Category Archives: Non-Profit Spotlight

Family Service Association: A Kidshare kid comes full circle

By North SA Chamber Editor
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Family Services Assn log0Family Service Association of San Antonio has served the community for over 110 years. While the needs of the community have changed over time what has not changed is the continual empowerment of individuals and families to transform their lives and strengthen their communities. Across all of the programs that service individuals from twinkle to wrinkle; Family Service’s program, Kidshare, helps children by providing a safe and neutral environment for estranged parents to transfer children from one parent to the other.  At KidShare, the parents avoid contact with each other and children are shielded from tension, anger and fear.

FSA_kidshare

Carly Bourke was seven when her parents separated. KidShare provided a way for Carly and her brother to spend time with their dad in a safe, supervised setting. “We were going through a lot. It was awkward, but the staff kept the visits positive. Also, a counselor who worked with us was such a nice man and made us feel safe. I loved everything about the place.” Carly is now 23 and works as a visitation monitor at KidShare. “I’ve always liked giving back to programs that helped me. I got counseling following an abusive relationship and I apply that knowledge to this work, as well as what I’ve learned being a parent. We see all social, economic and occupational levels in this work and it’s incredible to know we’re building a better, healthier community with stronger relationships.”

Carly is within a year of graduating from college, and this young mom of two little ones is an asset to our program.  She knows the benefits of KidShare from personal experience.  She’s why we do what we do:  Real Change for Real Kids.

Photo: Carly Bourke and her son

Morningside Ministries is a Humana Grant Finalist!

By North SA Chamber Editor
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MM-Main-logo-300x108The Humana Foundation announced that Morningside Ministries Senior Living Communities has been selected as one of three finalists in its highly Humana green logocompetitive Humana Communities Benefit grant program.  Chosen from among 38 applicants, Morningside will have a chance to win a $350,000 grant in early September that will benefit its web-based mmLearn.org program.  The Communities Benefit program provides funds to local, nonprofit organizations that have an impact on healthy behaviors and healthy relationships in the San Antonio area and surrounding communities.

mmLearn.org at Morningside Ministries is a web-based, distance-learning service that provides education, training and support to those caring for older adults. mmLearn.org was founded in 2007 and has been 100% grant funded ever since its inception. The goal of mmLearn.org is to improve the quality of life experienced by older adults in care, as well as to help their caregivers cope with the often difficult task of caring for an elderly person.  Family members and others can view over 300 caregiver training videos in “real-time” or “on-demand” on the mmLearn.org website for free at any convenient time, 24-7.

With grant funds from Humana Communities Benefit, mmLearn.org will significantly expand its outreach and marketing efforts to make many more caregivers throughout the community aware of the availability of resources to allow them to provide better care, reduce stress in their lives and become more knowledgeable of the aging process. As part of this initiative mmLearn.org will make its recording and webcasting facilities available to other organizations making it possible for them to promote their services, including services to older adults and their caregivers.

For media credentials please call 210-734-1176 or email Kristen Perez at kristen.perez@mmliving.org.

About Morningside Ministries
Morningside Ministries is San Antonio’s oldest and largest not-for profit, faith-based, senior care organization dedicated with the specific mission of “Caring For Those Who Cared For Us.” Morningside Ministries has served the San Antonio community since 1961 with Morningside Ministries at the Meadows, Morningside Ministries at The Manor, Morningside Ministries at Chandler Estate and Morningside Ministries at Menger Springs. Today we continue to serve over 900 residents in retirement, assisted living, nursing and memory care.

Media Contact:
Sandra Scott, V.P. of Sales and Marketing
210-734-1012 office
210-483-3959 cell
Sandra.Scott@mmliving.org

Morgan’s Wonderland accepting applications for educational field trips this October

By North SA Chamber Editor
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MorgansWonderland_logoMorgan’s Wonderland is a fun place, but it’s also a learning place where elementary students from Greater San Antonio schools can participate in educational field trips.

The unique, completely wheelchair-accessible theme park is now accepting reservations for educational field trips that will begin Monday, Oct. 6, said Becky Lucci, Morgan’s Wonderland programs director.  Other fall field trips will be available Oct. 7, Oct. 14, Oct. 20 and Oct. 21.

“Since 2011, our educational field trips have enabled elementary-school students to learn lessons in science, mathematics and other subjects throughout our 25-acre park,” Lucci said.  “Our goal is to offer learning opportunities outside the classroom in a colorful outdoor setting, and the feedback we’ve received from students, teachers and parents has been extremely positive.”

Created in conjunction with the Region 20 Education Service Center, each field-trip activity for students is directly related to the state’s TEKS lesson plans.  Region 20 has updated the curriculum, Lucci noted, and more learning stations throughout the park have been added.

Morgan’s Wonderland offers programs geared especially to students, senior citizens, young moms and scouting groups.  For more information and educational field trip reservations, contact Lucci at (210) 637-3469, or visit www.MorgansWonderland.com.

The non-profit theme park and other endeavors to help those with special needs – the nearby STAR Soccer Complex, San Antonio Scorpions pro soccer team, Toyota Field multi-purpose stadium and Monarch Academy school for students with learning challenges – were created through the vision and leadership of The Gordon Hartman Family Foundation.  Net profits from STAR Soccer, the Scorpions and Toyota Field have been earmarked for the expansion of programs and services at Morgan’s Wonderland to benefit the special-needs community.

Become a sustaining member of Guide Dogs of Texas and help us change lives!

By North SA Chamber Editor
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Guide Dogs_sustainer logoGuide Dogs of Texas (GDTX) is a nonprofit organization which promotes freedom, mobility, and independence to visually impaired Texans by providing “the Best Dogs in Sight.”

We breed, raise and train quality Guide Dogs for blind Texans. We clear a path to greater independence by offering one-on-one training for people with visual impairments anywhere in Texas. We are committed to each Guide Dog and handler for the life of the team.

Guide Dogs of Texas has provided Guide Dog Services to Texans since 1998. With the monthly support of donors like you, we can help more people without sight travel safely and participate fully in our communities.

Our Canine Programs

Breeding: Our dogs are carefully bred to ensure the best temperament and health of each puppy. The first eight weeks of the litter’s life is filled with gentle exposures to various sights, sounds, smells, and textures.

Puppy Raising:  From the age of 8 weeks to about 16 months, our puppies are raised by volunteer Puppy Raisers who teach obedience, as well as socializing the puppies and familiarizing them with various environments.

Advanced Training: After graduating the puppy raising program, the dogs receive 6 months of formal training with our Guide Dog Mobility Instructors to learn all their technical skills.

Class:  Once a Guide Dog learns all his skills, he is carefully matched with a blind handler. They spend four weeks training together under the guidance of a certified Guide Dog Mobility Instructor. After graduation, teams are visited at least once a year to provide support and assistance.

Results
Steve Cardenas “I have never driven a sports car, but my Guide Dog Cody is fast and smooth and that’s as close as I’ll get!”.

Dexter 3Reasons to Give
The cost of a guide dog to our clients is simply $1. GDTX receives no funding from government or insurance agencies. It is the support of donors like you that truly impact our mission.

A gift of just $10 a month adds to significant annual support. Furthermore, due to lower fundraising costs –and more stable income –with Sustaining Members’ gifts, your contributions have an even greater impact.

Increasing numbers of blind Texans request dogs each year. Your continuous financial support ensures that trained dogs will be plentiful and ready to change lives!

All members will be invited to an annual open house, receive exciting Guide Dogs of Texas Newsletters, and also will be mailed an auto decal to let the world know about your invaluable support for this great organization.

Remember every dollar we receive paves the way to transform the life of a blind Texan.  Call our office today and see how easy it is to sign up and join our sustainer club of monthly giving. 210.366.4081

Respite Care celebrates 27th anniversary with luncheon

By North SA Chamber Editor
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RespiteCare_colorChildren with special needs, as well as the families who love and care for them, deserve compassion, understanding, and support. Children who suffer injury and abuse deserve a calm, nurturing, and stable place to heal and hope. Respite Care of San Antonio provides care for children with special needs, some of whom have suffered abuse and injury. At Respite Care we open our arms wide in love and compassion for the children who need us most.

Founded over 26 years ago by families caring for a child with special needs and recognizing the demands placed on parents working to meet their child’s needs, these families created what is now known as Respite Care of San Antonio.  Since inception, a diverse cadre of supports has been developed to provide temporary care for children with special needs to give families a break to spend time within their marriage, with other children within the family unit and for themselves.  Sixteen years ago, with the opening of the Davidson Respite House, the agency began providing full time, overnight care for children who are victims of abuse or neglect from throughout the state and living within the state’s protective custody orders.  Respite Care’s emergency shelter program remains the only licensed service of its kind in the state of Texas.

To commemorate the unique services this entity provides, Respite Care’s 27th Anniversary Luncheon will be held Thursday, November 21, 2014 at 11:30 a.m. at the Historic Pearl Stables.  This event will honor Charline McCombs and feature guest speaker John Foppe, who will share the story of his success, despite the many obstacles he was forced to overcome.

To learn more about Respite Care or to purchase sponsorship and tickets to this very special celebration, visit www.respitecaresa.org.

Infant screening changes school demographics

By North SA Chamber Editor
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Sunshine Cottage logoInfant screening is making a huge difference, not only in the enrollment profile at Sunshine Cottage School for Deaf Children, but also in the lives of those born with impaired hearing. In 1999, the Texas Legislature passed House Bill 714 requiring all birthing facilities in the state to administer a hearing test to infants younger than one month of age make a referral to a treatment provider as necessary. The Texas Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Program (TEHDI) created by the legislation is dedicated to ensuring that newborns and young children with hearing loss are identified as early as possible.

Although it took a while, current results of the program are dramatic. For example, Sunshine Cottage early enrollments have almost tripled since 2004. Today, 74 children are enrolled in our Parent Infant Program and the trend continues to creep upward. There are many reasons for this in addition to the 1999 legislation. First, the availability of new technology such as the cochlear implant. Cochlear implants, coupled with intensive post implantation therapy, can help young children to acquire speech, language, and social skills. Most children who receive implants are between two and six years old. Early implantation provides exposure to sounds that can be helpful during the critical period when children learn speech and language skills. In 2000, the FDA lowered the age of eligibility to 12 months for infants to receive a cochlear implant.

Secondly, information through outreach efforts have been extended to parents and providers. The city has been proactive in encouraging compliance with the legislature and Sunshine Cottage has used the internet and other social media to make people aware of the help that is available. Studies show that early identification and association with a program that encourages parents to use all means available to help their child is the best methodology for success.

Additionally, institutions such as Sunshine Cottage have developed programs specifically tailored to reach out to and assist infants and younger children. The Parent Infant Program at Sunshine Cottage provides parent-focused, child-driven and center-based intervention in a warm, comfortable, home-like setting. Sunshine Cottage recognizes and empowers parents as the individuals primarily responsible for developing their baby’s oral communication skills by integrating listening into the infant’s personality through natural daily routines. Our PIP parents learn about hearing loss, effective use of amplification and strategies for developing spoken language.

Finally, more doctors and pediatricians are making referrals because they recognize that early identification and intervention is the process most likely to turn out an adjusted and contributing adult.

Sunshine Cottage has long recognized and been a leader in early identification and treatment, and has made extra efforts to reach out and connect with parents, hospitals, doctors and treatment professionals.  The efforts have resulted in more and increasingly younger referrals, changing the school’s demographics and core population.

Sunshine Cottage, long a leader in educational advancements for young children, welcomes the opportunity to make its services available to the growing number of infants identified through the screening process. We look forward to the day when everyone is aware that hearing impairment is not a restriction in infant growth and education.

Morgan’s Wonderland ‘Free to Soar Gala’ Sept. 19 to honor five outstanding individuals

By North SA Chamber Editor
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MorgansWonderland_logoOn Friday, Sept. 19, the annual “Free to Soar Gala” benefitting non-profit Morgan’s Wonderland and Monarch Academy at Morgan’s Wonderland will honor five individuals who have been champions for those with special needs.

“Each year, we salute outstanding individuals who embody character traits such as determination, caring, achievement, sacrifice and inclusion,” said Ron Morander, general manager of the world’s first ultra-accessible theme park designed with special-needs individuals in mind and built to be enjoyed by everyone.  “They will be recognized at the gala, and their names will be added to the Walk of Fame that encircles our park’s eight-acre lake.”

Details about how to nominate individuals for inclusion on the Walk of Fame by the Aug. 1 deadline can be found at www.MorgansWonderland.com.   A committee from Morgan’s Wonderland and The Gordon Hartman Family Foundation, along with special advisors, review nominations and select the five honorees.

Morander said an honoree might be a student who, regardless of a special need, perseveres at school and inspires other students; a Wounded Warrior who embraces life despite immense physical challenges and serves as a role model for other Warriors; a dedicated employee who has earned the admiration of a supervisor and peers for a job well done; a parent or caregiver who has sacrificed to make a difference for those with special needs; or someone who works directly with the special-needs community to make a difference in numerous lives.

Sponsorship information and other specifics about the Free to Soar Gala are available from Becky Thomas at (210) 493-2811.  Gala proceeds will help expand programs and services for the special-needs community through Morgan’s Wonderland and Monarch Academy.

Completely wheelchair-accessible Morgan’s Wonderland admits anyone with a physical or cognitive challenge to the 25-acre park free of charge.  Monarch Academy, located next door to Morgan’s Wonderland, helps students with special needs achieve their full potential through individualized instruction.  The school’s Bridge Program strives to equip students with valuable skills that lead to productive lives as adults.

The inspiration for Morgan’s Wonderland came from Morgan, daughter of philanthropists Gordon and Maggie Hartman, who will celebrate her 21st birthday during the gala.  Morgan’s soaring spirit despite personal challenges sparked within the Hartmans a deep desire to create a haven not only for those with special needs but also for their families, caregivers and invited friends.  “Inclusion is the overarching objective,” Gordon Hartman noted.  “Everyone can have a good time at Morgan’s Wonderland.”

Morgan’s Wonderland and Monarch Academy are located in Northeast San Antonio a half-mile west of IH 35 at the intersection of Wurzbach Parkway and Thousand Oaks Drive. For more information about Morgan’s Wonderland or Monarch Academy, call (210) 495-5888 or (210) 479-3311, respectively.  Or visit www.MorgansWonderland.com or www.MonarchAcademy.net.

Accion Texas announces faster, more streamlined process for community advantage small business loans

By North SA Chamber Editor
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Accion logo colorThe U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) acknowledged Accion Texas’s success as a small business lending partner by granting the nonprofit organization the “delegated authority” to cut approval times for applicants of the 7a Community Advantage loan from up to four weeks to within four days.

The SBA 7a Community Advantage program offers qualifying businesses with small business loans up to $250,000 to start or expand a business. Accion Texas started participating in the 7a Community Advantage loan program in July 2011, after the SBA started the pilot program in February that year. Since then, Accion Texas has approved 20 loans totaling more than $2.9 million to small businesses in Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Tennessee and Texas.

With delegated authority, Accion Texas can approve SBA 7a Community Advantage loans to small businesses without forwarding applications to the SBA to review, cutting the approval process time down from weeks to just days. The SBA gives the designation of “delegated authority” to mission-focused, community-based lenders that serve low-income communities, based on the organization’s loan volume and loan quality.

This spring, Accion Texas received an award from the National Association of Development Companies for being one of the top 10 SBA 7a Community Advantage lenders in the nation. Accion Texas placed fifth among several dozen lenders participating in the SBA program.

“We’re excited that we can help small business owners achieve their dreams through the SBA 7a Community Advantage loan program,” said Dan Lawless, chief lending officer at Accion Texas. “Our goal this year is to double our approvals for the 7a program to $2.2 million. Being given delegated authority will help us achieve this goal.”

The Community Advantage loan product was designed by the SBA to reach underserved communities whose small business owners typically find it difficult to secure funding elsewhere. The product is a term loan with an interest rate range from 7.25 to 9.25 percent.

In order to be considered eligible for this loan program, businesses must meet one of the following requirements: The business must be located in low- to moderate-income community, in an Empowerment Zone, Enterprise Community, or HUB Zone. The business must be considered a “small business” according to SBA standards, or be owned by a veteran.

About Accion Texas
Accion Texas Inc. is a nonprofit, multi-state microlending company and small business lender that helps new and existing entrepreneurs successfully grow their businesses. Through affordable lending and business development services, Accion Texasis committed to empowering diverse individuals and small businesses that have limited access to traditional sources of capital.

Since we opened our first office in San Antonio with three employees in 1994, Accion Texas has helped thousands of people achieve their small business dreams. We’ve made nearly 15,000 loans totaling more than $160 million. Accion now operates in eight states: Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Tennessee and Texas. We offer business loans between $500 and $250,000 throughout our footprint, and up to $5.5 million in Texas through the SBA 504 lending program. Additionally, we offer training, networking opportunities and other support services for hardworking entrepreneurs. To learn more about Accion Texas’s offerings, call 888-215-2373 or visit www.acciontexas.org.

Matisse: Life in Color, Masterworks from The Baltimore Museum of Art

By North SA Chamber Editor
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SAMA_Stacked_color

 

Purple Robe and AnemonesThe San Antonio Museum of Art is presenting Matisse: Life in Color, Masterworks from The Baltimore Museum of Art through September 7, 2014. This exhibition features eighty paintings, sculptures, and works on paper spanning six decades of Henri Matisse’s prolific career. Drawn from The Baltimore Museum of Art’s permanent collection, perhaps the finest collection of Matisse’s work in the world, Matisse: Life in Color offers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for San Antonio, and indeed, all of Texas and our region, to share in the beauty and importance of such a magnificent body of work.

“The exhibition will enrich our community and increase the national and international stature of the San Antonio Museum of Art as well as the city of San Antonio as an important cultural destination,” said Katherine C. Luber, The Kelso Director of the San Antonio Museum of Art.

As one of the most influential artists of the twentieth century, Henri Matisse (French, 1869-1954) fundamentally altered the course of modern art with his stylistic innovations. Across a succession of stylistic periods, Matisse aimed to discover the “essential character of things” through art that expressed balance and serenity. He experimented throughout his career with abandoning conventional perspective and form in favor of dramatically simplified areas of pure color, flat shapes and decorative patterns.

Upcoming Programs Include

ArtBites Presents: Dining with Matisse, a tour of the exhibition and cooking class, Wednesday, July 23, 4:30-8:00 p.m., or Thursday, July 24, 4:30-8:00 p.m., or Sunday, July 27, 4:00-7:30 p.m.
Make Your Own Matisse: Artmaking, music, cash bar, July 22, 5:00-8:00 p.m.
Family Flicks: Hugo Saturday, July 12, outdoors at sundown.
Timed Ticket reservations: www.samuseum.org/Matisse/tickets. Free to members.

Stepping up to protect Seniors: a Family Service committment for 40 years

By North SA Chamber Editor
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big 300 logoFamily Service Association is at work year ‘round to protect our vulnerable senior citizens. Our outreach  includes in-home personal care services for older adults; counseling; case management; and resources referral for professionals and families to identify resources for the best individual care.

Every day, dozens of trained Senior In-Home Personal Care assistants fan out to homes and apartments throughout our city to help frail, ill and disabled senior folks maintain their independence. These Family Service employees have a mission. “It’s my calling,” says Sherry Gonzalez, who recently saved a client’s life.

IMG_8253November 22, 2013 seemed  like an ordinary day. Sherry had scheduled her weekly appointment to help Mrs. Jackson with light housework, errands, cooking and personal care. But Mrs. Jackson didn’t answer the door or the phone or respond to Sherry’s insistent knocking on the bedroom window. “I saw her car in the parking lot and I knew she was home and knew she must be in trouble,” Sherry said.

Sherry begged the apartment management to open Mrs. Jackson’s door and refused to leave until they checked on her client. Eventually, her persistence, coupled with the intervention of her supervisor, won out and the manager forced entry into Mrs. Jackson’s apartment. There they found her in a diabetic coma. EMS was called and sprang into action, stabilizing her and transporting her to the hospital where she remained under observation for four days.

“My blood sugar was 20, my body temperature was 76, my potassium level was 1.2 and I was delirious and close to death,” Mrs. Jackson tells us. “It’s a miracle. Sherry saved my life.”

Every day, we receive calls from frantic children, spouses and clergy who are worried about a senior family member or friend. As an agency with multiple services, we can either help them directly … or give them referrals to agencies that can answer their concerns.

“Family Service has been meeting the needs of the community for 111 years and we have been providing in-home services to seniors for 40 years. Our longevity sets us apart, and our commitment is extraordinary. Everyone who does this job at our agency feels the mission in our hearts. We love what we’re doing and we care deeply about our clients. They are like family to us,” says Director of Senior Services of Family Service, Ron Flores.

For more information about Family Service and Senior Services, call 210-299-2443 or visit www.family-service.org.