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Texas Public Radio: 988 mental health crisis line gets 5 million calls, texts and chats in first year

July 24, 2023

Read story here.

If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available 24/7. Call or text the National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or chat 988lifeline.org. Call the Mobile Crisis Outreach Team of Comal County for local support at 1-877-466-0660 or text 741741.

Confidential crisis support is available for veterans and their loved ones by dialing 988, then pressing 1. Veterans can also text 838255. If someone is in immediate danger, call 9-1-1.

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Area nonprofit offers ‘Tech Fundamentals’ training program for people seeking technology-oriented careers

Samantha Coleman, NPower’s San Antonio site director, delivers a presentation for area nonprofit organizations recently at the McKenna Center.

July 12, 2023: A national nonprofit organization offers people from the New Braunfels Central Texas area an opportunity to participate in a new tuition-free “Tech Fundamentals” hands-on, introductory training program starting early next month.

NPower, one of America’s leading nonprofits for equity in tech, is offering the program to bring new career opportunities to veterans and their spouses, as well as young adults aged 18-26 and women of color from underserved communities looking to launch technology careers.

The program efforts to place the student on a “pathway to economic prosperity” by giving them the tools to land good-paying jobs in the ever-growing tech field without taking on the debt of a traditional two- or four-year degree path.

In today’s economy, more than 50% of all jobs require some degree of technology and digital skill. A recent Microsoft Data Science report estimates that the U.S.’s digital job capacity — or the number of new technology-oriented jobs — will grow to 13 million by 2025.

The organization opened its market in San Antonio earlier this year and can recruit within 100 miles of the city.

Students who enter the four-month training program earn industry-recognized certifications and graduate with the competencies of an information technology professional with one to two years of experience.

No prior knowledge of technology is needed to join the Tech Fundamentals program, said Samantha Coleman, NPower’s San Antonio site director.

“The first day, we review ‘What is a computer?’ We look at the parts — everything,” Coleman said. “It is from a basic level that we start, then build on top of that. For some people, that first day and week is redundant, but it’s also a confidence builder because we’ll get to those higher content levels.”

There is currently no entrance exam, but there are a series of interviews to assess the potential student’s fit for the program.

The course includes up to 16 weeks of instructor-led virtual training and an opportunity for a paid professional internship or project-based learning experience. Eighty percent of program graduates obtain a full-time job or continue their education.

The organization also offers specialized cybersecurity and cloud computing training to eligible trainees that have completed the Tech Fundamentals program.

“Most of our younger adults have some type of experience, but maybe they don’t have the technical knowledge, so it’s giving them the vernacular, the acumen to speak to it, and then they already have the skill to build on it,” she said. “And now they can speak to the skill they can bring.”

It’s the same thing with the experience individuals gain from the military, she said.

“Sometimes the older population doesn’t realize they have so much to offer, and they already have the experience,” she said. “Maybe they used certain systems in the military, and they don’t see that translating into the workforce. We help them bridge that transition. They already have a foundation they didn’t realize they had. I think most people do without realizing it.”

NPower’s classes are held online, but students meet in person to work on professional development, resume writing and interview skills. Students are provided with laptops to take the courses.

USAA is funding the tech training program to build a stronger and more diverse tech talent pool in the San Antonio region. Boeing, Kelly Discover, Bravotech, HCL, and Bank of America are interested in hiring NPower graduates for their local locations.

The next class begins Aug. 7. For more information and to apply, visit www.npower.org/apply-tf. Direct questions to admissionssanantonio@npower.org.

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7Ten Activity Center: a new address for seniors, veterans, disabled adults

June 26, 2023

In October, the Comal County Senior Citizens Foundation moved its senior citizen activity facilities to the former YMCA building from its prior location across the street.

Now called the 7Ten Activity Center, named for its new address – 710 Landa Street — efforts to transform the more than 20,000-square-foot building into a state-of-the-art activity center for the community’s senior residents continue, according to Ken Lowery, the center’s executive director.

“We are trying to button down all of the things left to do so we can have a grand opening,” Lowery said. “We had a little hiccup with the steam rooms – they’re not quite ready yet – just little things that need to be accomplished. We don’t want to have an open house halfway. We want it to be completely ready to go, so the community can see what we offer seniors, our veterans and disabled adults.”

The Foundation finalized the purchase of the building about a year ago.

The new building features administrative offices, three to four separate rooms in the central area, outdoor pools, locker rooms and exercise spaces.

The main area contains tile flooring and movable walls to optimize the space, making breakout rooms for meetings, family gatherings and special events.

The rooms provide an opportunity to earn income that would help fund the Foundation’s Meals on Wheels and wellness programs, Lowery said.

“It’s no secret that funding for nonprofits is decreasing,” Lowery said. “It’s harder to get grants and donations are lower than they were in the past. We’re focusing on how we can have an earned income and help support what we do. So far, that’s working very well for us.”

The center provides many programs, services and activities to stay active and entertained.

At the back of the center is a square room for activities such as arts and crafts. Daily activities include card games, bingo, bean bag tournaments, dominos and craft classes. The center also offers bus trips and tours to selected sites.

The building includes an exercise area looking out to the outdoor pool. In addition to treadmills, stationary bikes and elliptical equipment, the fitness room features Echelon Reflect home gym mirrors using technology to link the center’s senior clients to virtual personalized trainers.

Both men’s and women’s locker rooms include a sauna and whirlpool. The locker area leads to the aquatics area, with a five-lane Olympic pool, an aerobics pool and a walking pool. The aerobics and walking pools will be covered during the winter for year-round activities.

The center continues the Meals on Wheels program, which serves around 14,000 meals a month to senior residents in Comal, Guadalupe, Wilson and Karnes counties. Meals are provided at no cost to the clients.

“I think we’ve come a long way in a year,” Lowery said. “We moved from across the street over to here. We’ve got a lot of activities. We’ve got a lot of people coming for day-to-day activities. We’ve had parties here, and a lot of people are coming back wanting to use the facility. We’ve got bookings for Christmas parties already.”

The Foundation began in 1985, helping seniors and disabled people 18 years and older. Since then, it has added programs such as Meals on Wheels and a pet program covering veterinary care and food for home-bound clients.

For information about memberships, call 830-629-4547.

The McKenna Foundation is a partner with the Comal County Senior Citizens Foundation. McKenna recently awarded a $50,000 grant to the Foundation for its senior nutrition program in Comal County, which addresses food insecurity, hunger and social isolation in senior residents and includes the center’s Meals on Wheels and congregate meal programs.

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NB Invites Residents to Participate in Transit Development Plan Survey

June 20, 2023

Part of that effort is a survey of residents designed to gather information about travel patterns and preferences. This brief 14-question survey will help city staff as they make recommendations about public transportation options in the future.

“We’re exploring which transit options are most appealing to New Braunfels residents, what they would use those options for, and why,” said Transportation and Capital Programs Director Garry Ford. “That can include ridesharing programs, bus service, or improving the current Alamo Regional Transit service connecting them to work, school, stores, or medical/social services.”

The survey is open to the entire community, with a special emphasis on those groups that may be more transit-dependent like senior citizens, students, low-income households, or those with disabilities. To take part in the City of New Braunfels Transit Development Plan Survey, visit www.newbraunfels.gov/transit. The survey will be available through July 7, 2023.

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Area nonprofit offers ‘Safe Space and Language Matters’ workshop

May 30, 2023

An area nonprofit agency is offering an opportunity to learn about LGBTQ+ identities, gender and sexuality as well as examine prejudice, assumptions and privilege.

Thanks to a generous grant from USAA, the Thrive Youth Center, which provides emergency shelter, housing, street outreach and resources to homeless LGBTQ+ young adults in San Antonio, offers “Safe Space and Language Matters” workshops, an opportunity for people to talk, learn and ask questions about sexuality and gender in a non-judgemental, safe and educational environment.

The free workshop, according to Greg Casillas, Thrive Youth Center’s assistant director, is especially relevant to organizations in Comal, Bexar, Guadalupe and Wilson counties that serve the LGBTQ+ population – adults and youths.

“It’s not just about the clients that we externally serve,” Casillas said. “It’s the clients that we have as co-workers, as referral agencies and how we provide supportive language for clients that we serve when we’re working with those outside agencies. And then what we do internally and externally to understand what a safe space is.”

The workshop sets and clarifies a common vocabulary on LGBTQ issues, provides activities and lectures that serve as a space for critical discussion and examination of privilege, bias and identity, grants participants the freedom to ask and discuss questions and empowers participants to feel personally involved and invested in issues of gender and sexuality.

“It’s the lateral learning opportunities that exist within the community and taking away some of the walls and barriers that prevent us from collaborating and cooperating with other organizations and learning from them,” Casillas said.

The curricula, activities and resources used for the workshop were co-created by Meg Bolger and Sam Killerman in 2013.

Organizations interested in attending a workshop session should contact Casillas at 210-220-2474 or email greg@thriveyouthcenter.org. Sessions are available through September.