 Hill Country Community Ministries
Help for people in crisis, hope for the future. |
|
| Thanks to You! | |
In November
HCCM Served
361 families
a total of
1,197 individuals
326 families
received food
54 families
received financial
assistance
198 individuals
received clothing
205 individuals
received coats
________
Volunteer Hours
685
|
| Join Our List |  |
|
2010/2011
Board of Directors |
Connie Sowell President Secretary Cliff Wells Treasurer Jan Massa Robert McElwaine Cindy Nieland Marc Wamble
Exectuvie Director Sherry McDonnell |
|
|
| Big Smiles! Big Check! | | |
Dell $50,000 One-Time Special Grant
 Michele Glaze (left), executive director for the Dell Foundation presents Sherry McDonnell, executive director for HCCM, with the "big" check.
Thanks to the folks at the Dell Foundation, HCCM will begin the new year with much-needed funds to help fill food pantry shelves. HCCM is especially grateful to the Dell Foundation for this generous donation and the confidence the Foundation has placed in HCCM to help meet critical needs in our community.
It's no secret that ongoing economic conditions have had a devastating effect on area families and strained the financial resources of HCCM. This grant will help supplement the food pantry while we continue our efforts to seek additional funding to assist families in crisis.
"The Dell Foundation, along with the entire Dell team, has embraced and rallied around the issue of hunger since its inception in 1995," said Trisa Thompson, vice president of Dell Corporate Responsibility and chair of the Dell Foundation. The grant to HCCM is one of several special grants totaling $2.5 million recently awarded by the Dell Foundation. Grant recipients are in key Dell U.S. communities and address education and health and human services needs for children and families.
We can't say "thank you" enough for this generous gift from the Dell Foundation! |
| 460 Families Receive Thanksgiving Food | | Thanks to Generous Donors!
Thanks to the generosity of the churches and individuals who contributed to the Thanksgiving project, 460 families received a Thanksgiving food box, including a $15 H-E-B gift card for the purchase of a turkey or other food for their Thanksgiving meal. We served 45% more clients this year than we did in 2009!   Volunteers pack Thanksgiving food boxes for families in need.
Churches Donate More Than 6,500 Food Items!
Area churches collected 6,665 food items and made financial contributions to help fill the Thanksgiving food boxes. This is in addition to the other food regularly collected to help keep food pantry shelves stocked.
Our heartfelt thanks to: Austin Church of God, Cedar Park First United Methodist Church, Christ Episcopal Church, Christ our Savior Lutheran Church, First Baptist Church Georgetown, First Lakeview Church, Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, HighPoint Fellowship, Hope Presbyterian Church, Lakeline Church, Legacy Fellowship, Peace Lutheran Church, Rolling Hills Community Church, St. Julian of Norwich Episcopal Church, St. Luke's on the Lake Episcopal Church, St. Margaret Mary Catholic Church, St. Mary Our Lady of the Lake Catholic Church, St. Peter's Episcopal Church, The Church at Canyon Creek, Trinity Anglican Church, Triumphant Love Lutheran Church, Twin Lakes Fellowship, Unity Church of the Hills and Victory Baptist Church. And our thanks to Connie's Car Wash for donating cases and cases of cranberry sauce.
Donors Provide H-E-B Gift Cards
In addition to the thousands of food items, funds were donated for the purchase of the 460 gift cards. We are grateful to: Austin Christian Fellowship, First Lakeview Church, Point Venture Lions Club, Trinity Anglican Church and Unity Church of the Hills. A special thanks to HighPoint Fellowship for stepping in to cover the balance of more than half the cards needed.
Our thanks to one and all who helped provide extra food to families in need at Thanksgiving! |
| Thanksgiving Ecumenical Service | | | Annual Donation Benefits HCCM $2,272
A number of area churches gather together each year for an ecumenical Thanksgiving service the Tuesday evening before Thanksgiving. Host church this year was St. Thomas More Catholic Church and the event included the participation of Bethany United Methodist Church, Church of the Savior, Hope Presbyterian Church, Peace Lutheran Church, The Rock United Methodist Church and Unity Church of the Hills. The offering collected during the service is donated to benefit HCCM each year. We appreciate those who attended the service and generously contributed $2,272 to help families in crisis. |
| Bruce Bonner Recognized for Board Service | | |
Bruce Bonner, pastor of Christ Episcopal Church and HCCM board member, has resigned from the board due to his many pastoral commitments and time constraints. Although we will miss Bonner on the board, he and CEC continue to provide support to HCCM through food drives, volunteers, financial donations and other means. We especially appreciate Bonner's long-time commitment to HCCM, his gifts for effective planning and problem solving, and his insightful approach to community outreach. He is a great ambassador in the community for HCCM and is currently helping to recruit new candidates for board service. We know we can knock on his door at any time and he's always ready to help! Thanks, Bruce! |
| VITA Sites Need Volunteers | | |
Free Tax Preparation Assistance for Low-Income Families
Last year 2,300 families in Williamson County were able to take advantage of free tax preparation services provided by the Williamson County Financial Stability Coalition. This year they are expanding the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance sites and hours of operation to reach more families.
With sites now in Leander and Cedar Park, HCCM will be able to refer clients in our serving area to these sites for free tax preparation assistance.
To volunteer, no experience is necessary and training is provided. Volunteers need to be comfortable using Windows-based software; complete the IRS training and certification test; sign and comply with the IRS Volunteer Agreement; and be comfortable working with a diverse population base in a fast-paced environment.
If you would like to volunteer at one of the VITA sites to help low-income families, you can access more information at www.wilcofreetaxprep.org or call 512-876-4185 or e-mail coalition@unitedway-wc.org.
Our thanks to the United Way of Williamson County for their support of the program and their efforts to publicize these free services to help area families. |
| Merry Christmas & Happy New Year! | | |
HCCM Closed December 24 - December 31
We are grateful to all the many churches, schools, businesses, organizations, individuals and volunteers who supported HCCM during 2010. Without your faithful support, generosity and dedication to serve others, we could not help the thousands of families who need assistance.
We Send our Best Wishes to You and Your Family for a Joyous Christmas and Wonderful New Year! |
|
|
Hill Country Community Ministries is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, a coalition of churches assisted by area businesses, civic organizations, schools and caring individuals that provides food, clothing and financial assistance for people in crisis and those living in proverty in southwest Williamson and northwest Travis counties.
HCCM operates a Food Pantry and Clothes Closet and provides financial assistance for rent, utilities, medical and dental needs and prescriptions. Additional assistance includes new shoes for children, Thanksgiving food boxes, heaters, blankets and fans. |
|
|
|
|
|
