After joining the area nonprofit Kinetic Kids, Noelani Spicer quickly began to set national records in various events, such as javelin, discus, the 100-meter, and the 1,500-meter.
Kinetic Kids athlete highlighted in Sports Illustrated
McKenna Foundation sees major milestones in 2024
2024 was a milestone year for the New Braunfels-based McKenna Foundation, breaking admission records for the Children’s Museum, surpassing $30 million in lifetime community grants, and awarding grants to local schools for the first time in the Foundation’s history.
The McKenna Children’s Museum, which has won the Herald-Zeitung’s Best Children’s Attraction award for several consecutive years, welcomed nearly 126,000 visitors in 2024—a record high. The museum also hosted 300 educational events, further enriching the experiences of its young visitors.
In addition to its successes with the Children’s Museum, the McKenna Foundation also had a remarkable year supporting nonprofits, building relationships, and advancing the well-being of the greater New Braunfels community.
Awarding nearly $1.7 million in 2024, the Foundation has officially surpassed $30 million in grants since its inception. Some of its largest grants in 2024 included $100,000 for NB Housing Partners First Footing Program and $100,000 for Hill Country MHDD Center’s Crisis Care in Comal County Program.
In total, the Foundation awarded grants to 38 local nonprofit organizations.
2024 also marked the first year the Foundation awarded grants to local schools, distributing $35,000 across six schools (three from New Braunfels ISD and three from Comal ISD). These schools were recognized for their creativity in producing videos that showcased how they choose to be kind.
In addition to its grantmaking, the McKenna Events Center hosted nearly 1,000 nonprofit events, ranging from training opportunities and coalition meetings to various fundraisers and galas. Through these events, nonprofits raised more than $1.9 million.
“It is an honor to be able to provide our nonprofit partners not only with funding, but also with a space to gather, raise funds, learn, and grow,” said McKenna CEO Alice Jewell. “2024 has been a record year, not only for the McKenna Foundation but also for our partners and community.”
Looking forward to 2025, the Mckenna Foundation has kicked off a year-long campaign surrounding the idea of Choosing Kindness. Officially launched on January 24, the campaign aims to highlight the positive actions happening in Comal County and bring the good deeds of our neighbors to the forefront. Find out more or get involved by visiting www.choosekindnessnb.org, or follow the campaign on Facebook and Instagram.
These initiatives, along with the Foundation’s 2025 grantmaking, will further set the course for a healthier, thriving community.
Learn more about the McKenna Foundation by clicking here, or on Instagram at @mckennafoundation.
NBYC advances Mill Street Youth Center project
Nestled in the heart of downtown New Braunfels, the Mill Street Youth Center, located at the intersection of Mill Street and Academy Avenue, is making significant progress toward opening its doors to local youth.
Since its groundbreaking ceremony in October, which marked the start of the first phase of the project, the New Braunfels Youth Collaborative (NBYC) has made tremendous strides in renovating the gymnasium, repairing the foundation, and revamping the building’s interior.
Set to open in early May, the gymnasium has already seen substantial improvements, including HVAC, ADA compliance, new basketball hoops, a new scoreboard, and an updated fitness room with new equipment. With 40% of the gym complete, the NBYC is excited to continue its progress and open the gym doors this spring.
In just three months since the groundbreaking, the Mill Street Youth Center building is already 20% complete. The NBYC is currently focusing on foundation repair and stabilization, demolition, and asbestos removal. Following these improvements, the NBYC will begin working on HVAC replacements, ADA-compliant restrooms, a floor plan remodel, and a complete renovation of the bottom and first floors.
The Mill Street Youth Center is expected to be completed in early 2026.
Construction isn’t the only area where the NBYC has made progress. With the recent hire of Program Director Daniel O’Quinn, he and the Youth Advisory Council have been developing summer programs for the gymnasium. They are also planning a big summer bash event to kick off summer in early June.
Upon completion, the Youth Center will provide a safe environment for students in grades 6th through 12th, offering them the tools to grow, connect, and excel.
“The Mill Street Youth Center will fill a gap in our community by offering a wide range of high-quality programming during out-of-school hours,” said Executive Director Stacey Dicke. “This project preserves the history of the New Braunfels High School and ISD Education Center, while also providing a place for teens to thrive.
According to Dicke, the Youth Center will feature study rooms, a recording studio, an esports gaming area, a culinary kitchen, SAT prep, career development programs, tutoring, and several youth-focused programs.
As the project continues to progress, the NBYC is excited to breathe new life into the building, preserving the past while shaping a vibrant future for local youth.
For more information or to donate to the project, please visit www.thenbyc.com. Checks may also be sent to 801 W. San Antonio St., New Braunfels, TX 78130.
Herald-Zeitung: McKenna Foundation, New Braunfels community focused on promoting kindness in 2025
On Friday, January 24, the McKenna Foundation officially kicked off its Choose Kindness Campaign to celebrate the good things happening in Comal County.
Project 10:27 Honored with 2024 Community Choice Award by BHFSA
Project 10:27, an organization dedicated to combating loneliness and isolation among senior adults, has been honored with the 2024 Community Choice Award by the Baptist Health Foundation of San Antonio (BHFSA).
This distinguished award is granted to nonprofit organizations that go above and beyond in their commitment to serving the community—an honor made even more meaningful as it is peer-nominated by fellow nonprofit leaders.
In addition to receiving a Community Impact Grant, Project 10:27 was recognized with a surprise $10,000 award at BHFSA’s annual reception, a gathering celebrating the 109 nonprofit organizations awarded a collective $9.4 million in grants this year. The Community Choice Award, one of only two given, underscores the exceptional impact of Project 10:27’s mission to bring companionship, connection, and hope to senior adults in Bexar and surrounding counties.
“We are incredibly honored to receive this recognition from Baptist Health Foundation of San Antonio and our nonprofit peers,” said Shane Carter, Executive Director of Project 10:27. “This award is more than just an honor—it is a celebration of the collective effort of our team and community. It reaffirms our mission to bring companionship, hope, and connection to seniors and motivates us to expand our impact even further.”
The BHFSA Community Choice Award is a unique distinction, as recipients are nominated and selected by fellow nonprofit organizations in recognition of outstanding service and selfless dedication to others.
“BHFSA understands that small, localized organizations like Project 10:27 are just as capable of meaningful, life-changing work as their larger counterparts, and we are excited to invest in their continued success. We’re glad to see other organizations in the community recognizing how well Project 10:27 is meeting their mission,” said Brent Salter VP of Programs of BHFSA.
Since its formation in 2004, Baptist Health Foundation of San Antonio has awarded over $100 million in grants to fund nonprofit healthcare initiatives across Bexar County and seven surrounding counties, furthering its mission to honor God by improving the health of the community.
Choose Kindness: McKenna Foundation’s initiative to celebrate kind acts
As we say goodbye to 2024, the McKenna Foundation is excited to usher in the new year with a simple but powerful message: Choose Kindness.
Despite the countless acts of kindness that happen every day in New Braunfels and Comal County, they often go unnoticed, unrecognized, and unrewarded.
Determined to change that, the McKenna Foundation is launching a year-long “Choose Kindness” campaign to celebrate and highlight these acts of goodwill.
The McKenna Foundation will host the kick-off at 10 am on Friday, January 24 at the McKenna Events Center.
The community is invited to attend this event, which will feature complimentary coffee and treats, as well as free stickers to spread around New Braunfels and Comal County. Attendees will also have the opportunity to participate in a pledge activity, where they can write their name or a message on a smiley face and pin it to giant letters spelling out “KIND,” symbolizing their commitment to choosing kindness in 2025.
The campaign aims to celebrate the good things happening in Comal County and recognize our kind neighbors. The Foundation invites the public to nominate and submit acts of kindness that occur throughout the year, making the positive actions of our neighbors more visible.
Each week, these acts of kindness will be highlighted on the Choose Kindness social media pages (Instagram, Facebook) and on the campaign’s website.
Click here to let us know of a time when you or someone else chose kindness!
As the year progresses, the Foundation hopes the community will embrace the campaign, spreading kindness far and wide. The Foundation also plans to host various Choose Kindness events in partnership with local nonprofits and businesses throughout the year.
If your organization has an idea for how you can encourage others to Choose Kindness, McKenna wants to partner with you! For more information, to submit an act of kindness, partner on a kindness event, or to sign up for the Choose Kindness weekly newsletter, click here.
Philanthropy SA Podcast: Alice Jewell McKenna Foundation CEO
McKenna Foundation awards $35,000 in Choose Kindness contest
The McKenna Foundation is excited to announce that three schools from New Braunfels Independent School District (NBISD) and three from Comal Independent School District (CISD) will receive awards for their outstanding participation in the Choose Kindness Video Contest.
Given just over three weeks to create a video demonstrating how their school chooses kindness, the McKenna Foundation received 27 unique and creative entries between the two districts.
Originally planning to award one school from each district, the Foundation was so impressed by the creativity and heartfelt messages in each video that it was decided to award first-place prizes of $10,000, second-place prizes of $5,000, and third-place prizes of $2,500 for both NBISD and CISD.
“You just feel better after watching these videos,” said McKenna CEO Alice Jewell. “We were amazed at how creative and heartfelt each video was, and felt compelled to give second and third-place prizes. Our schools work so hard and make such an impact on our community, so this was a great way for the McKenna Foundation to make a meaningful investment while also engaging students and staff in something fun.
The winning schools from NBISD included: (1) Voss Farms Elementary; (2) Klein Road Elementary; and (3) Walnut Springs Elementary.
Winning schools from CISD included: (1) Pieper Ranch Middle School; (2) Johnson Ranch Elementary; and (3) Garden Ridge Elementary.
Standouts among them were the first-place winners, Voss Farms Elementary and Pieper Ranch Middle School. Voss Farms created a fun twist on the viral “suspect challenge,” featuring a student catching ‘suspects’ in kind acts such as opening the door for someone or spreading joy and kindness in morning announcements.
Watch the video below:
The first-place winner from CISD, Pieper Ranch Middle School, made a memorable impression with their creative use of black-and-white to color transition, illustrating how small acts of kindness can brighten someone’s day. Their video ended with the simple yet powerful message, “color the world with kindness.”
Watch the video below:
The McKenna Foundation would like to thank and congratulate all the participants for their incredible efforts in creating these videos and for their enthusiasm in Choosing Kindness.
You can watch all winning videos on the McKenna Foundation’s YouTube or on Instagram at @mckennafoundation.
Herald-Zeitung: McKenna Foundation honors impact of Comal County, New Braunfels nonprofits at Christmas breakfast
After gathering over 1,000 community nominations, the McKenna Foundation presented three local nonprofits with grant awards during its annual Christmas Breakfast.
The Foundation also gave a bonus award to a New Braunfels organization for its collaboration with Mental Advocacy Partners (MAP) in sparking community conversations surrounding mental health.
Herald-Zeitung: Comal County breaks ground on mental health crisis stabilization facility in New Braunfels
The Comal County Mental Health Extended Observation Unit and Crisis Residential Unit Facility officially broke ground on Thursday, December 12.
The facility will provide a vital resource for our neighbors experiencing mental health emergencies.