EVERYBODY HAS A STORY

by Megan Diane Beatty • megan@lhtxdigest.com photos courtesy Christine Stilwell

We are Jam-i-ly

CELEBRATING LIBERTY HILL'S JELLY MAN

When you walk into Life Church in Leander, the provocative aroma of fresh fruit and peppers fills your nose and a cheerfully sung “We. Are. Jam-i-ly!” bursts from the church's kitchen. Nolan Stilwell, the Jam Man, and his team are stirring up their seasonal Holiday Heat jam—a unique and enticing flavor combination of cranberries, jalapenos, and citrus.

Nolan founded Sweet Heat Jam after he graduated high school in Katy, TX. He is a culinary artist, young entrepreneur, avid gardener, and native Texan who happens to have Down syndrome.

THE BEGINNING

In 2011, Nolan’s mother Christine was a grant writer for ARTreach, a nonprofit organization offering programs that promote social skills development, education, and life skills for individuals with special needs. She approached her executive director and pointed out; “We have programs for visual arts and performing arts, but we have nothing for culinary arts. There is a niche of young adults with special needs, who have good skill sets that only require a nurturing environment.” After receiving a grant to create the program and reaching out to other families, Christine's new program became so successful that it grew legs of its own—Sweet Heat Jam was born.

TO LIBERTY HILL

In 2017, Hurricane Harvey flooded the Stilwell's home in Katy. They lost everything and decided to move to Williamson County. While they were still unsure how to pick up the pieces, fate stepped in. The Stilwells received financial assistance from H-E-B to purchase produce, Imperial Sugar provided their sugar, and Fellowship Church allowed them use of their commercial kitchen. Christine says, “Just like Noah needed a flood to get him to where God wanted him to be, a flood took us out of our comfort environment and led us to Fellowship Church in Liberty Hill."

Sweet Heat Jam soon outgrew their kitchen at Fellowship and landed at Life Church in Leander. Christine says, "The support from both churches has been incredible. Not only do Nolan and his special needs team have the church's kitchen, they have their love and prayers too. We make a mess in their kitchen and they simply say, 'Is there anything else we can do for you?'”

JAMMING

Each special needs team member rotates around the kitchen performing various jobs; peeling apples, cutting strawberries, chopping peppers, canning and labeling properly, ordering inventory, and washing dishes. “The outcome is a beautiful team that works so cohesively together,” explains Christine.

Nearby is Nolan’s father, Randy, a retired geologist and a Special Olympics coach who volunteers full-time as a mentor. He goes by Coach in the kitchen too and says, “These young adults need someone with a heart. It can’t just be a job. I am a mentor and it has been such a blessing for me. Seeing what this means to Nolan makes me so proud. When we are not in the kitchen he is wondering when we are going back and he always wants to know the night before we go who his team will be.”

One of Christine and Randy’s favorite memories is of a young man from Liberty Hill who wanted to work at Sweet Heat but he could not stand and did not have good vision. Christine recalls, “Right away I thought, I don’t know what to do. But I felt like God was smiling on me, saying, ‘Christine, you have such tunnel vision. You need to see what I have planned.’" The Stilwells brought him in to work with the food processor after his occupational therapist made him a special button to push.

She continues, "The sound of the food processor brought a smile to his face like you would not believe. He was a part of the team and he taught Randy and me that we can make any change to include anyone who wants to be here." Nolan calls the company a ministry. “I love to train people. It’s in my heart.”

BE PART OF IT

Author's note: When I asked the team how readers could help them, they responded with an enthusiastic and synchronized, “Buy our jam!” The program is also always looking for volunteers to mentor and oversee the staff.

Scan the code (left) for online ordering and a list of local retailers, including HEB and Blue Door Gift Store in Liberty Hill.

"Be Santa to a Senior"

The holidays are fast approaching, and the Liberty Hill Digest sat down with Lacey and Tyson Murphy, local Home Instead franchise owners, to talk about helping the entire community celebrate Liberty Hill's generosity.

Lacey and Tyson have been part of the Home Instead network of local caregivers for more than ten years. Every year, they participate in Home Instead's seasonal Be Santa to a Senior. This program provides gifts to seniors in nursing homes who might not otherwise receive any.

The process is very simple. Lacey says, "I am very excited that, with Amazon's help, everyone can shop for a stranger, on their device, from anywhere. And the gifts are still wrapped and delivered locally."

MAKE YOUR LIST

To participate, scan the code and enter a local zip code. Seniors' first names and last initials will appear, and each has a wish list from which you can choose their items and preferred sizes and colors.

The names that appear on the website are individuals who live in or visit care facilities in Williamson County. Lacey says, “Our clients live in their own homes but, at the holidays, we receive names from resident facilities and activity directors in our area. Those seniors usually ask for things like sweats, pajamas, a calendar, a large-print novel...nothing really big.”

Every senior was invited to create a personalized gift list; an easy vehicle for everyone in the community to give back in a fun way. Lacey hopes the new process will enable her to provide gifts to more than 200 seniors.

Participating agencies include Trinity Care Center, Riverside Nursing Center, and AGE Thrive Social & Wellness Centers.

MAKE IT COMMUNITY

Buying the gifts isn’t the end of the journey to celebrate the holidays with these seniors. Once packages are received at Home Instead, partners pass on the presents to local elementary school students for some creative gift wrapping. All the little elves get together with staff for a wrapping party, then the unique holiday packages are given over to capable hands who pass them out to the nursing homes and activity centers.

“We love doing it every year,” Lacey says. “Last year, even in a pandemic, we distributed a bar-raising 1,200 gifts." She is extremely proud to report numbers like these are what strengthen her belief in the passion the Liberty Hill community shows to help people in need.

MAKE IT YOURS

Be Santa to a Senior is a national program so any zip code will allow you to help a senior in your home town, or share the website with long-distance relatives who would like to help someone locally. "With just a few minutes, from anywhere, you can bless someone in your community," Lacey says.

She believes the need to stay local is just as important to this organization as it is to everyone. "Many of [the seniors] grew up in this area, and we understand that these really are local people living in these facilities. It doesn’t matter where they live now, they’re likely to be from within a 20-mile radius,” Lacey says.

She adds, "If everybody in the community is going to celebrate, it takes us all to give, and spread joy a little further than normal this year."

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