cover feature

navigating life’s crossroads

by Lauren Stumberg | photos by Ron Pritchett

PPrior to retirement, Ron Fielding knew he needed a plan for how he would fill his time. “I had decided that I should give one-third of my time to my wife and my dogs, another one-third to staying connected in business through for-profit boards and the other third I would spend volunteering and giving back,” said Fielding. While Ron has found this balance to work out just great for how he envisioned retirement, he was unaware when deciding to volunteer his time with Hill Country Family Services just how rewarding the experience would be.

In addition to serving on the Hill Country Family Services (HCFS) Board of Directors as the Treasurer and Internal Affairs Committee Chair, Fielding is the former EVP of Hormel Foods and the current Chairman of the Advisory Council for the UTSA School of Business. HCFS feels blessed to have access to Fielding’s Fortune 500 financial experience and knowledge that he brings to the board. According to Ron, “I am extremely proud to be a part of this organization. When the Covid-19 crisis hit, HCFS didn’t skip a beat. They stepped up to help the local community in such a way that it was as if they had been preparing for this all along.” Fielding continued his praise by saying, “It has been really rewarding to be able to be apart of

an organization that was able to respond to people’s needs immediately. So many people’s lives changed instantly this past spring and through the excellent leadership and the team that has been built here at HCFS, it was remarkable to watch as they leveraged their skills and talents to provide essential help to the local community members in need.” Staci Almager, Chief Executive Officer at HCFS added, “We were ready! Not only were we able to help people with their financial needs, but with their emotional and psychological needs as well. This agency helped so many people to deal with the constant and enormous pressures of a society that shut down.” Almager credits the success of HCFS to her staff and the hundreds of local people, like Fielding, that volunteer their time each year to keep the organization running like a well-oiled machine. According to Staci, “Each year we have approximately 12,000 volunteer hours logged!”

Having celebrated its 35th birthday this past August, Hill Country Family Services has been helping Kendall County citizens to not only survive a crisis, but to learn how to thrive in the community since 1985. HCFS serves Boerne, with 85% of the families they serve living inside

the Boerne city limits.

For those unfamiliar with HCFS and what they do, you may think that they are simply a local food pantry. However, the reality is that providing food for families in need is only the tip of the iceberg. In addi- tion to providing healthful groceries from their Corner Cupboard Grocery and Nutrition Center, they aim to foster mental and physical wellness as well as stability and independence for individuals and families who are in crisis. They are committed to providing case management services, innovative support including supplemental self – selection groceries and emergency financial assistance for individuals and families in the community who are experiencing a crisis. “The demographic that we serve is not those who have experienced generational poverty. Our clients are most likely people that have not had to ask for help before. They are here because of some sort of crisis that has occurred and we are available to help them navigate their way out of that,” said Almager. “One of the most important things that HCFS does is to make sure that those they are helping do not feel like they have lost their integrity,” Fielding added.

“At HCFS we understand that a crisis can happen at any time: the diagnosis of a life-threatening illness, the loss of a job, the end of a relationship, an automo- bile accident leaving a family without transportation, the loss of affordable childcare, substance abuse, men- tal illness or a sick child. Our first step is to address the crisis and meet the basic needs of the family. From there we work on developing a plan to return to a state of self-sufficiency. For most of our clients that time- frame is twelve to eighteen months long,” said Staci. “For those being helped by HCFS, they are here to get out of here, the end game is their success! We want people to be successful and we measure every step along the way.”

According to Fielding, “HCFS has thrived under Staci’s leadership. She has done an incredible job of building brand credibility and awareness within the community in addition to the outstanding results and success rates of those being helped by the orga- nization. The financials of HCFS have been able to remain strong through this current COVID-19 crisis with continued support from the local community.” Ron and his friends that frequent The Dodging Duck often discuss the importance of measuring success for the local and national organizations that they choose to support. He added, “Donors look at the outcomes being produced and recognize the impact that HCFS is having in Boerne and Kendall County. HCFS tracks client outcomes and not only during COVID-19. They use the Life Skills Curriculum and measure client continued on page 17

text to donate: Text FEEDTHEFAMILY to 44-321

continued from page 16 success in several categories to ensure that within 12 months at least 75% of families who seek emergency services at HCFS are self-sufficient again.”

“We have so many great local partnerships that help us to do what we do. We have never lacked for support,” said Staci. “The City of Boerne, Kendall County, individuals, corporations and religious organizations strongly support us. We have great partnerships with other local non-profits as well. We realize that no one organization can do it all. Sometimes HCFS is not the right fit for what the individual needs and we can point them to an organization that is better suited for them.” HCFS frequently works closely with more than 30 local nonprofits to help with services available in the community including: healthcare and prescription assistance, legal services, affordable housing, mental health counseling and addiction treatments and assistance, dental and vision evaluations and education and workforce development.

During COVID-19, many local businesses reached out to help and to pledge their support for HCFS: • Little Gretel Restaurant provided quiches for Mother’s Day and fresh soup for clients every month. • Civic organizations including

the Boerne Sunrise Rotary and Fair Oaks Rotary Clubs rallied together to write national grants to help provide emergency food. • Boerne Rotary and their members started the Boerne

Strong fundraising initiative to match the small business and nonprofit funds from the City of Boerne. • The Boerne Education Foundation, Kronkosky Place and HCFS fed 100 kids for breakfast and 100 kids for lunch when HCFS found out that BISD was not serving meals on Good Friday. • Fetch & Friskers Barkery and Bow-tique donated hundreds of pounds of dog food to provide for client’s pets during COVID.

According to Almager, “We love being able to see a need and figuring out a way to make it happen.” A great example of that was recently when multiple local churches banded together to raise just over $59,000 to keep our neighbors from eviction and foreclosure due to COVID! “We made the decision to pay the full rent or mortgage for those that needed help, rather than just a portion of it. We wanted to provide them with that peace of mind that it was taken care of and one less thing to worry about. All the people that were helped were referred and fully vetted. We really dig into the situations that we are providing assistance to and then follow through with a plan to help those individuals thrive moving forward,” said Staci.

Another great source of funding for Hill Country Family Services is their high-end resale shop, Random Hangers. “About thirty percent of the income that supports HCFS comes from the retail shop,” said Fielding. Random Hangers and The Warehouse are a thrifter’s dream. Jill Ramsey, manager, and her team carefully select items for the store to ensure that excellent quality merchandise and modern styles are available at all times. New merchandise is available daily so no two days are the same! You can find seasonally appropriate designer clothing, shoes, handbags and accessories at Random Hangers and art, household goods and gifts items at The Warehouse. Random Hangers and Warehouse accepts donations of new and gently used clothing, household goods, kitchen items and furniture. All donations are sold to aide HCFS clients in their journey to self-sufficiency.

All of the efforts of Hill Country Family Service point towards one goal. The case managers and life skills volunteers work to help clients to learn how to future proof their lives. Clients learn how to prepare for the unexpected through life skills classes, financial literacy and budgeting, ESL classes, time management, and gain the tools and resources to create a safety net for the future. “We are an honest agency and often that means we have to say hard things, but the end goal is to bless and release. It is very easy to stay stuck in a particular situation, but at HCFS we know that a crisis doesn’t last forever and we give our clients the skills to be able to succeed!” BBM

To learn more about Hill Country Family Services or how to volunteer or donate visit HCFSTX.ORG

Boerne churches banded together to raise $59,235 to keep our neighbors from eviction and foreclosure due to COVID. Teamwork is always the solution!

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SEPTEMBER 10 GBCC RIBBON CUTTING FOR TRIO REHABILITATION & WELLNESS SOLUTIONS' 5TH ANNIVERSARY ON FACEBOOK LIVE 11:30am to 12:00pm Trio Rehabilitation & Wellness Solutions specializes in Outpatient Physical, Occupational, and Speech Therapy clinic for ages 11-102! They are Stroke Certified, Vestibular Certified (dizzy therapy), VitaStim certified (swallowing disorders), LSVT Big & Loud.

SEPTEMBER 12 BLUEGRASS JAM AT THE AGRICULTURAL 11:00am to 1:00pm | The AgriCultural Museum 102 City Park Road – Boerne Every second and fourth Saturdays of the month, bring your instrument and play along, or just come to listen to the Bluegrass Jam at The AgriCultural! (Formerly the Agricultural Heritage Museum) This event is free and open to the public.

MOONDANCE CONCERT SERIES 7:00pm to 10:00pm | Cibolo Nature Center Amphitheater 140 City Park Rd. – Boerne Enjoy live music beneath the Texas stars at the Cibolo Nature Center Amphitheater this summer! Bring lawns chairs, blankets and picnics for a cozy outdoor concert experience. There will be food trucks onsite as well! Members: $10 Non-Members: $15 Students: $5 12 & Under: Free Event.

SEPTEMBER 12-13 BOERNE MARKET DAYS Saturday 10:00am to 5:00pm; Sunday 10:00am to 4:00pm Main Plaza – Boerne Since 1850, Main Plaza has been a center point of trade for the people of Boerne. In the present day, on the second weekend of every month, Main Plaza is home to a magical outdoor market that blends the traditions of the Texas Hill Country with the creations of today’s culture. Hundreds of festive booths display everything from collectibles and remembrances of the past to modern innovations that will bring a smile of wonder to those who stroll past.

SEPTEMBER 14 KENDALL COUNTY COMMISSIONERS COURT 9:00am to 11:00am | Kendall County Courthouse 201 E. San Antonio Ave. – Boerne continued on page 22 boernebusinessmonthly.com 19