National Teen Pregnancy Prevention Month

National Teen Pregnancy Prevention Month Celebrated at BCFS Health and Human Services-Kerrville

Despite Historic Declines in Teen Pregnancy and Teen Birth Rates, There is Still More Work to be Done According to Local Nonprofit BCFS-Kerrville

Despite historic declines in the rates of teen pregnancy and birth rates in the United States, and an 11% reduction in the teen pregnancy rate in Texas, it is still the case that roughly one in four teen girls become pregnant before age 20 in the United States. In addition, Texas has the 45th highest teen pregnancy rate in the country. To focus attention on the progress that has been made addressing the issue of teen pregnancy, and spotlight how much work is yet to be done, BCFS-Kerrville joins organizations across the country in participating in National Teen Pregnancy Prevention Month.

Throughout the month of May, BCFS-Kerrville will provide free pregnancy prevention classes for girls, ages 14-19. The classes will be 1-hour long and utilize an evidence-based, interactive video called Seventeen Days to engage and educate the young women. The movie depicts real-life scenarios young women face in romantic relationships, and encourages the viewers to choose how they would respond in each scenario to learn about risk, health and safety. Participation is confidential and all youth will receive prizes upon completing the 1-hour program. For more information or to schedule a class for you or your teen, please contact Kathy Rice at (830) 928-1597.

“We are pleased to bring this interactive program to the community as part of National Teen Pregnancy Prevention Month. We recognize that teen pregnancy is a year-round issue that greatly impacts the youth of our nation, and young women in the Hill Country,” said Dennis Ferguson, Director-Community Services at BCFS-Kerrville. “We serve youth who have experienced abuse or neglect, those with an unstable home life, and teens from families that are living in poverty – it’s precisely this population that is most at-risk of teen pregnancy. So we strive to connect them to services, programs and mentors that help them make wise decisions about their health and their futures.”

BCFS Health and Human Services-Kerrville helps local families, youth from foster care and teens and young adults struggling with homelessness. BCFS-Kerrville provides transitional shelter, counseling, life skills programs, mentorships and more. For more information about BCFS-Kerrville, visit DiscoverBCFS.net/Kerrville.

Kerrville Celebrates the Grand Opening of the BCFS Hill Country Resource Center

Photo: BCFS Resource Center building

It was standing room only today at the celebration to mark the grand opening of the BCFS Hill Country Resource Center. The 20,000 sq. ft. facility on Main Street is the cornerstone of the city’s non-profit block, offering comprehensive, “one stop” services to local children, teens, young adults and families in need.

The event was hosted by BCFS and featured Kerrville family physician and longtime BCFS board member Dr. David Sprouse as the master of ceremonies, entertainment by the Tivy High School Marching Band and lunch catered by Don Strange. The celebration also included a dedication of the building in honor of Babs Baugh, a passionate advocate for children’s causes, who was named “BCFS Chairman of the Board Emeritus.” Dr. G. William (Bill) Nichols, a nationally recognized artist who lives in the Hill Country, was commissioned to paint a portrait of Baugh that was unveiled following the ribbon cutting ceremony and will hang in the building’s entryway.
For years, Sandy Cailloux dreamt of creating a non-profit block of community organizations where, together, agencies could leverage their combined talents, resources, passion and compassion to generate a powerful force for good. Nearly four years ago, The Cailloux Foundation, who had been a longtime supporter of the transition center model operated by BCFS Health and Human Services, launched a $500,000 challenge grant to build a new center.
The facility will now house several area non-profit organizations, including Art2Heart; BCFS Health and Human Services; Big Brothers Big Sisters of South Texas, Inc.; Families & Literacy, Inc.; Goodwill Industries of San Antonio; Hill Country Ministries, Inc.; and New Hope Counseling. BCFS Health and Human Services’ transition center will also offer free space to organizations on a daily, weekly, monthly or as needed basis; making important resources efficient and easily accessible, without duplicating services already available in the community.
“Today, the BCFS Hill Country Resource Center stands tall as a beacon of hope and healing for anyone needing help. It offers efficient access to critical resources for those who are struggling; bolsters the community’s ability to quickly intervene during crises; and instills a strong sense of personal responsibility in youth and families by creating an environment of accountability for turning their lives around,” stated BCFS President Kevin C. Dinnin.
The center is open to anyone in need, including youth in and aging out of foster care, as well as other young adults struggling with homelessness, poverty, truancy and substance abuse. Under a single roof, individuals have access to counseling, case management, literacy and educational support, job training and placement with local businesses, housing location and more. The center also offers programs that strengthen families, providing parenting support groups and classes that help open communication and teach innovative, healthy ways to set boundaries and discipline; as well as creative art therapy and counseling for individuals of all ages.
For more information about BCFS’ work in the Hill Country, visit DiscoverBCFS.net/Kerrville or call (830) 896-0993.

New Texas Hill Country Resource Center Rounding Into Comprehensive Community Center

Photo: Building under construction
March 2015
Photo: Unpainted finished building
May 2015

There’s no missing the almost 20,000-square-foot, two-story building taking shape on the non-profit block of 1100 Main Street. In the last two months, the site has gone from lumber framing to a bonafide building structure. BCFS Health and Human Services’ new Texas Hill Country Resource Center, which is being built by Kerrville contractor JM Lowe, is on schedule to open its doors this Fall, and will house fellow Hill Country non-profit organizations such as: Art2Heart; Families & Literacy, Inc.; Big Brothers Big Sisters; Hill Country Ministries and New Hope Counseling.

In the new center, Hill Country residents will have “one stop” access to:
  • counseling
  • case management
  • emergency housing assistance for young adults
  • life skills training
  • literacy training
  • educational support
  • connections to employment and educational opportunities
  • mentoring
  • parenting classes
  • arts and drama for children, and
  • Christian encouragement through Bible study and prayer
The shared-space concept instills greater access and accountability for the children, youth and families helped by the center, while also ensuring non-duplication of services and leveraging of talents and resources. All nonprofits will share training rooms, state-of-the-art communications technology, a conference room, computer lab and other common areas. Space is still available for other non-profit agencies. Organizations interested in leasing opportunities at the center should contact Sue Tiemann with Commercial Realty Services: (830) 792-5775.
“With the combined power of BCFS and our partners, this center is going to be the most robust site for care and compassion for children, young adults and families throughout the Hill Country,” says Brenda Thompson, BCFS’ local director.
Fundraising is ongoing to furnish the facility. Naming rights are available for spaces throughout the center, beginning at $1,200.
“Sponsoring one of the spaces in our center is not just a great way to help a child or family in need today, but also an incredible opportunity to permanently honor or memorialize someone you love,” says Kathleen Maxwell-Rambie, BCFS Development Officer.
To support the work at BCFS’ Texas Hill Country Resource Center or to learn more about working in the new facility, contact Kathleen Maxwell-Rambie at (830) 928-9387.

BCFS Receives $200,000 Grant to Update Youth Apartments

The Cailloux Foundation has awarded $200,000 to BCFS Health and Human Services to update and carry out general repairs for the organization’s apartment complex that provides safe, affordable housing to local youth aging out of foster care, and young adults 18 to 25 who are battling homelessness.
This is the second grant BCFS has received from The Cailloux Foundation that addresses the housing needs of Kerrville youth. In 2008, the Foundation awarded BCFS a grant to purchase the apartment complex.
Current work is being done by Kerrville-based Anderson Steadham Construction, Inc., and will include sheetrock and air conditioning repair, as well as electricity updates, and upgrades to kitchens and bathrooms. Each unit will be able to house one young adult, or a single mother with her children.
“The apartments provide so much more than just a safe roof over our residents’ heads,” says BCFS Development Officer Kathleen Maxwell-Rambie. “The youth work with BCFS case managers to save money and create a transition plan to get out on their own. Renovating the units helps them take pride in the facility and ultimately in themselves.”
Tenants at the drug and alcohol-free facility are provided case management, counseling, and help with education and employment. For more information about BCFS’ work with youth in the Hill Country, visit DiscoverBCFS.net/Kerrville or call (830) 896-0993.

Men’s Breakfast Speaker Hits It Out of the Ballpark!

Jimmy “The Rookie” Morris has lived a life of inspiration; which made him the perfect speakers for BCFS Health and Human Services’ annual Men’s Breakfast hosted in Kerrville.

The sky was dark and the air was crisp in Kerrville. The thoroughfares seemed empty, but the community turned out in a show of early morning support for BCFS Health and Human Services’ Kerrville Men’s Breakfast. The event, which raised funds to help complete the organization’s new Texas Hill Country Resource Center for children, youth and families, featured uplifting words from former Major League Baseball pitcher Jimmy Morris.
Morris was a high school baseball coach who preached to his team to always follow their dreams, and to be undeterred by naysayers.
“There are two types of people: those that want to see you fail, and those that want to see you succeed. The people at BCFS want you to succeed,” he said to nearly 200 community and business leaders, supporters and youth as day broke in the Texas Hill Country.
Morris coached baseball at Reagan County High School in the 1990s in Big Lake, Texas, a west-Texas oil drilling community. When his team challenged him to follow his own message of never giving up on your dreams, they made a friendly wager: If his team won district, he would try out for the majors again, reigniting a dream extinguished ten years prior due to injury.
Believing in his own hard work and his grandfather’s encouraging words, Coach Morris gave the big leagues another shot and, at age 35, made his rookie debut as a starting pitcher with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in 1999. While his major league career only lasted a few years due to persistent tendonitis, , Morris became a living testament for having a can-do attitude and following your dreams. His memoir, The Oldest Rookie, led to yet another first – his Hollywood debut – inspiring the 2002 feature film “The Rookie,” starring Dennis Quaid.
Having fulfilled his dream of playing major league baseball, Morris returned to his passion of working with youth and inspiring others to live out their dreams. Thanks to Morris’ support, more than $31,000 was raised for the new BCFS center, which will impact the lives of thousands each year.