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Mental Health Awareness Month 2024: Get involved

With Mental Health Awareness Month underway, now is a great time to get involved and spread the word that mental illness is something everyone should care and talk about.

Throughout New Braunfels and surrounding areas, there are several ways to get involved. Whether it’s attending an event, spreading the word, volunteering, or seeking help, we can all play a part in bringing mental illness awareness to the forefront.

Mental Health Awareness Events:

 

Hill Country MHDDC will host virtual LIVE Youth Mental Health First Aid (for adults assisting youth) meetings on the following days:

  • Friday, May 10 at 8 a.m.
  • Saturday, May 11 at 8 a.m.
  • Wednesday, May 15 at 9 a.m.
  • Friday, May 17 at noon.

 

Your Best Life Festival hosted by the National Alliance of Mental Illness Guadalupe County:

  • Saturday, May 11, located at Seguin Events Complex from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

 

Where to Volunteer:

 

CACCC provides a child-friendly environment to the community that assists in the detection, investigation, prevention, and treatment of child abuse. You can fill out a form to volunteer here.

Communities in Schools South Central Texas empowers K-12 students through the support of basic life needs, mental health, tutoring, and college preparation. You can find volunteering information through their website here.

Aiming to provide exceptional compassionate care, Hope Hospice offers personalized end-of-life care and help through the grief and loss process. For more information and how to volunteer click here.

Dedicated to creating a caring community that embraces well-being and mental health, you can find out more information or fill out a form to volunteer for River City Advocacy, Inc. here.

 

 

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Mental Health Awareness Month 2024: What to know

First observed in 1949, Mental Health Awareness Month kicked off on May 1 and is a national effort to not only provide hope but to reduce stigma and promote public education surrounding mental illnesses.

Mental illness is common

 

Much more common than one might think, mental health issues continue to rise year after year throughout the nation and the numbers of those affected may be much higher than you thought.

A 2023 survey conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that nearly 37% of Texas adults reported depressive disorder and or anxiety. In Comal County alone, 29,000 adults and children have a mental health need.

When looking at mental health illness, however, anxiety and depressive disorder are not the sole issues. For example, eating disorders, addictive behavior, and schizophrenia all fall under the umbrella of mental illness.

Investment and initiatives

 

Mental Health InitiativesTo identify needs in the community, understand mental health, and fill gaps in services, the McKenna Foundation established a Mental Health Task Force in 2014.

With twenty-nine provider agencies along with city and county officials, the shared vision has resulted in shared resource materials, coordinated services, and community-wide events.  Additionally, two major achievements stemming from the Task Force include the Mental Advocacy Partners (MAP) and the Mobile Crisis Outreach Team (MCOT).

Some of the benefits of these collaborations include expanding existing and developing new safety services throughout the community. With this, data creation and collection across disciplines have provided the resources necessary to address critical quality-of-life needs.

Where to find help

 

The commonality and prevalence of mental illness is exactly what Mental Health Awareness Month aims to bring light to. Here at the McKenna Foundation, it is our mission to promote education and prevention, be a resource for available services, and improve access to those services throughout New Braunfels.

A few of these services in New Braunfels and surrounding areas include:

 

More resources and information can be found on our non-profit resource directory page.

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Brauntex Theatre to screen doc exploring the impact of social media on children, effects of technology on the brain

Feb. 21, 2024:

Are you using social media or is social media using you?

Maintaining balance and protecting our well-being has become increasingly difficult in this digital age, where technology and connectivity are integral parts of our daily lives. The relentless flood of notifications, messages and information can lead to feeling overwhelmed and isolated.

On Feb. 27 at 7 p.m., the San Antonio Council on Alcohol and Drug Awareness will host a screening of “LIKE: A Documentary About Finding Balance in Our Digital World” at the Brauntex Theatre in New Braunfels. This film will encourage us to contemplate the effects of social media and technology on our lives. It offers strategies for achieving balance and wellness.

The documentary delves into how algorithms influence our online behavior, from the compulsion to respond to notifications to manipulating our behavior to garner more “likes.” It provides guidance and diverse perspectives on navigating the digital world, drawing on young people’s and their families’ experiences, supplemented by expert insights.

The film introduces the concept of JOMO – the Joy Of Missing Out, promoting the benefits of occasional disconnection. Maryanne Navickas, the theater’s Education and Community Outreach Director, stated that the screening is part of a continuous effort to give back to the community.

Navickas invites the community to learn about the current state of social media and its impact on students and adults.

“We will provide resources that will benefit them,” she said. “We hope they will acquire some knowledge to safeguard their children and themselves from IT devices and social media.”

The evening will also feature a panel discussion from subject matter experts, providing insights on social media trends, monitoring a child’s online activity, and what parents should be vigilant about to protect their children.

Resources from local nonprofit organizations, including Mental Advocacy Partners – Comal County, San Antonio Council on Alcohol and Drug Awareness, Hill Country Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Centers, InMindOut and Communities in Schools will be available in the lobby at 6 p.m.

“MAP Comal is pleased to support a community mental health education event such as the LIKE screening and panel discussion,” said Kristen Fain, program officer for the McKenna Foundation and coordinator of the Mental Advocacy Partners Comal Coalition. “We hope this event will help families proactively address their mental health needs and engage with community support systems.

The film is a product of iMPACTFUL, a Los Angeles-based company specializing in creating award-winning, evidence-based film programs for schools, businesses and nonprofits.

Admission is free, but seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. You can reserve your seats at ourl.io/OGS24. You can view a trailer of the film on YouTube at ourl.io/0Emgi.

For more information about Mental Advocacy Partners Comal, visit mapcomal.org.

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New sauna amenities ready for seniors at 7Ten Activity Center

The new sauna at the 7Ten Activity Center is a relaxing feature that is available to seniors, veterans and disabled adults who are members of the Comal County Senior Citizens Foundation.

The sauna, located in the locker rooms for men and women, can help individuals enjoy the benefits of heat therapy, such as better blood circulation, less stress and more detoxification.

The Center’s executive director, Ken Lowery, said clients have given him a lot of positive feedback on the new amenity.

“Our clients are saying there won’t be long before there’s a waiting list to use the steam room,” Lowery said. We’ve completely renovated the steam rooms. We tore out the old and brought in new tile, flooring, drains and steaming equipment. It’s all in concrete now, so it will not deteriorate.”

The sauna is one of the many attractions at the 7Ten Activity Center, which used to be the YMCA building. The Foundation bought and renovated the 20,000-square-foot building a year ago and moved from its old location across the street. The Center’s executive director, Ken Lowery, says the aim is to make the building a modern and versatile facility for senior residents.

The Center offers a variety of activities for seniors, veterans, and disabled adults who want to stay active and engaged. The building contains administrative offices, a central area with three to four separate rooms, outdoor pools, locker rooms, and exercise spaces.

The central area has tile flooring and movable walls, allowing different configurations and uses. Groups can use the rooms for meetings, family gatherings and special events, generating income for the Center, which supports vital programs such as Meals on Wheels and wellness initiatives.

The Center offers a variety of programs, services, and activities for its members. A large room for arts and crafts is at the back of the building. Daily activities include card games, bingo, bean bag tournaments, dominoes, and craft classes. The Center also organizes bus trips and tours to different places, allowing seniors to explore and have fun.

The Center has an exercise area that overlooks the outdoor pool. It includes traditional equipment like treadmills, stationary bikes, and elliptical machines. It also has Echelon Reflect home gym mirrors, which provide virtual personalized training sessions for senior clients.

The Center is committed to the Meals on Wheels program, which serves about 14,000 meals each month to senior residents in Comal, Guadalupe, Wilson, and Karnes counties. The meals are free for the clients. The Center also offers a pet program covering home-bound clients’ veterinary care and food.

The Center was established in 1985 and supports seniors and disabled individuals aged 18 and older. The Center has expanded its services over the years and now offers a range of programs for its members.

The Center is proud to partner with the McKenna Foundation, which recently granted the Center $50,000 to support its senior nutrition program in Comal County. The program addresses food insecurity, hunger, and social isolation among senior residents. It includes initiatives such as Meals on Wheels and congregate meal programs offered at the Center.

For more information about the Center and its memberships, call 830-629-4547.

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Your voice matters: McKenna Foundation invites public input on community needs assessment survey

UPDATE: The deadline for participating in the survey has been extended to Feb. 23.

January 26, 2024: The McKenna Foundation invites the public to share their views on the needs of New Braunfels and Comal County by participating in a community needs assessment survey.

Public input on the eight-item survey will help the Foundation shape future investments in area nonprofit organizations for the community’s benefit.

The items cover public transportation, child abuse and neglect, housing programs, mental health, and child care, and the participants are asked to rate their importance and satisfaction levels.

“We began our journey as the McKenna Foundation as students of the community, which is a role that will never change,” said McKenna Foundation CEO Alice Jewell. “How best to invest resources needs to be informed from multiple perspectives, so we make an impact on the community’s biggest needs.”

To participate in the survey, go to www.mckenna.org and click on “2024 Community Needs Survey.” The survey is available for public input until Feb. 16.

The Foundation conducted a similar survey in 2018. Participation in the survey is anonymous. For any inquiries about the study or its purpose, email the Foundation at grants@mckenna.org.

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McKenna Events Center accommodates over 900 events, Children’s Museum attracts nearly 125,000 visitors in 2023

January 23, 2024: In 2023, the McKenna Events Center in New Braunfels became a hub of activity and impact, hosting over 900 events and welcoming nearly 125,000 visitors to the Children’s Museum.

Guided by the McKenna Foundation, the Events Center hosted 960 events in 2023, including meetings, job and resource fairs, training sessions, educational workshops, and fundraisers. This is a sizeable increase from the 736 events held the preceding year.

In 2023, the Center donated more than $330,000 in room rental costs. Fundraisers organized by the Foundation’s nonprofit partners raised $1.5 million for the local community. The Center’s reach expanded to 166 organizations in 2023, up from 130 the previous year.

“We are honored and humbled that McKenna Events Center has become a true community space,” said Lindsay Morgan, Events Center manager. “Our partner organizations know we are an accommodating meeting resource where people come to learn, share and grow. We are proud to include community convening in the McKenna Foundation body of work.”

Serving nonprofit organizations, civic groups, local schools, government and churches, the McKenna Events Center in New Braunfels is committed to benefiting the residents of New Braunfels and Comal County. This service is an integral part of the Foundation’s mission to enhance the welfare of the New Braunfels community.

Since 2006, the Foundation has offered meeting and event space at its West San Antonio Street facility at minimal or no cost.

For inquiries regarding venue details and reservations at the Event Center, representatives of nonprofit or community organizations are encouraged to contact the Foundation via email at events@mckenna.org.

Throughout 2023, the McKenna Children’s Museum experienced a notable surge in foot traffic and revenue, setting a new record for admissions and membership sales.

An impressive 123,085 individuals visited the Museum in 2023, marking a 9% upswing from the previous year and eclipsing the 2022 record of 111,965 visitors. Nearly 11,900 of the admissions were field trip guests.

Admission sales reached a new peak, reaching $582,649 in 2023, surpassing the 2022 figure of $523,221. The Museum also achieved record-breaking membership sales, totaling $202,393, breaking the 2022 record of 185,372. Memberships are at a record high of 1,613 families. Gift shop sales totaled $209,517.

At the Museum, children are immersed in art, creativity, science, technology, culture, health and history, engaging with educational exhibits meticulously crafted to stimulate learning and foster knowledge acquisition.

Creative learning classes have increased the daily average participation to 13 kids. After-hours special events are growing in popularity, averaging more than 150 attendees.

“I would like to express my gratitude to the city of New Braunfels and the surrounding areas for their consistent support,” said Isabel Martinez, the Museum’s operations manager. “Our achievements would not have been possible without their contribution. I would also like to acknowledge the Museum team for their unwavering commitment to maintaining a safe and secure environment for our families. Their dedication to providing excellent customer service is truly commendable. I am excited to break records in the upcoming years.”

McKenna curated this distinctive hands-on experience to equip children with the tools necessary for nurturing their well-being. Within the Museum’s confines, children embark on exploratory journeys in a secure and nurturing environment while parents actively participate in their children’s educational journey.

The entry fee for individuals aged 12 months and above and adults is $8 per person. The Museum welcomes school excursions all year round, and comprehensive information is available by calling 830-606-9525. All children must be accompanied by an adult aged 16 and above.

The Museum operates from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. from Monday to Saturday, observing closures on Sundays and major holidays. For supplementary details and access to an events calendar, visit https://mckennakids.org.

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Texas Tribune: Homelessness in Texas on the rise amid high housing costs, federal estimates show

Homelessness in Texas on the rise amid high housing costs, federal estimates show

By Joshua Fechter, The Texas Tribune

“Homelessness in Texas on the rise amid high housing costs, federal estimates show” was first published by The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan media organization that informs Texans — and engages with them — about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues.

For 24/7 mental health support in English or Spanish, call the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s free help line at 800-662-4357. You can also reach a trained crisis counselor through the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988.

The number of Texans experiencing homelessness is back at pre-pandemic levels, federal data shows.

Homelessness in Texas grew by more than 12% in 2023, in line with national trends, according to estimates released by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development last month. More than 27,000 Texans did not have a permanent roof over their heads when advocates and volunteers across the country walked Texas streets on a night last January to conduct the Point-in-Time Count annual estimate of people experiencing homelessness. About 43% of those — or some 11,700 people — lived on the streets.

Low-income households in Texas now face significantly higher rents than they did prior to the pandemic — and no longer have the pandemic-era safety net afforded by federal rent relief funds and pauses on evictions that aimed to prevent landlords from ousting tenants who couldn’t make rent. Those factors have contributed to an overall increase in homelessness, homeless experts and advocates say.

“We’re in a huge affordability crisis,” said Eric Samuels, president and CEO of Texas Homeless Network. “There’s a lot of people out there at risk of homelessness. And if they fall into homelessness, we have a lot fewer units to help them escape homelessness.”

Homelessness rose in nearly every demographic group measured by the Point-in-Time Count estimate. The number of unhoused veterans and families with children grew in 2023 by 19% and 4.9% respectively. More Black and Hispanic people experienced homelessness than in the previous year.

Experts and advocates noted some bright spots.

Efforts in major Texas cities aimed at quickly getting people experiencing homelessness into new housing and connecting them with support services helped reduce chronic homelessness, which fell year-over-year by about 9%, estimates show. Someone experiences chronic homelessness when they have been unhoused for at least a year or multiple times “while struggling with a disabling condition such as a serious mental illness, substance use disorder, or physical disability,” according to The National Alliance to End Homelessness.

Meanwhile, the state’s overall population of people experiencing unsheltered homelessness — meaning they slept in outdoor spaces like encampments or other places people aren’t meant to live — grew by 6.5%, but fell in places like Dallas and Houston.

The Dallas region saw double-digit decreases in the numbers of people experiencing unsheltered and chronic homelessness last year, which local advocates attribute to a $72 million initiative launched in 2021 to rehouse people and families experiencing homelessness.

The push, dubbed the R.E.A.L. Time Rehousing Initiative and fueled in part by federal pandemic relief funds, relies on close collaboration between dozens of nonprofits who work in homelessness response and a network of landlords willing to give the unhoused a roof over their heads, said Sarah Kahn, CEO of Housing Forward, the lead agency in charge of tackling homelessness in Dallas and Collin counties. When city crews clear homeless encampments, outreach workers offer to connect people with housing and services, she said.

That approach has worked, Kahn said. In October, the initiative reached a goal of placing 2,700 people experiencing homelessness into new housing — and aims to house 6,000 by the end of 2025.

“It’s just important to remember that this work is hard,” Kahn said. “I know it feels slow to a lot of the public and a lot of people are wondering why we’re not making more progress than we are. I think the most important thing to remember is we have a proof point of what works and we have to keep investing and scaling those proven solutions if we want to see those numbers continue to go in the right direction.”

In Houston, federal pandemic relief funds supercharged yearslong efforts to reduce the region’s homeless population by placing those experiencing homelessness into apartments before providing them with support services — efforts Dallas officials took inspiration from when crafting its strategy to address homelessness. The region’s Community COVID Housing Program, buoyed by federal relief dollars, has housed or diverted from homelessness nearly 17,000 people since it launched in October 2020, according to Houston’s Coalition for the Homeless. Last year, the region’s population of people experiencing unsheltered and chronic homelessness fell by 17.3% and 3.7%, respectively.

But federal funds that paid for the program are set to expire by the end of the year, said Ana Rausch, vice president of program operations for the Coalition for the Homeless, leaving policymakers and those who work in homelessness response to figure out how to fund at least some aspects of the program after that money runs out.

“We have to continue to invest in housing if we want to continue to see a downward trend in our homeless numbers,” Rausch said.

This article originally appeared in The Texas Tribune at https://www.texastribune.org/2024/01/11/texas-homelessness-estimate/.

The Texas Tribune is a member-supported, nonpartisan newsroom informing and engaging Texans on state politics and policy. Learn more at texastribune.org.

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Homeless Coalition seeks compassion bag donations for annual Point-in-Time count

January 16, 2024: The public is invited to assist the Comal County Homeless Coalition and Texas Homeless Network later this month as the organizations prepare for the annual “Point-in-Time” count, which aims to provide a snapshot of individuals and families experiencing homelessness in Comal County over one day.

Every year, local agencies and organizations conduct a Point-in-Time (PIT) count to determine the extent of homelessness in the community. The survey is conducted throughout the state and the country.

The Coalition hopes to help the community better understand the needs and resources available to unhoused neighbors. Two-person teams of trained volunteers will conduct surveys of people experiencing homelessness in selected areas over one 24-hour period.

Survey participants will receive a compassion bag containing much-needed food, hygiene and safety items provided by the Seeds of Love non-profit organization. The Coalition is seeking donations of items for the compassion bags.

“Community support and awareness for this project are so important, not only in terms of community engagement but also to create awareness and understanding about this very vulnerable population in our area,” said Bethany Benson from Gruene United Methodist Church and a member of the PIT Count Committee.

The count helps non-profit agencies and organizations understand how homelessness changes over time across numerous variables such as economic conditions, societal factors and policy advancement. It also allows organizations to spread awareness, engage and build relationships with unhoused neighbors.

To donate items to be included in the compassion bags, contact Benson at bethany@grueneumc.org or visit https://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080E4CACA62CA64-46113202-homeless#/

To learn more about the count, visit www.thn.org/texas-balance-state-continuum-care/data/pit-count-and-hic.

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Seals named Philanthropist of the Year by New Braunfels Community Foundation

Gary Seals, a local businessman, entrepreneur and philanthropist, was named as the New Braunfels Philanthropist of the Year by New Braunfels Community Foundation on Dec. 5.

The award, better known as “The Eager,” was announced during the NBCF year-end event at McKenna Events Center by NBCF Board Member Wes Studdard and McKenna Foundation CEO Alice Jewell.

“This is the second bestowing of the New Braunfels Philanthropist of the Year Award,” Jewell explained. “According to the namesake of the award, Cecil Eager believes a community foundation encourages people to be generous and it provides a vehicle for people to place their money in a perpetual fund so that their assets outlive them. But their desires and goals will continue. This person will have exhibited generosity in their charitable giving, or aided in procuring donors, or been an example of paying it forward, or have worked to grow the Foundation, or been a leader in their work life and civic volunteerism, or worked to improve the Foundations effectiveness. Our recipient this year has ‘walked the walk’ and done all of these.”

Seals opened his first waterbed store when he was 21. He says he expanded his “empire” until folks chose to stop buying waterbeds. He worked for various furniture companies until he discovered, according to him now, he wasn’t a very good employee. In 2002, he opened his first Ashley Furniture Homestore in Pflugerville. In 2003, Michael Meek with the Greater New Braunfels Chamber of Commerce and the City of New Braunfels Economic Development Corporation enticed him to move his headquarters and warehouse to New Braunfels.

Seals and his family fell in love with New Braunfels. Over the next 17 years, he and his team would open 35 locations in four states with more than 1,200 associates. He founded “Furnishing Dreams” which delivered beds to kids who didn’t have one of their own. The business was sold in 2019, and he turned his attention to residential and commercial real estate, investing in downtown New Braunfels, and launching an art gallery in Austin with an “art for all” mission that supports several nonprofits.

That same year he met with Alice Jewell with McKenna Foundation to discuss opening a teen center for disadvantaged youth. A recent McKenna study identified a significant gap in services to our youth in after-school programs and activities. That meeting led to the founding of the New Braunfels Youth Collaborative that will help our middle and high school youth to become the best version of themselves.

Since moving here, Seals has served and supported a multitude of civic and nonprofit organizations. He serves as a board member with Connections, advisory board member with Chosen Care, and chair of the New Braunfels Youth Collaborative. He currently serves as the vice chair of the New Braunfels Community Foundation and will being serving as the chair in 2024.

“It’s an honor to serve on the board of the New Braunfels Community Foundation,” Seals said. “NBCF serves as a unifying force, pooling the financial resources of individuals, families, and businesses to bolster local nonprofits. By facilitating and supporting others in realizing their charitable aspirations, our foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life in New Braunfels through philanthropy.”

“The New Braunfels Community Foundation created this award to not only provide deserved recognition for the recipient(s) but also increase awareness locally of the importance of philanthropy,” Studdard said.

Seals said working with the New Braunfels Community Foundation was important to him because of the legacy of giving that pays it forward.

“Donors find a partner in NBCF, assisting in crafting customized gift plans that reflect their philanthropic passions,” Seals said. “We work diligently to expand donations, ensuring sustained support for the community’s charitable needs for years to come.”

“It is in this spirit and with great gratitude that the New Braunfels Community Foundation awards the second The Cecil Eager Philanthropist of the Year Award in his honor to Gary Seals,” Studdard said. “We should all strive to be so ‘Eager!’”

For more on charitable giving, visit www.nbcommunityfoundation.org.