COMMUNITY ACTION

“Find Help Here” at CRC Liberty Hill

by Ann Marie Kennon • annmarie@lhtxdigest.com

Need help paying your rent... or your utilities?

The Liberty Hill Community Resource Center just may be the best source of assistance that you haven’t heard of yet. Located in the main building of the San Gabriel Crossing apartment complex, the CRC is a group of independent support services that connect and refer people to just the right kind of aid they need.

With multiple non-profits in the same location, case managers have a greater impact by collaborating with and building on each other’s capabilities to help people in the community live more independently and with better quality of life.

LIBERTY HILL HUB

Robbie Shader, site coordinator in Liberty Hill, enjoys helping people face-to-face and explains the hub site caters to the specific needs of the Liberty Hill community. “We have resources here in western Williamson County that focus on families living on the outer edges of our city, and in other, rural areas. Direct services include things like financial assistance for utilities and gas cards, or shared transportation. We also have a special focus on our senior community to help them maintain independent living and quality of life.”

CRC’s Older Adult Rural Services (OARS) acts as an advocate for seniors by connecting them with basic necessities; health and prescription services, housing, meals, utilities and more, to help them maintain their independence. This program is funded by donations, and Robbie is eager to promote it locally. “We have a large senior population here and we just want them to know what we can do for them. We have the volunteers, and even a mileage reimbursement program. If you need help with anything from utilities to getting a ramp in your home, just call and we’ll work together to determine a solution.”

Staff may also refer clients to other services in nearby cities; Round Rock or Leander, depending on need. “Our demand for services has not been very high because people may not be aware that we are here, but we know the needs are out there, and even greater in recent months.”

Robbie says the center does receive and vets referrals from 211Texas; i.e., a social services hotline, but she encourages anyone needing assistance to call her directly to find out what is available locally, or come into the center.

“Many people feel anxious because they don’t know where to begin. It is our job to get to know something about them so we can truly help. That’s what separates us from other agencies. We have a very thorough intake process that will allow us to fine-tune a list of services in our own community first.”

She recalled a recent case that illustrated the benefit of having a collaborative network of agencies to blanket the community: Operation Liberty Hill provided funding to help a client pay rent, then CRC helped the same client pay the utility bill.

In addition to financial support, the CRC site houses Any Baby Can (family empowerment), Camp Agape (grief therapy), Bluebonnet Trails (behavioral and special needs resources), Community Action Inc., and Community Pathways (at-risk youth). They also provide access to Texas Workforce Computers to assist with job placement.

“Our services are all about potential. If I don’t have the resources myself, perhaps someone else in the building does. We have great partnerships and a good network to hopefully create a full solution.”

Visit CRCTX.org or visit the CRC in person to donate to OARS and other CRC programs.