison, has meticulously fought for each student and their families to have access to resources and dignity throughout their education in Waco ISD. Cheryl and I share a soft spot in our hearts for high school students. When you have the privilege of meeting a high school student who is experiencing homelessness, you’ll never forget his or her story.
Cheryl has shared the vision for a safe place for students to come after school where they could feel valued, cared for, and loved. In order to prevent chronic homelessness, research points to creating an empowering space that offers not only a place to shower and do laundry before finding a temporary place to sleep, but one where students can receive counseling and medical screenings, meet with an adult who can walk through life with them, make a connection to a job training program, and involve youth in the planning and leadership. The Cove’s Student Advisory Committee is made up of both teenagers and young adults who have experienced homelessness, and their input has been invaluable as the Cove is being formed.
But today the Cove is not just a dream. It is becoming a reality. I have felt so humbled at the response from the Waco community. Waco has rallied around the issue of youth homelessness and has been welcoming and supportive of starting the Cove. The Cove is not just one organization. It’s truly a community effort to love, care for, and empower the most vulnerable youth in our city.
Hopefully to open this spring of 2016, the Cove will be an after school nurturing center for the over 60 unaccompanied homeless youth in our district. At the Cove, students will have access to tutoring, a computer lab, family style dinners, counseling services, medical screenings, haircuts, space to recharge, and maybe even play basketball. Our high school students themselves have contributed greatly to this process of developing the Cove along the way. Their insight and experience is the greatest we have to truly care for and end youth homelessness in our city.
As a local Wacoan, I am so excited for a Waco where former students from the Cove are the nurses who care for our families, the real estate agents who help purchase our houses, the head caterers at our local weddings, the teachers changing the lives of our kids, and the mayors who continue the legacy of bringing positive, collective change to the place we call home.
If you’d like to get involved, we’d love for you to join us in the adventure. Please feel free to email [email protected]. You can also visit our Facebook page or find us at www.thecovewaco.org
Amy Jimenez has been a Wacoan since 2009 after moving from Cincinnati, Ohio. She graduated from Baylor in 2012 with a degree in International Studies. She has interned with Waco ISD Homeless Outreach, the Cove, and also works for the Texas Hunger Initiative. She will be graduating with her Master of Social Work this May from the Diana R. Garland School of Social Work. Amy adores her best friend and husband, Blake, her dog, Marsha, and is passionate about seeking justice and loving people well here in Waco. Feel free to contact Amy at [email protected] or (254) 300-8443.
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.
[1] National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth. (n.d.). Unaccompanied Homeless Youth. Retrieved from www.naehcy.org/educational-resources/youth
By Donna Stauber
Waco is witness to a new era in health care. A new ministry called Faith Community Health at Baylor Scott and White-Hillcrest is helping shift the paradigm of health care by combining the caring strengths of faith communities with the clinical expertise of health care providers to improve the health of our community.
Baylor Scott and White-Hillcrest is partnering with local faith communities to provide training and support to volunteer Faith Community Caregivers to attend to their neighbors and community members during the entire span they are receiving medical care. These volunteer Faith Community Caregivers are supported through the education they receive at a 6 hour training on personal boundaries, resources, and listening skills just to list a few of the training topics. This team works closely with health care providers and other community groups to ensure people receive the care and resources they need.
Faith Community Health operates according to four principles; Right Door, Right Time, Ready to be treated and Reassured-Not Alone. It aims to help to direct people to the Right Door, or avenue of care such as seeing a primary care physician, clinic, or outpatient center in the hospital. It urges people to seek treatment at the Right Time, learning the importance of preventative care and how to recognize symptoms earlier. It also helps those needing medical treatment understand what they need and why so they can be Ready to be Treated. Finally it Reassures those facing health issues they are Not Alone. Facing illness can cause feelings of anxiety, isolation or fear. Faith Community Health not only provides support in physical healing but also the support of a calm presence during trying times.
Donna Stauber, Ph.D., Program Manager, Innovations, Spiritual Care Delivery, is exploring the ways Faith Community Health can best serve the Waco area. For the past few months, Stauber has been training volunteers to be Faith Community Caregivers around the Waco area. Pictured above is the training at Family of Faith Worship Center in North Waco. For more information or how to receive training for your church, contact Dr. Stauber by email at [email protected] or by phone at 254-855-0579.
Donna Stauber has over 25 years of experience in health education, nutrition, wellness, leadership development and motivation. Presently as Program Manager, Innovations, Spiritual Care Delivery for the Baylor S&W System, she is working at her dream job of connecting faith communities with healthcare. Donna also teaches as adjunct faculty for the department of Health and Human Services at Baylor University. She has three children and 9 grandchildren and has been married to her best friend George for 28 years and loves to fish, bird watch, float, and farm.
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 Emily Mills
The weight of holding a story is a sacred one. Holding your own narrative, really owning your story is powerful. I learned how to own my story through an unlikely source. Commercial sex exploits, women working in the sex industry, invited me into the journey of self-discovery. Over a decade ago, I began reaching out, extending myself to women in strip clubs. Looking back, I know now why I was there. It wasn’t about saving “them”… it was about knowing myself. Through the sacred journey of holding their stories, I began to own mine.
Like many of the women I met, I too experienced childhood sexual abuse. I wasn’t sure how comfortable I was with this term. I was no victim. I was a survivor. I didn’t “need” anything from anyone. I would learn how to do life on. my. own. And this attitude is EXACTLY the story of a commercial sex exploit. What a perverted sense of pride I had found in “pulling myself up by the bootstraps”. My addiction bore the markings of religion, theirs the sex industry. What was the difference? Both of us used something to make us feel powerful. Needless to say, God has continued to save me daily through the work of Jesus Said Love, a ministry sharing the revolutionary love of Christ with women in the commercial sex industry. I have learned that I am she, and she is me…and we’re in this life together.
Last year, we embarked on our first gala-esque fundraiser, Wild Torch. A night carrying the story of the women we reach through the visual and performing arts. It was purely magical. This year, Wild Torch will blaze on April 11, 2016, at the Hippodrome. Our concept is to swim up the river a bit and through the arts answer the question, “Where does the life of a commercial exploit begin?” And while we can’t make grand assumptions and sweeping generalizations, the statistics and data are flooring:
- The average age of entry into the commercial sex industry is 12 years old for a female.
- Upwards of 80% of commercial sex exploits were sexually abused as children.
- 70% of all human trafficking victims in the US come through the commercial side.
- The number one risk factor for human trafficking is poverty.
- 89% of women in the commercial sex industry say they want out but have no other means of survival.
For more facts and information visit: http://jesussaidlove.com/freeher-facts
While the data is gut wrenching, Wild Torch will display the remarkable story of three women who have beat the odds of the industry! Through powerful dance, song and film we will share and celebrate their resiliency! The funds raised this year will go toward The Dixie Fund, a transition fund for women escaping the industry. Through this fund we not only are able to alleviate financial crises due to leaving the industry, but also empower women with funding for entrepreneurial endeavors!
Last year’s funds went to refurbishing the new JSL headquarters at 1500 Columbus. This year, funds raised for The Dixie Fund will help us transition women out of the industry through educational programs and job training, employ former exploits, and launch businesses! Come carry fire with us at Wild Torch 2016! Find out more at www.wildtorch.com.
Emily Mills received her B. A. in Communications from Baylor University. While at Baylor, Emily participated in various opportunities to serve the marginalized and lead worship. This began her passionate pursuit to “put feet” on the songs she was singing. In 2003, while leading worship at a conference for women exiting the sex industry, these two worlds collided and Jesus Said Love was born. Emily continues to lead worship around the country with her husband, Brett. They have three children: Hattie, Lucy and Gus. To learn more about Wild Torch, visit wildtorch.com or our website JesusSaidLove.com. Contact us 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 Saul Cornejo Bravo
“I can’t wait to get out of Waco!” Throughout my high school years, I expressed this thought often.
I have been living in Waco since I was eight years old, when my family moved here from Phoenix, Arizona. Since then, more often than not, I have viewed Waco as a boring city with not much to offer, mainly because we don’t have a Six Flags or Laser Tag arena. Now that I’ve become more involved in my community, my perspective on Waco is changing. Since starting an internship at First Friday Waco, an organization that partners with local businesses to promote downtown Waco, my hope and excitement for the future of Waco has been renewed.
First Friday Waco was started in early 2013 by Peter Ellis when he saw the need to have a strong downtown network of local businesses supporting one another. First Friday Waco’s vision is that as downtown Waco grows it will become an inclusive hub for local business owners to support each other and make downtown a great destination for visitors and patrons. I was given the opportunity to help in Peter’s vision when I started an internship with First Friday Waco in late October. At First Friday Waco, we fulfil this vision by collaborating with businesses to create a monthly celebration to promote downtown Waco. The businesses agreed to extend their hours, offer specials, and/or hold special events every First Friday of the month, with festivities usually starting as early as 11am on Friday and going as late as 2 am Saturday morning. First Friday is a great opportunity to meet awesome local people – including artists, authors, musicians, and designers – who are enriching our local culture.
Through my work at First Friday Waco, I’ve also gotten to learn about other organizations that are working to make Waco a better place. For example, Creative Waco is an organization that supports the creative community in Waco. They recently started their #NotJustABag campaign which is raising money to make Waco a Texas Commission on the Arts designated Cultural District. Another example is this website, Act Locally Waco. The Act Locally Waco blog provides a place for individuals like me to share their thoughts. The Act Locally Waco “Twelve Aspirations for Waco” resonate with me completely and excite me about Waco’s future because they will bring the community closer together to solve issues.
So now when I think about Waco, I don’t feel disappointment that we don’t have Six Flags or Laser Tag, but rather excitement for the things to come. In my opinion, what is being done at First Friday Waco, Creative Waco, and Act Locally Waco (to name a few) is what will make our city great. The more I become involved in the city, the more I appreciate what it truly has to offer: a great community willing to make a difference. My internship with First Friday Waco will soon come to an end, but my desire to be involved in my community won’t. As I’m getting ready to leave Waco, I find myself thinking “I can’t wait to get back to my city.”
Saul Cornejo Bravo is a student at McLennan Community College and currently interns at First Friday Waco. He is passionate about community development and plans to transfer to UT Austin and major in Economics. If you want to know about First Friday Waco’s upcoming events please visit the Facebook page: FirstFridayWaco.
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.
(Note: This is Part 2 of a two-part series on Hospice for National Hospice Month. Here is the link to Part 1: National Hospice Month, Part 1: “I don’t want to read about dying!”)
by Tammera Ryan
“When we honestly ask ourselves which person in our lives means the most to us, we often find that it is those who, instead of giving advice, solutions, or cures, have chosen rather to share our pain and touch our wounds with a warm and tender hand.” ~ Henri Nouwen
We got to be involved with a patient that touched us. His name was Robert.
Robert had lived a rather interesting life. Throughout his 58 years, circumstances had left him homeless, living on the streets; finding his way where he could, and disconnected from his sister. Although that is important, we won’t dwell on that part of his life’s journey. Because sometimes in life, it’s not how you start, it’s how you finish.
If you read last week’s blog, you will remember that I said I would share a patient’s story. This is one that makes me proud to work for a not-for-profit hospice, specifically, Providence Hospice. Providence has never had to turn anyone away regardless of payment source. Providence Hospice offers many programs in the community: bereavement support to anyone who needs it, children’s grief programs, a specialized Veteran’s Program, a Pathways program and more.
Now, back to Robert. I mentioned that Robert’s circumstances had left him homeless. He was found by another homeless gentleman laying between two buildings. He was in obvious pain due to a terminal illness, had not been able to have a bath in weeks, had a hard time communicating, and needed help desperately. Somehow, Robert’s friend managed to get him to a local physician’s office. Fortunately, that physician contacted her friend; a Providence Hospice Social Worker. With very few questions asked, the wheels were in motion for Robert to get great care at Providence Hospice Place.
Robert was given a private room at Providence Hospice Place. He got immediate medications to help relieve his pain and received a much needed warm bath in the facility’s state-of-the art bathing system. He got undivided nurse’s attention, and received a hospice physician visit every day he was there. Perhaps just as important, that same social worker who got the call that someone needed help made sure she found him clothing, shoes, and other basic life necessities.
Now that Robert was safe and his physical pain was managed, Robert knew he needed something deeper. Robert had lost his faith. He knew he believed, but he had no way of connecting with his spirituality. With the help of the Providence Hospice Chaplain and through many heartfelt conversations and a complete bearing of his innermost thoughts, he began to reconnect and found his faith again.
After five days of care at Providence Hospice Place, it became necessary for Robert to be moved to a long-term care facility. When it came time to make that move, he was not worried about his new clothes or the few other items he had collected. The one thing he wanted more than anything was to take with him the Bible that had been laying by his bed. Of course, the staff let him take that Bible.
Robert was at peace living in the facility. He enjoyed his meals and the new friendships he made. The Hospice staff who visited him at the nursing facility always found the Bible he had taken with him right beside him every time they visited. They could tell it was being read.
A few more weeks went by and Robert grew weaker and weaker. He continued to thank the Providence Hospice team who took him in, who clothed him, who bathed him. He talked about a sister. One day the nurse sat with Robert helping him to write a letter to his sister.
A few more days went by and on a peaceful night, Robert took his last breath….a Bible laying by his bed. That Bible was given to the hospice nurse who was with him those last moments. Inside the Bible, in feeble hand-writing, was written a name and address. The nurse knew it was the sister he had talked about. The nurse was able to connect with his sister and was able to tell her of how he was at peace, of how he was well cared for during his last months, and of how well he “lived.” That same Bible where her name was written was given to Robert’s sister. She was very thankful because she had lost track of her much loved brother. Robert’s sister eventually took his ashes and had them scattered over his parents’ grave.
Volunteers are an integral part of our hospice agency’s ability to care for patients such as Robert. Medicare hospice guidelines require that at least 5% of the work that hospices provide be done by volunteers. Providence Hospice exceeds these requirements with a great group of highly trained volunteers. If you are looking for a special place to serve using your unique skills and abilities, I hope you will consider volunteer opportunities with Providence Hospice. Our Volunteer Coordinator, who has been with us for over 19 years, is dedicated to finding the right opportunity to match your talent.
His circumstances had left him lonely and disconnected. He touched us! He lived! He mattered! His name was Robert.
Tammera Ryan has worked with Providence Hospice for the past Thirteen years. She has held various roles within the agency including Community Liaison, Executive Director, and Director of Business Development. She has been married for 27 years. Together, she and her husband have raised their two sons and are very happy to have welcomed a daughter – in- law into their family four years ago. Her favorite quote comes from Ghandi, “Be the change you wish you see in the world.”
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 Florence Gassler Scattergood
Choruses love to sing. That’s why they exist. Singers enjoy the way vocal exercises soothe our being, improving our technique to enable us to express ourselves with greater beauty and ease. We are drawn to poetry in the lyrics, increasing our capacity for empathy and understanding of world around us. The freedom and joy of uniting our best voices, our best selves, with those around us who feel the same are both inspiring and exhilarating for singers of all ages.
Choral singing is a special experience which enables a group of strangers to unite with one purpose. Since talent is no respecter of socio-economic status, physical or mental capacity, or religious or political conviction, a choir is the place where all participants can be valued for their individual commitment to the collective production of beautiful music.
There is a unique sense of belonging and well-being that comes from singing in a choir. There is a physical sensation of connectivity in a room where all are focused on using their voices in the same way at the same time. Adding beautiful melodies, pleasing harmonies, and well-crafted lyrics to this commitment to vocal unity elevates the experience to choral artistry.
Special relationships develop within a choral setting; director with singers, singers with singers, and singers with the audience. Lifelong friendships and unexpected collaborations fuel and motivate all involved. Studies even show that those involved in choral singing early in life become significantly more active in philanthropy, civic affairs, and volunteerism as adults than the general population.
I have had the delight and pleasure of spending my professional career immersed in these experiences surrounded by singers. As a choir member and an ensemble director, I can testify that not every minute of every rehearsal generates the perfect moment of musicality or significant meaning, but the sharing of the vision and the striving toward excellence always propels us as we move toward our goal of becoming musically literate vocal artists. The process is the daily bread which feeds my soul. To my delight it is also feeding the souls of those who are eavesdropping.
This fall a unique partnership began between the Youth Chorus of Central Texas and Stilwell Retirement Residence. With the gracious hospitality of Joel Wright, the Executive Director of Stilwell Retirement Residence, and the generous support of the Stilwell staff, fifty young choristers from roughly 20 schools are welcomed every Monday afternoon to their fine facility for weekly practice. It is also when and where we build commUNITY.
Singers and their parents from all over the city converge on Stilwell for rehearsal and are greeted by new friends. When I enter the building, the room is set up and ready for our lively singers who range in age from third through tenth grade. Our Baylor and WISD interns arrive early to prep for the singers as does our pianist. Stilwell staff are ready to help with our logistical and clerical needs.
We rehearse adjacent to the dining room and residents regularly peek in to see and hear us. Sometimes we venture into the dining room and sing newly polished songs. The ladies and gentlemen are a gracious and supportive audience. They tell us stories of their personal musical adventures and encourage and compliment our efforts. We have shared Halloween goodies with them and are sure Christmas will include some sort of celebration as well. Several YCCT members and parents have made inquiries as to volunteer opportunities with our new friends. This is a delightful development.
We arrived at this partnership out of necessity. The YCCT is a community chorus; we are not affiliated with any particular school, church, or major institution. We do not have a permanent home. It is important for us to have a central location which is welcoming to our culturally diverse membership. The Stilwell family has welcomed us with open arms and the YCCT families enjoy coming to Stilwell. Our parents can wait for their children on site or visit the public library or do some shopping nearby.
We entered into this partnership for the purpose of having a rehearsal space and have actually found a home, complete with enthusiastic and nurturing eavesdroppers who share our joy and passion for feeding souls through song.
Since 2013, YCCT has served over 100 singers from approximately 25 schools providing music for the PACK of HOPE, Meals and Wheels, Waco Cultural Arts Festival, and the Interfaith Holocaust Remembrance Service. The choir received the 2014 Model of Unity Award from the Community Race Relations Coalition of Waco. Please visit www.youthchorusofcentraltexas.org for information on SPRING AUDITIONS.
Florence Gassler Scattergood and her husband Bob live in her childhood home with their cat Cougar. She is currently an adjunct lecturer at Baylor University and is co-founder/director of the Youth Chorus of Central Texas with Lynne Gackle. Florence enjoys reading, cooking, traveling, and socializing with the neighbors. For her professional bio visit www.youthchorusofcentraltexas.org.
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 Jimmy Osborn
When I was a sophomore at Baylor, I joined Young Life and was placed at a high school in North Waco called Connally high school. For those not familiar with Young Life, it is a Christian outreach program that places college and adult leaders at different high schools, and encourages relational ministry. Let me first say that I’m originally from Houston, Texas, where I attended a private high school, graduated, and then attended another private school in Baylor. Throughout my entire education, I had not seen a lot of diversity, let alone lived in it. Connally High School thrives on diversity. It could be characterized as a 30-30-30 school, with equal percentages of students being African-American, White, and Latino. In doing Young Life at Connally, I’ve experienced true diversity for the first time.
Throughout my first year and a half at Baylor, prior to my Young Life days, I rarely traveled north on I-35. I did the typical thing most Baylor students do and seldom veered off the trusty Valley Mills Dr. I occasionally spent time in the Woodway area, but for the most part I lived in the infamous “Baylor Bubble.” In my first few experiences with leaving the Baylor Bubble to go to Connally, there was an initial shock value on some level. I was going to places where kids had completely different upbringings than myself. I was nervous about being able to connect with kids; it was eye opening to be around such a different culture. Being around kids from Connally made the divide in Waco far more obvious to me.
One of the integral parts of Young Life is “Club,” which is a weekly event where we bring kids to a different location, sing songs, play games, and talk about Jesus. Each week, my job is to pick up kids from Connally and bring them to Club. Our clubroom when I first started Young Life, was located in an old church building at Valley Mills and Waco Dr. For the most part, the boys I had gotten to know did not spend their time over here. They viewed it as a field trip of sorts. Sure, they had visited all over Waco, but for the most part they stuck to their pocket of Waco. I remember one event we had at Cameron Park. In my mind Cameron Park is an open place, but to my kids this wasn’t a place they felt really comfortable going. This wasn’t their pocket. For many of them, this was their first time going to Cameron Park, despite living in Waco for their whole lives. Why is that? How come four African-American high school boys wouldn’t feel comfortable going to a Waco staple like Cameron Park? They are just as much a part of Waco as I am, or as the young adult living down town, or as the family living off of Lake Waco.
After doing Young Life for about three years, I’ve gotten the benefit of being able to see most of Waco, and the division in Waco has become more and more clear to me. Divisions can be discouraging. I look at it and I’m thankful to be a part of something like Act Locally Waco, which aims to solve the divisions. At Act Locally Waco, one of the essential values we hold is the unification of Waco. By sharing events all over Waco, in each pocket, we encourage fellow Wacoans to break down the invisible barriers built up over the years and come together for a greater cause. Waco is a diverse city, and we have every reason to celebrate that. Since my freshman year in 2011, Waco has already seen so much change and growth. I’m excited to see what Waco will look like in the coming years. Along with all the development surely to come to Waco in the near future, I hope that these hidden walls will come down as new buildings go up.
Jimmy Osborn is a senior at Baylor University, who is from Houston, Texas. As a professional writing major, Jimmy hopes to transition into the advertising field after graduation to become a copywriter. Jimmy enjoys tacos, golden retrievers, baseball, and having staunch opinions over movie and TV show characters.
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 Kelsey Miller
National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week is upon us! During this week before Thanksgiving every year in November, communities across the United States gather together to join in raising awareness and spurring action on behalf of our neighbors who experience hunger and homelessness. This year, the local effort in Waco is focusing on seniors, for whom the challenges of hunger and homelessness can be particularly profound.
Our friends at Meals on Wheels teach us that the number of seniors in the U.S. will double by the year 2050, from 57 million to 112 million people (National Senior Fact Sheet). And did you know that according to Feeding America, food insecure seniors, whose households make up 9% of all households (Household Food Security), are at greater risk for chronic health conditions including depression, heart attacks, asthma, and congestive heart failure?
And when it comes to homelessness, homeless persons aged 50 to 62 oftentimes face the same health conditions suffered by housed individuals who are 10-20 years older (NCH). Due to a lack of affordable housing, there are at least nine seniors on the waiting list for every one occupied unit of affordable elderly housing across the nation (NCH).
These realities shocked me when I first heard them. However, knowing what I know about the resilience of seniors and their advocates in our community and beyond, I became hopeful when I learned more about efforts to change these numbers. For instance, the Older Americans Act (OAA), first enacted in 1965, ensures critical services for older adults to help keep them healthy and independent. These services include things like meals, job training, senior centers, caregiver support, transportation, health promotion, benefits enrollment, and more.
The OOA expired in 2011 and was not reauthorized until July 2015. Provisions to the bill included new support for renovating multipurpose senior centers, an increased focus on addressing economic needs, a requirement that health promotion and disease prevention initiatives be evidence-based, and programs to promote chronic disease self-management and falls prevention. The Older Americans Reauthorization Act of 2015 still awaits approval from the House of Representatives.
How can YOU help?
During the week of November 15-22, 2015, we have the unique opportunity as Wacoans to come together to learn more and to advocate for change on many levels. The week’s events are sponsored by The McLennan County Hunger Coalition (MCHC) and the Heart of Texas Homeless Coalition (HOTHC), and kicked off yesterday at Church Under the Bridge and with the CROP Walk to benefit hungry people around the world.
On Monday, stop by a letter-writing station on Baylor’s campus, MCC’s campus, or at the Olive Branch restaurant to pledge your support for the passage of the Older Americans Act and to urge your members of Congress to do the same.
On Tuesday, attend the Waco City Council meeting as our Councilmembers issue a proclamation to observe National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week, and we thank them for their support.
On Thursday evening, join us at “Dinner and a Movie,” which will feature Hungry in the West End, a documentary look at senior hunger produced by AARP. Dinner is provided with donations accepted to benefit local agencies serving seniors. The event will be held at 6pm at St. Alban’s Episcopal Church, 305 N. 30th St. (Corner of Waco Drive and 30th Street).
On Friday, donate food and monetary donations to this year’s Food for Families Food Drive — the largest one-day food drive in the state! All proceeds and food collected benefit local pantries and feed our neighbors. Want to volunteer at a drop-off location? Contact Chelle Samaniego at [email protected] to get signed up for a two-hour shift.
On Saturday, join us for the 10th Annual Central Texas Turkey Trot — the fastest race in town! Sign up at https://www.signmeup.com/108397.
The natural opportunities and challenges that come with aging are enough for seniors to navigate; hunger and homelessness shouldn’t be among them. Please join us at one of the many events this week to grow your knowledge, engage in action, and advocate for our seniors!
To learn more about the activities and locations, go to www.mclennanhunger.org , or contact:
- Erin Payseur 254-710-1736, [email protected] , or
Cameron Goodman 254-750-5777, [email protected]
Kelsey Miller is a Child Hunger Outreach Specialist at Texas Hunger Initiative’s Waco Regional Office. She is passionate about more people gaining access to and education about healthy foods and our food system, and thinks the expertise of those experiencing hunger and poverty should always be our starting point. Kelsey lives with her husband and rambunctious puppy in Waco, and is also pursuing an MSW from Baylor part-time.
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.
Sources
Coleman-Jensen, A., Rabbitt, M., Gregory, C., & Singh, A. (2015). Household Food Security in the United States in 2014, Table 2. USDA ERS. http://www.ers.usda.gov/media/1896841/err194.pdf. Accessed October 1, 2015.
Feeding America. Senior Hunger Fact Sheet. http://www.feedingamerica.org/hunger-in-america/impact-of-hunger/senior-hunger/senior-hunger-fact-sheet.html?referrer=https://www.google.com/. Accessed October 1, 2015.
Meals on Wheels America. National Senior Fact Sheet. http://www.mealsonwheelsamerica.org/docs/default-source/fact-sheets/senior-fact-sheet-national.pdf?sfvrsn=2. Accessed October 1, 2015.
National Coalition for the Homeless (NCH) (2014). Elder Homelessness. http://nationalhomeless.org/issues/elderly/. Accessed October 1, 2015.
National Council on Aging. Older Americans Act. https://www.ncoa.org/public-policy-action/older-americans-act/. Accessed October 1, 2015.