The Beacon August / September Issue by The Beacon

THE SAN ANTONIO

AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2019

Be A Light

Spiritual Ears

Local ministry brings the Word of God to the deaf Divine Awakening: Healing mind, body and spirit at the Divine Health Center 7 1

Ignite Community Solutions: Breaking generational poverty with Jesus 9

Veterans helping veterans: Ensuring Military City, USA won’t forget brave soldiers 12 w w w.sa B e a c o n .c o m

ONE: Seeing miracles almost every day; inviting you to a special event 14

Tell Your Story: Moms’ prayers matter; they gather to pray — with amazing results 15 M ay / J u n e 2 0 1 9

A LETTER FROM THE

CO-PUBLISHERS

Dear Reader, The Beacon has the distinguished honor of reporting on all God is doing across our city. We hope you enjoy these good news stories — and, if you haven't already discovered it, may one help point you to connect your passion to purpose. And change more lives. Many of the nonprofits we've featured in our city report seeing volunteer numbers increase and new donors joining in to help impact our city! We want to take the opportunity to say “thank you” to each of you for being bold and stepping out. And, thank you Lord.

A community resource. In addition to our good news stories that touch hearts, we have a deep desire to act as a resource platform for the Body of Christ in our community. You can currently find upcoming local Christian events happening around us, watch videos with changed life stories and gain a perspective about local leaders and how their decisions affect our community. YOU are the reason we exist. We would be blessed for you to provide us feedback as we continue to shape this new resource — The Beacon. If you have a few minutes to share your thoughts, we placed a short survey on our website @ www.sabeacon.com/readersurvey. We value your opinion and every survey will be read and prayed over. We also know you are busy, so we would like to thank you for helping us help you. Complete our easy, 5 minute survey and be entered into a drawing for a $100 Gift Card as our way of saying thank you. Please complete the survey by September 16, 2019 to be entered into the drawing. The winner will be notified by September 23. Thank you in advance for sharing your feedback and opinion with us!

Are you a community-minded business? The Beacon is also helping to build partnerships between community-minded businesses and nonprofits with our 'cause marketing' strategy. Research shows the majority of consumers, when choosing between similar products in price, will select the community-minded business over a competitor. We help you appeal to the hearts of your future customers with consistent 'cause marketing' that works. Working on your marketing plans for next year? To gain a real advantage in your competitive business climate, please consider The Beacon as part of your marketing mix. Win the hearts of more customers with proven messaging and change even more lives in our community at the same time. Please email Duke at duke@sabeacon.com to set up your 'cause marketing' discovery meeting today. Thank you again for your interest in The Beacon. We hope you will enjoy this issue and will be prompted to take our easy online survey. Together let's 'Be A Light' in our community!

Duke Jonietz

Claude Roberts

Co-Publisher Co-Publisher

INSIDE

AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2019

Thank you to our local businesses who have partnered with us on the following Beacon stories.

Divine Awakening: Healing mind, body and spirit Alicia Bryan’s revelation in the West Texas mountains leads her to start the Divine Health Center. STORY MADE POSSIBLE BY:

Anonymous Partner

Breaking generational poverty with Jesus: Ignite Community Solutions Clarence Lowe believes the answer to breaking generational poverty is found in the gospel and locating your calling. STORY MADE POSSIBLE BY:

Anonymous Partner

Veterans helping veterans: American GI Forum makes sure Military City, USA won’t forget brave soldiers Since 1972, the American GI has served almost 500,000 veterans; read two special stories of recovery.

ONE is connecting people to God ONE is seeing miracles happen almost every day. To celebrate, they are inviting you to a special event.

Tell Your Story: Moms’ prayers matter In a day when many kids are afraid of going to school, moms gather to pray — with amazing results.

STORY MADE POSSIBLE BY:

Southwest Exteriors

The Beacon

STORY MADE POSSIBLE BY:

Documation

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Be A Light.

PUBLISHER: The San Antonio Beacon PUBLISHERS: Claude Roberts, Duke Jonietz EDITOR: Jennie Rosio PRAYER DIRECTOR: Doug Fletcher WRITERS: Inez Kirchner, Denise Marcos, Amy Morgan, Jennie Rosio, Denisse Warshack, Richard Zowie PHONE: (210) 614-8885 ONLINE: www.saBeacon.com MISSION STATEMENT: Our mission is to be a communication and resource tool that reflects God's activity in our community, connecting nonprofits to resources, businesses to customers and people to purpose.

Andrew and Emma Faye work together in a hearing aid fitting session. Andrew won the ReSound hearing aid at the annual Aid the Silent 5K which were generously donated by our business partner, Ear Institute of Texas.

Combined Palm Sunday worship service

SPIRITUAL EARS

Local ministry brings Word of God to the deaf BY AM Y M O R G AN FREELANCE WRITER

We can close our eyes to imagine living without sight, but it is much more difficult to disconnect from our sense of sound. Hearing is so integral to our experience of the world. It is almost impossible to comprehend the lack experienced by those diagnosed as deaf or hard of hearing. Emma Faye Rudkin identifies firsthand, because she has been profoundly deaf since a high fever robbed her of almost all hearing by the age of three. Like many deaf children, she battled not only to learn language, but with self-image and despair. Although she was raised in a Christian home, Emma Faye felt broken and rejected by God. She tried to hide her “ugly” hearing aids and was ashamed by others’ perceptions of her disability. 4

“Deaf teens often struggle with She was hurt and angry and tired of depression,” she says. “They feel living that way. overlooked and disconnected from That experience changed her life. people — like they are just floating by. “I started viewing life through the Without the ability to communicate, lens of Jesus and His love that changes they feel unknown and unloved.” everything,” she says. “God showed me Emma Faye’s parents aggressively that I am not alone in my personal pursued all modalities that offered struggles, but that everyone has a promise to help her navigate in a battle to fight.” hearing world. She started speech therapy at age three and pursued it for 10 years. All that time, she practiced in front of a mirror for hours with a speech therapist to form her sounds correctly. She learned to read lips and used the latest hearing aids and technology to boost her ability to respond to auditory cues. By age 14, Emma Faye was tired of missing out on truly Emma Faye and Jhojan take a moment in time to understand living. She signed herself up for each other without a word. Aid the Silent provides, through Camp Travis, a Christian camp. one of its four programs, resources for the deaf. w w w.sa B e a c o n .c o m

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Ear Institute of Texas proudly support Aid “ Wethe atSilentthe because not only do our values align, but so do our hearts. The work Aid the Silent is doing in the deaf community and for their families is heaven sent. Mother Teresa said, 'This is the meaning of true love, to give until it hurts.' We encourage you to join us in giving to this worthy cause.

”

Deaf Young Life students gather at camp time. Each year, Aid the Silent gifts scholarships to deaf and hard of hearing students.

At the age of 16, Emma Faye felt God had impressed a dream on her heart to establish a national platform for the hard of hearing and deaf during another camp experience through Young Life. This led her to pursue the dream of competing in the Miss America system. Emma Faye had started taking piano lessons a couple of years with this idea in mind but after camp, she knew it was time to go to the next level by adding in music theory in preparation for honing a talent to compete in local pageants, eventually adding guitar, ukulele and kick drum. In February 2015, she won the title of Miss San Antonio, setting a precedent as the first-ever winner who was deaf. She regained the crown in 2017, becoming the first two-time titleholder since 1923. She notes it is amazing how a crown and a sash opens open doors. Emma Faye parlayed her newly found voice of celebrity to launch the nonprofit organization, Aid the Silent, that same year. Every time she competed in a pageant, she noticed her ability to grow awareness and resources for the ministry increased exponentially. Aid the Silent was designed to enhance the quality of life for deaf and hard of hearing children and teens. Emma Faye Kace gets fitted for hearing aids. Speech and language skills develop in the first three years, so early intervention is key with children who have hearing loss.

August / S eptember 2019

created programs that concentrate on four areas: deaf resources, education, awareness and ministry. Deaf education directs funding to those who are walking through life with the kids, like teachers — who often make extra time for deaf students. Aid the Silent helps schools to afford the resources to help a deaf student. One such tool is a frequency modulator (FM). FMs clarify a teacher’s voice and sends the sound directly into a child’s hearing aid, cutting distraction and increasing comprehension. “We help families with funding to allow access early on,” Emma Faye says. “Early intervention is the key. The prime time for speech development is until 7 years old. They can be so behind their peers if parents don’t — or don’t know how — to take initiative,” she explains. Another issue complicating things is that deaf and hard of hearing communities often divide into two separate, and sometimes conflicting, camps. There are those who sign only versus those who use technology and speech. Because Emma Faye can communicate in American Sign Language (ASL) and verbally, she bridges the gap as one of the rare advocates for both sides. “No matter what you have decided as a family, Aid the Silent wants to come alongside you and provide anything you need,” she explains, adding that kids feel especially isolated when they can’t communicate with their parents. “Sometimes children will learn ASL at school, but their family doesn’t know how to sign with them. We can help them learn together.” w w w.sa B e a c o n .c o m

Ninette Jackson CFO, Ear Institute of Texas with Emma Faye Rudkin, Executive Director, Aid the Silent.

Raising awareness is another arm of Aid the Silent. Emma Faye speaks at several hundred events a year, sponsors an annual 5K run and created the Good Vibrations Music & Arts Festival. The event, which won the Best Charity Festival of the year in 2017, is deaf and HOH accessible. It’s an all-day music festival attended by several thousand each year, bringing together the deaf, hard of hearing and hearing worlds in a new way with efforts that “ Deaf teens are enhance music through live waiting for captioning, ASL someone to interpretation, step into their t-coiling, vibrating backpacks, a world and sound wave wall know them. It and an LED dance changes them floor that syncs to the music. to think that The bands, somebody interpreters and real-time captionthinks they ing are displayed are worth on the jumbo knowing.” screen that can be seen from everywhere on the festival grounds, she says. “So often the deaf are shoved off in the corner with an interpreter. Participants realize they are loved and included.” Emma Faye offers these life-changing resources and events as a springboard to be able to introduce people to the real life-changer, Jesus Christ. “How can I tell them about the gospel if I can’t help with their practical needs? I come in as a humanitarian resource provider who has a relationship with people they trust. This opens the door to 5

Thank you EAR INSTITUTE OF TEXAS for making this story possible to share.

sharing the gospel,” she says. She was shocked to discover statistics showing 93 percent of the deaf community has no contact with the church and that 98 percent do not truly know and accept Jesus — making them the third largest unreached people group for the gospel. “Their parents may drag them to church,” she says, “but they are not following what is being said. Camp changed everything for me — I wanted that for them.” Emma Faye stayed involved with Young Life after her camp experience and joined staff in 2016. Although her heart was to found a Deaf Young Life group, she had yet to locate deaf teens in the community. Emma Faye happened to see a couple of teen boys signing at a packed UTSA football game. She found they were part of the deaf magnate program at Churchill High School. She began to build a Deaf Young Life program in central San Antonio beginning with those boys from Churchill. Emma Faye worked with Young Life through Aid the Silent funding to make everything — skits, programs, music, camp — accessible to deaf kids through interpreters, real-time captioning and leaders who could communicate with them. It now attracts teens from throughout the area — even as far away as Fredericksburg. “Last year more than half of the Deaf Young Life group got to meet Jesus,” she exclaims. “They are so different from the angry, frustrated teens we first met — it’s like a light switch flipped.”

Ear Institute of Texas is dedicated to giving “ The back to our community. We strive to unite and educate those with and without hearing loss. That is exactly what we get to do as we partner with Aid the Silent. Being a part of that is gratifying and reminds us that it is in giving that we receive.

”

Dr. Lance E. Jackson CEO, Ear Institute of Texas with Emma Faye Rudkin, Executive Director, Aid the Silent.

“ Last year more than half of the Deaf Young Life group got to meet Jesus!” Presently, Emma Fay is collaborating with several government agencies, a local district attorney and several other local nonprofits to produce a child abuse protection organization to write protocols to help decrease abuse among the deaf population. Sadly, deaf children are often targets, because predators know these victims have trouble communicating. Emma Faye is working to give children communication tools so they have a context and words to explain their experience. She also just returned from Moldova, where she visited several deaf schools. Humanitarian groups had donated hearing aids, but unfortunately the equipment had not been programmed or maintained correctly and was ineffective, she says. “Their hearts were good, but the hearing aids were not benefiting the kids,” she says. “Many just thought

(830) 446-0421 Emma Faye Rudkin, Founder, Exec. Dir. emmafaye@aidthesilent.org Kathy Rudkin, Co-founder, CFO kathy@aidthesilent.org www.aidthesilent.com To book Emma Faye call (830) 249-1744 or email speaking@emmafayerudkin.com www.EmmaFayeRudkin.com Email: info@aidthesilent.com 34910 IH 10 West, #701, Boerne, TX 78006 (830) 249-1744 To learn more about Aid the Silent, visit: www.AidTheSilent.com

Be A Light. Visit. Go to the ministry website and learn more about Aid the Silent. Run or dance. Register for the 5K or attend next year’s music festival. Learn. Train to be a Young Life leader or open your home to youth. Pray. Ask God to give more deaf people new spiritual ears. Give. Set someone free with your gift today by calling or visiting the website. w w w.sa B e a c o n .c o m

they’d always be stuck in that situation. Once we tested and made plans to bring the necessary equipment back to the program, we could give them so much hope.” She plans to return to the country soon to expand efforts there. Emma Faye’s next big dream for Aid the Silent is to acquire a physical building downtown to serve as a community center hub for training, audiology, conferences and Deaf Young Life. She relates a story of Helen Keller, who was once asked which of her senses she missed more. Keller was reported to note that blindness separated her from things; deafness separated her from people. “Deaf teens are waiting for someone to step into their world and know them. It changes them to think that somebody thinks they are worth knowing,” Emma Faye says. STORY MADE

POSSIBLE BY:

www.eioftx.com 18518 Hardy Oak Blvd., Suite 300 San Antonio, TX 78258 (210) 696-4327 The Ear Institute of Texas is a communityminded practice serving the deaf community and their families. We support Aid the Silent in a variety of ways, including participating in their annual 5K run. Some of us run, others cheer. But we are all there for the same reason: love. The Ear Institute of Texas is committed to utilizing our many years of experience in providing the latest advancements in medical technology to evaluate and treat all dimensions of the human ear. Our goal is to treat every patient as we would treat a family member — with experience and with understanding and compassion. Please call us today to set your appointment. We would love to learn that you heard about our practice through The Beacon!

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DIVINE AWAKENING Healing mind, body and spirit

Through darkness comes light, through fear comes love and through pain comes triumph

Emotional shrapnel from the storms of this life can wound us. These kinds of wounds make it clear that wellness depends on so much more than just the physical realm. Wellness involves the entire being — body, soul and spirit. This is the lesson Alicia Bryan, Founder of the Divine Health Center, learned on her own healing journey. Alicia struggled mightily after a failed marriage and illness. During her healing journey, she discovered the connection between mind, body and spirit. “I realized the importance of the mind-body connection,” she says. “I couldn’t be successful and gain ground

in my health if I didn’t address issues in my mind, soul and spirit.” Alicia sought restoration through the power of Christ in all three of these areas. As a result, she experienced deep healing and at the Gage Hotel in the West Texas mountains, God’s plan unfolded for her to start the Divine Health Center. “We work with the best practitioners in regenerative health. Our practitioners help people see the power of the mind and the link between science and God. This provides our clients with cutting edge solutions to their wellness needs,” she says. Guests of the Divine Healing Days are welcomed into a safe and loving environment to process past hurts with professional practitioners and to

learn how to replace fear, anxiety and shame with the truth of who God created them to be. They begin the Divine Healing Day by tapping into the creativity of the right side of the brain through Sozo art. Through this, Alicia says, “they begin to identify root issues behind behavior.” Then, Dr. Mark Jones, a Christian counselor, leads each guest through a process of forgiveness and healing. Next, Executive Director of Divine Healing Day, Ali Tanari, leads guests through a healing process that helps them identify root issues that hinder them from living the life they were created to live. "Living in true freedom is possible," says Ali. "I especially love seeing the transformation that occurs when we connect our guests to the Father’s heart!"

Founder Alicia Bryan anoints and prays over a Divine Healing Day guest.

Chef Emma MacEachern prepares a special lunch for Divine Healing Day guests.

Dr. Mark Jones prays for a guest at a Divine Health Center ministry night.

BY AM Y M O R G AN FREELANCE WRITER

August / S eptember 2019

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It has come to his attention that the statistics surrounding the absence of fathers in the home is staggering. More than 1 in 4 children live without a father. The Divine Health Center endeavors to address and resolve father relationship issues and empower people to change generations. Ali, the in-house Restorative Therapist for the Divine Health Center, personally follows up with each guest that attends in their aftercare program. “You can’t repress an emotional wound. It can only be healed by God,” Alicia says. “Many say they feel loved for the first time in ages,” she continues. “It’s like turning on a light bulb. They may have felt disconnected from God, but now they feel a new love Abi Stumvoll and Alicia and connection. Bryan hug at The Divine “Our heart and Health Center's annual desire is to come ReGenesis Retreat. alongside pastors, spiritual leaders, practitioners and those in ministry. We feel our events are especially necessary for them to remain equipped and on fire so they don’t burn out.” Alicia says the stories of transfor-

Dr. Mark Jones teaches at a Divine Health Center ministry event.

UPCOMING Divine Healing Days: Divine Healing Day attendees create Sozo art.

September 12 and October 10

The next ReGenesis Conference

mation are miraculous. She remembers a young man who was struggling with addiction and thoughts of suicide. He received such freedom following participation in a Divine Healing Day that he now has joined the staff of an intercessory prayer ministry in Kansas. Another family was changed when their daughter, who was released from spiritual oppression causing debilitating depression, convinced her parents to try the retreat. They too were so transformed they founded a spiritual healing ministry in their church based on the principles learned. As a result of her own journey through tragedy, trial and finally healing, Alicia now walks in authority in the healing arena through the Divine Health Center. Jesus still heals. All He is waiting for is you to take the first step towards healing and restoration.

will be held at the Gage Hotel in Marathon, Texas. January 10-12 Space is limited. To register for any of these events, email Ali at Ali@divinehealthcenter.com or call (432) 244-8044. You can also find them on Facebook @divinehealthcenter.

Divine Health Center www.divinehealthcenter.com (432) 244-8044

Be A Light. Pray. Pray for the ministry to reach more people with the healing power of Christ. Share. Tell others, especially those in ministry, about this holistic healing of the body, mind and spirit. Give. Your generosity provides scholarships for those in ministry to help them attend Divine Healing Days. Follow. See updates and learn about events on social media. STORY MADE

POSSIBLE BY:

Anonymous Partner Thank you Lord, for this anonymous donor who generously gave so Divine Health Center could be featured in this issue of The Beacon. With this generous gift, we are able to raise awareness of this ministry and the difference they are making in our community.

Ali Tanari, restorative therapist teaches at the annual ReGenesis retreat at the Gage Hotel.

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Breaking generational poverty with Jesus IGNITE COMMUNITY SOLUTIONS BY JENNI E R O S I O BEACON EDITOR

A manager might terminate you from a job. Coworkers’ gossip might ruin a career. But your calling? No one can fire you from your calling. Clarence Lowe, Founder of Ignite Community Solutions, believes this “life calling” is the seed that can grow hope in the barren landscape of generational poverty. How? When a young man’s great-grandfather, grandfather and father have all suffered from abject poverty, how can he then find this seed, this calling? How does he find purpose so compelling he’ll risk anything to pursue it? Does he glimpse writing in the sky? Crack a fortune cookie? Hear a voice? Clarence is no stranger to big life questions. He’s the CEO and Co-foundAugust / S eptember 2019

er of Star Force, a full-service provider of innovative workforce empowerment solutions to government, businesses, and academic institutions. For eight years, he’s consulted across the table with people whose get up and go has gotten up and gone. Before that, at Randstad, a staffing and recruiting agency, he oversaw daily operations of six site locations, with an internal staff of 15 personnel and a temporary work force of approximately 1,850. Nine months ago, at the urging of some clients and friends, Clarence officially created a nonprofit called “Ignite.” Through Ignite, those who battle wellness issues, ex-offenders, at-risk youth and low income individuals tackle the big life questions. The secret? “Change Your Mind, Change Your Life” workshops, which Clarence crafted over the last decade while at the helm of Star Force. They’ve been received so well that third-party evaluations rank the rate of attendees’ improvement levels well into the 80th and 90th percentiles. The fuel for Ignite began in 2011, when Clarence and his partner, Patricia Vasquez, had just begun the Star w w w.sa B e a c o n .c o m

Clarence’s first time to witness this hopelessness was during his growingup years in New York’s Bed-Stuy neighborhood, a three-square-footsquare-mile hotbed of murders and assaults. “I saw constant robberies, lots of gangs. Most of my Clarence Lowe, Founder of Ignite Community Solutions friends wound up in jail or on drugs. Very few people escaped.” Clarence did escape, however. For one, he says, he grew up with both a mom and a dad who stayed together. Also, after enlisting in the U.S. Air Force (at the tender age of 17), he found his own newfound sense of purpose. “It was a really powerful conversion,” he says, describing the night he prayed a simple but desperate prayer, asking God to reveal Himself. “I went from being this shy guy in Brooklyn to this person who just went everywhere telling people about Jesus. That was my sole reason for being.” Even Clarence’s constant stuttering — which had plagued his entire boyhood — ceased.

Thank you ANONYMOUS PARTNER for making this story possible to share.

Ignite partners with Urban Soccer Leadership Academy (USLA). The ThinkBig program helps at-risk children discover their purpose, build supportive relationships, make healthy choices and become engaged citizens.

Force business. Clarence was asked to partner with United Way to present their training as part of an initiative to improve some of the dilapidated housing and poor educational conditions on San Antonio’s East Side. It was funded by millions of dollars through the city and by the Obama Administration. “Quite honestly,” he says, “I was able to witness once again the impact of generational poverty on an individual or on a community — and how people trapped in it often display feelings of helplessness, marginality and dependency or what I call hopelessness.” The “Change Your Mind, Change Your Life” classes resounded deeply; Star Force created their own measurement tools that first time around. “The findings regarding the amelioration — or ‘improvement effect’ — for our program’s participants were off the charts,” says Clarence. “Ninety-two percent of the individuals who went to our programs within a three-to-sixmonth period improved their lives. They went to school; got a degree. Eleven percent of the individuals actually opened up their own businesses. I’m talking about people who were chronically unemployed, underemployed or on drugs. So it had some remarkable results. I was invited to Washington, D.C. to talk about the program. To be perfectly honest, what the program is — is presenting the 10

Ignite partners with the New Braunfels Food Bank. In ClearPath’s workforce development, low income individuals build spiritual, social and psychological capital which reduces barriers in their pursuit of thriving lives.

gospel in a secular setting.” Clarence says that because the 40 hours of instruction focus so much on one’s purpose and meaning in life, people in the class begin to ask their own questions and invite the speakers into a conversation about more spiritual truths. The truths are like breadcrumbs, leading the listeners to hope. While Star Force created its own success measurement tools at first, Ignite has since reached out for third-party oversite. Ignite partners with the University of Texas San Antonio School of Nursing to give w w w.sa B e a c o n .c o m

ratings. The first six-month period, which is comprised of three phases, earned tabulations which all point to success. “Phases one, two and three were all around the 90th percentile,” says Clarence. Phase one measured social and psychological capital; Phase Two, employment hopefulness; Phase Three, the elimination of barriers for self-sufficiency. “Critical to the success of the program,” points out Clarence, “is that we’re not just informational. There is a relational component. The people that come through our program become family. There’s an extensive follow Au g u st / S e pte m b e r 2 0 1 9

Thank you ANONYMOUS PARTNER for making this story possible to share.

Recent graduates of Ignite’s RESET Exoffender Program gather, celebrating newfound purpose.

along with our programs. There’s a six-month formal follow-up but these people remain in our family. They text us constantly and ask for advice.” Rosalia, a 32-year old mother of two, is one of the clients from Ignite’s ex-offender program, Reset. She expressed her thanks in a letter:

desire to attend.” Afterward, however, she wrote a letter of thanks to Clarence and Patricia:

“ I just assumed that being clean, sober and safe would just automatically change my life. Boy was I wrong. Months went by. I was in a fog. Then I met Patricia. She seemed so strong and smart. I thought she must be one of those ‘Mexicanas Ricas’. You know, silver spoon & stuff. But in getting to know her I learned that it wasn’t easy for her. She had overcome much ‘adversity.’ She taught me that word. She made me feel like I could overcome anything —even my horrible past.”

“ D uring the class break he made small references to God or biblical stories almost in passing it seemed, like breadcrumbs to see who, if anyone, would like to continue the dialogue. I had no relationship with God at this point in my life and honestly had no desire to build one, but I did have questions and felt this was the perfect opportunity to get some answers. And answers I got — so many of them. Over the course of attending 14 classes (only four were required), my soul was consistently fed with biblical wisdom, a clear and deep understanding of what it means to have a relationship with God and a growing desire to be closer to Him,” she says.

Rosalia goes on to say that she started her own jewelry making business, attended parenting classes and volunteered whenever she could. “She was just what I needed,” Rosalia continues, thanking Patricia. “because I had just given up. Her self-development classes changed my life.” Kyle also came into the class in a desperate situation; she was living in her car with her son. Still she had “zero

She closed the letter, saying, “I have since graduated with a Masters of Social work, co-founded a nonprofit agency, and have the amazing opportunity to sit on the board of Ignite with my long-time mentors, Clarence and Patricia.” It’s no small wonder that Ignite triggers a powerful spark. Because the flame of your calling can never be extinguished once it’s ignited.

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Ignite partners with the New Braunfels Food Bank. Ignite’s Community Health Program empowers individuals and families who battle with wellness issues and food insecurity.

Ignite Community Solutions www.icommunitysolutions.org 11503 Jones Maltsberger, Suite 1220, San Antonio, TX 78216 (210) 370-3165

Be A Light. Pray. Ask the Lord to open hearts and break the bonds of generational poverty in San Antonio. Partner. Contact Clarence today if you know organizational leaders who can get this curriculum into the right hands. Donate. Visit the Ignite Community Solutions website, then click on the yellow button (upper right corner). Greatest need: monthly donors.

STORY MADE

POSSIBLE BY:

Anonymous Partner Thank you Lord, for this Anonymous Partner who generously gave to Ignite Community Solutions so that we could feature this article in our August / September issue. With this generous gift we are able to help raise awareness for Ingnite and all they do to help those in need in our community.

Veterans

helping veterans

American GI Forum makes sure Military City, USA won’t forget our brave soldiers BY RI C H AR D ZO W I E BEACON WRITER

additional 20-30 veterans per month come in for services!

Among their programs: Carlos Martinez spent four years in the U.S. Air Force during the Vietnam Era. When he returned home, he didn’t like what he saw. Vietnam veterans weren’t respected after fighting a controversial war drawing countless protests. “Veterans then were badly treated by the general public and because of that trend, services for them weren’t readily available,” Carlos recalls. “This reminded me of how Hispanic military veterans didn’t get the services or attention they needed after World War II.” In 1972 in San Antonio, Carlos joined the American GI Forum in founding the National Veterans Outreach Program (AGIF-NVOP) to serve veterans hands on at the community level. Today, he is the president and CEO. Carlos estimates that 60 percent of their clients are homeless veterans, and that 25 percent are the families of veterans. The CEO adds that many veterans like to move to “Military City, USA” (San Antonio) once finished with their service. Lackland Air Force Base volunteers They’re now serve food to veterans at AGIF’s seeing an 2018 Stand Down for Veterans. 12

Veterans Service Center: A one-stop place for the Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program, Basic Skills Upgrade and Clothing Closet. Residential Center for Veterans: Individually tailored job counseling, employment services, chemical dependency counseling, daily meal service and community reintegration programs. NVOP also provides housing for disabled or homeless veterans with families. Annually, NVOP hosts a Veterans Day Stand Down, where they help 500 homeless veterans and individuals by providing various services from more than 50 community partners and nonprofits. Since 1972, the program has served almost 500,000 veterans. Included among them are Seth Jarmon and Derrick Sanchez. Seth served in the U.S. Army as a

Veteran residents gather at AGIF’s Residential Center for Veterans (RCV). The RCV provides 60 single room occupancy apartments and 80 transitional housing beds for veterans in San Antonio.

Hawk Missile crew member. After the military, he struggled with drugs and a lifestyle which led to prison. Knowing that substance abuse led to his homelessness, Seth sought treatment. After completing rehab, he came to AGIF for employment. His trust in God led him to success, stability and becoming an AGIF Outreach Specialist. Carlos now describes Seth as a “highly-committhink so often veterans are overlooked. They “ Isacrifice so much, sometimes everything, and are

A veteran and a GI Forum case manager work together. AGIF provides job training, interview coaching and resume writing assistance. w w w.sa B e a c o n .c o m

given very little to nothing in return for that sacrifice. The NVOP is a huge resource in our co mmunity for veterans and their families. They provide counseling, job training, and family services to name a few. I think what’s most important, though, is that they restore dignity in our veterans who just need some help. We need to be supporting that.

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Au g u st / SCoordinator, e pte m bDocumation er 2019 Elisia Carr, Marketing

Thank you DOCUMATION for making this story possible to share.

Our veterans need our help. The services offered for those that served their country are minimal at best. NVOP is making a difference but they cannot do it alone. It’s time for the church to stand up, lend a hand and change the life of a vet!

Manuel DeLeO, a Vietnam veteran, thanks American GI Forum, Wells Fargo and the Home Depot Foundation for donating his newly renovated home.

ted Christian;” Seth has worked four years for the organization as an outreach specialist. Derrick, who spent eight years as a U.S. Navy Sonar Technician, had difficulties transitioning to civilian life. Through the program, he received support services such as counseling and training to upgrade his skills. He now works for the organization as an intake certification specialist. “He’s done a great job for us,” Carlos says.

They’re now seeing an additional 20-30 veterans per month come in for services! “The 450,000 veterans we’ve served well. Most have gone on and have lived their lives. With these men and women, it is truly a privilege to watch their transformations and successes.” The veteran residents living at the center are invited to attend a Bible Study Fellowship Bible study; typically a group of 10-15 may attend. To serve

its clients, the Outreach Program also relies on a network of agencies: St. Vincent de Paul, Christian dental clinics, Church Under the Bridge, Travis Park United Methodist Church and Chrysalis Ministries. They are involved in soup kitchens, community events, job training and housing. These ministries also assist with school supplies, food banks and make sure the veterans get the medical and mental health treatment they need. “We’re launching our own mental health unit for after-hour services,” Carlos says. The program also relies on funding through state and federal grants, along with other agencies. “Nonprofits always have more work than they have money,” Carlos says. “We try to find as many resources as we can. We do have foundation support from places like Walmart, USAA, along with veterans’ groups and auxiliaries.” Carlos describes many of these as “small grants” that help for specific purposes. They currently need general dollars for filling in the gaps. would we be today without those who “ Where willingly chose to serve our country? I believe the

A stylist provides a mirror for a veteran after a haircut at the 2017 Stand Down for Veterans. At the yearly event, American GI Forum also provides flu shots, clothes, and emergency food. August / S eptember 2019

least we could do is help to give them back maybe just a little of what they might’ve lost. Organizations like the American GI Forum NVOP are so important to cities and communities like ours with a strong military presence. We need to respect their sacrifice, and show up when they need us. AGIF helps us do that.

”

American GI Forum National Veterans Outreach Program www.agif-nvop.org 611 N. Flores, Suite 200, SAT 78205 (210) 223-4088

Be A Light. Pray. Ask God to give the leadership favor and wisdom. Donate. Give to the general fund especially. Spread the word. Invite your favorite business leader schedule a tour. Invite. Ask a representative to come and speak to your church, ministry or small group. Volunteer. Learn how you can pitch in monthly; it’s a great way to thank a vet!

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DOCUmation provides IT, print, and software solutions to businesses and nonprofits throughout Texas and beyond. As a company that values character, community, and customer, our goal is to provide service that serves. We want what we do to not only serve our customers needs, but also our community’s needs. Giving back creates a ripple that can reach places you never thought possible. Every time we partner with a nonprofit, we uphold our commitment to leave our community better than when we started. Each year, DOCUmation proudly supports nonprofits throughout our community. When you partner with us, you support them, too.

DOCUmation

www.mation.com | (210) 341.4431 info@mation.com

Hunter Woolfolk, Co-President DOCUmation

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Thank you SOUTHWEST EXTERIORS for making this story possible to share.

ONE invites everyone to hear God’s voice and to their luncheon with William Paul Young Pollsters show that only a small percentage of people in America believe that God talks to them. Cayce Harris, Executive Director of ONE, a nonprofit offering prayer and classes on prayer and leadership in San Antonio, is dedicated to changing that perception. She’s Cayce Harris is the seen thousands of others Executive Director of ONE. encounter God in authentic ways at ONE, where the mission is to help people hear the voice of God and live from that place. On November 4, William Paul Young, the author of the New York Times bestselling book William Paul Young and motion picture, The is author of The Shack, will be the speaker Shack. He will be at ONE’s annual fundrais- speaking at ONE November 4. er and all are invited. Cayce is especially excited to present this speaker because, she says, the storyline of the writer’s book —even though it is fiction — points to something she’s seen in real life. “This is exactly how He [ Jesus] sounds,” Cayce explains, referring to the way Mack, the story’s main character, encountered God, the Holy Spirit and Jesus in a remote little shack and found solace even though he was dealing with a lot of baggage. “He’s so full of grace,” says Cayce, referring to the way she’s seen Jesus heal, “and gives a whole different perspective from our own in our painful experience. It’s

amazing how the book has been very enduring and very beloved.” Cayce has experienced God’s healing and voice in many ways and with thousands of people in San Antonio but gives a very practical example from the memory of her earliest days. As a child, she had paralyzing fears that produced anxiety well into adulthood. “I literally thought something was going to come out from under my bed and grab me,” and those old memories were showing up in regular life. One day in prayer, she started asking Jesus what was true and where He was. Jesus showed her a picture of Him lighting up the dark room and He was right beside her reassuring her that fear was like a balloon full of hot air — easy for Him to pop. And He did. “Jesus made it clear that the fear I remembered was nothing. Peace, light and comfort changed the memory of my experience of night terrors as a child.” Now, says Cayce, this experience of freedom is available anytime in her roles as leader, mother, wife and friend. The storyline In The Shack deals with tragedy much more dire. The main character, Mack, endures abuse as a child and tragedy as an adult but experiences God’s overwhelming love, freeing him from trauma and anger. “This is more than a story. It is available to everyone, every day at ONE,” Cayce says. “People come to us to encounter God and hear His voice in the midst of difficulty and trauma as well as when life is easy. We make hearing the voice of God practical in everyday living. We let Him speak to every person and every season, and He

ONE Luncheon: Monday November 4, 2019 "The Shack is a book about God's great love for all of us and how we can experience it all the time. ONE is bringing this type of encounter with God off the pages and into everyday life for anyone. I'm thrilled to share about this with partners and supporters at ONE's annual luncheon, and I hope you will join us,” says William Paul Young. To purchase individual tickets or a table of 10 for the luncheon on Monday, November 4, text the word luncheon to 91999. For more information on the luncheon, classes, prayer times or the weekly offerings at ONE, contact Cari Spielhagen at cari@one-sa.org or (210) 930-7760.

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ONE is a San Antonio nonprofit focused on helping everyone hear the voice of God and making that practical for everyday living.

always brings the truth and perspective that is healing.” ONE invites everyone to come for prayer, classes on leadership and to the November 4 luncheon.

135 W Olmos Dr, San Antonio, TX 78212 (210) 930-7760 www.one-sa.org

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Southwest Exteriors specializes in replacing windows and siding for San Antonio area homeowners. Our two core values are love and excellence and we exist to transform lives by transforming homes for the glory of God. Our long-term vision is to build a community of home contracting businesses in San Antonio over the next 20 years sharing the same business model along with shared resources and services. One of the key components of our business model is to serve as an economic engine to fund local ministries. We are honored to support ONE.

Southwest Exteriors

www.SouthwestExteriors.com (210) 828.5555 2430 Freedom Dr., San Antonio, TX 78217

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T E L L YO U R S TO RY

A group of Moms In Prayer from a South Texas Leadership Gathering in Bryan, Texas stand together in 2018.

Moms’ prayers matter With the academic year back in full swing, many school-aged kids spend much of their day outside of their homes. Because complex mental, social and spiritual tests face our students and schools many moms have decided to unite for a common cause. These moms gather to pray. Moms In Prayer International (MIP International) are women who gather regularly to pray God’s will over their children and the schools they attend. There are groups in over 145 countries. The vision of MIP International is simple: that every school in the world be covered in prayer. MIP International impacts children and schools worldwide for Christ by gathering moms to pray. They believe that where they gather, Jesus will be with them, as Matthew 18:20 says. They also believe that if they ask anything “according to His will,” they will be heard, as John 5:14 records. Pauline Pope was drawn to MIP International in 2002. After the adoption of two children, prayer played a key role in staying resilient.

Pauline Pope, MIP South Texas coordinator, stands with her family. Left to right are Maria, Scotty, her husband Mike and Jimmy.

August / S eptember 2019

Cindy Zulli, MIP prayer coordinator for Northside ISD, stands with her family. Left to right are Kevin Burns, Deborah Zulli Burns, Diana Zulli, David Zulli, Cindy and Dan Zulli.

Tiffany Harris, Northeast ISD Area MIP Coordinator, stands with her family. Left to right, in back are Adam, Tiffany, Jack; Left to right, in front are Brooklin, Hannah and Nate.

She loved the discipline of prayer and has gathered to pray with other moms weekly since then. Pauline is grateful to the faithful women in her group who have journeyed with her through challenging seasons of life by consistently pointing her to the cross. After seeing the impact MIP International makes in people’s lives, Pauline stepped up to serve as MIP International’s South Texas Coordinator. She loves seeing the benefits of prayer flood into the home environment and the community, not to mention seeing the difference it has made in the lives of individual students. In one such community, a student named Keely was directly impacted by the persistent prayer of these moms. Keely’s heart and life were in turmoil due to bullying at school and she began cutting her w w w.sa B e a c o n .c o m

wrist to cope with the stress. Her mom’s MIP International group came together on her behalf. Through prayer, counseling and much love, God restored Keely’s life. Those who so fervently prayed for her healing were amazed to see their answered prayers. Keely’s story is just one of many. There are well over 600 MIP International groups impacting the lives of students and schools in Texas alone. Among those are 37 here in San Antonio, including two Spanish-speaking groups and one Korean group.

To start your own prayer group, contact Cindy or visit the website. Zulli.Cynthia@gmail.com www.MomsInPrayer.org

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AUTOMOTIVE â&#x20AC;&#x201C; HELOTES

We at The Beacon are touched by the number of businesses in our community supporting ministries. These causes are making an eternal difference in the lives of so many in our city. We encourage you to thank and support the businesses represented in this and past issues of The Beacon. When you do business with them, you too are a difference-maker in our community! Be A Light. For more information about how you can be recognized as a community-minded company please contact us at info@sabeacon.com.

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