OPERATION LIBERTY HILL: Liberty Helping Hill’s Hands

by Charlotte Kovalchuk • photos courtesy of Operation Liberty Hill

Susan Baker, executive director of Operation Liberty Hill, took time to share her passion for the transformative work of this vital non-profit. Operation Liberty Hill is transforming the lives of local families with programs that go beyond the basics—offering essentials like clothing, meals, and school supplies, along with valuable resources such as financial literacy and job readiness training.

What inspired the founding of Operation Liberty Hill?

Operation Liberty Hill, like many nonprofits, was born out of need. After retiring from the City of Austin, I heard an announcement at my church that several of our members needed transportation to appointments. So I began providing rides to anyone who did not have a vehicle, was disabled, elderly, or could not afford to buy gas. With no public transportation in Liberty Hill, even to this day, the need was very apparent.

In 2008, I began volunteering at the Liberty Hill Community Food Bank, which was open two hours per month at a local church and served about 45 fam- ilies. As God does, He soon burdened the hearts of four women, including myself, with the same task to have a one-stop-shop for the people in need in our community. In 2011, Operation Liberty Hill (OLH) was formed and, in February 2012, the doors opened to the little 800-square-foot house owned by a local church. We would have opened sooner but the Bastrop fires happened on Labor Day weekend 2011 and that little house became a drop-off location for donations going to the victims. Due to the overwhelming response to the fires, Bastrop said “No more clothes!” So, we were left with a pile of clothing that filled almost an entire room reaching over six feet high. This enabled us to start the clothes closet. God provides in mysterious ways sometimes. By 2013 we had outgrown our current location when a donor came forward and said she would pay for our rent at a larger facility until we could get on our feet. After 18 months, we were able to pay our rent and we also began providing limited financial assistance to our clients.

In 2015, we once again needed a larger facility. Even though we only wanted clothing donations, all types of donations were coming in and we stored them at three different locations in Liberty Hill. In November of 2015 we began renting our current location from Williamson County on 183 in Leander, which allowed us to open a thrift store that helps support our organization.

Tell us about Operation Liberty Hill’s impact?

We have created a place where the people in our community can come and feel safe, seen, and heard. In 2023, Operation Liberty Hill:

• Assisted 49,099 people in our community

• Distributed 437,008 meals

• Gave out 1,176 Summer Snack Bags (due to a lack of a Federal Summer Lunch Program for LHISD)

• Supported 217 children who participated through Operation Back to School

• Provided more than 57,000 articles of clothing and shoes

• Provided 46 hotel nights for our homeless population during extreme weather conditions

One family’s story highlights the vital role of Operation Liberty Hill. During this year’s Back to School event, one parent expressed gratitude for the program that helped provide school essentials that were beyond the family’s financial means. Thanks to Operation Liberty Hill’s support, the oldest child was able to try out for sports and the other three now have athletic shoes for P.E., allowing them to start the school year with confidence.

What needs are you meeting in the community?

Operation Liberty Hill addresses many basic needs of the community. Our Food Pantry addresses the need for nutritious food and provides a voucher to clients so they can choose free clothing and shoes from our Thrift Store. We have several programs, such as Summer Snacks, Angel Tree, and Operation Back to School, that focus on school age children plus the Silver Bells program for our senior population. We also have a resource center to help clients with money management and job readiness, as well as many annual programs that address seasonal needs.

What do you love most about being involved?

It is true that our vision is living out our mission statement every day, working passionately and successfully with our local community to care for and support our neighbors by meeting their current fundamental needs. We also equip and assist them in obtaining the knowledge and skills to become financially stable with a living wage and a bright future. But there is nothing better than seeing kids excited to receive a summer snack bag or a new pair of shoes. And getting to share in the joy parents have when they pick up the Angel Tree gifts for their children’s Christmas or meeting a senior’s need or wish through our Silver Bells Program.

Tell us about your community involvement.

We are members of the Liberty Hill Chamber of Commerce and one of our staff members is on the Chamber Board. We attend events put on by the City of Liberty Hill to try to get the word out about OLH. We also partner with other local non-profits to ensure clients receive the assistance they need. It takes all of us working together as a team. A few of our partners are HEB, Randalls, St. Vincent DePaul, Salvation Army, and United Way.

Any upcoming projects?

The holiday season is an exciting time at Operation Liberty Hill. We have several annual projects coming up, including Angel Tree, Silver Bells, and Blue Santa. Our Share the Warmth Program also provides a new or gently used coat for our kids and space heaters for our clients. Please consider donating coats to Operation Liberty Hill. We are also planning for our Annual Golf Tournament that will be held at Cimarron Hills Golf Course on May 19, 2025.

The greatest project we will probably ever embark on will begin in 2025 as we break ground on a new location. OLH has been blessed with a donation of 2 acres in Liberty Hill and will commence plans for a forever home where we will be better equipped to serve our community.

How can people learn more and get involved?

Every program we offer at OLH has a financial component and we rely on donations to keep providing for the community. Giving Tuesday will be held on December 3. The community can visit our website, operationlh.org, to learn more about our mission, make donations, or apply to join our volunteer family. Donations may also be mailed to PO Box 1081, Liberty Hill, TX 78642. And be sure to stop by our center at 1401 N. Highway 183A in Leander to visit our awesome thrift store!