– by Pat Donica Beethoven said that music can change the world. It’s the universal language. And the people at Kids in a New Groove (KING) are using the marvelous properties and effects of music to benefit children in need. On January 16, nine Seeds of Strength members visited KING, which became a first-time SoS grantee in May 2019 with a $20,000 grant to expand their Georgetown program providing free music lessons to kids in foster care. During our site visit, we met with KING Executive Director Laura Wood, Program Manager Sarah Wauters, Program Coordinator Aaron Bynum, and Community Engagement Coordinator Brian Wolff. Each person took us through the various aspects of KING. K...

by Leslie Ford – Although the weather was chilly, the women of Seeds of Strength were not deterred. They braved the wind to celebrate another successful year of lending a hand to a variety of nonprofits serving the Georgetown community. The Second Annual Harvest Fest was held at Celebrino Event Center, a lovely venue with plenty of space to accommodate the crowd of approximately 200 members, guests, and our grant recipients. Staff members from each nonprofit were available throughout the evening to talk with members. For me, learning more about each organization was the highlight of the evening. So, in this blog, I am sharing some of the interesting things I learned about how our 2019...

by Jan Spence – On a recent crisp and sunny day, a cadre of Seeds of Strength dog lovers were greeted by team Rocco, a big black and white Pyrenees/Aussie mix and his human owner/handler Shelly Moreno, and by team Remi, a petite Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, and her owner/handler Wendy Moosavi. Rocco and Remi appreciated our petting and responded with nuzzles and lots of tail wagging – but NO barking or jumping. They were so well-behaved because they have been through the Bow Wow Therapy Training at The Dog Alliance, a remarkable facility on New Hope Road in Cedar Park. We were also received by the Executive Director of The Dog Alliance, Debi Krakar, a small but mighty force of n...

by Babs Cape – What a greeting the eight Seeds of Strength members received on August 3rd when we visited Austin Sunshine Camp: Thank you for helping me go to camp. Austin Sunshine Camp is the best camp. If it was not for you, I would not be at the best camp ever. I want to thank you for helping me get in this awesome camp! Noah could not contain his appreciation. And he was not the only kid to thank us that day. You may remember Erica Blue on Voter Night describing her life-changing experience attending camp as a child. “It lifted me out of poverty,” she explained. Now as CEO of Austin Sunshine Camp, she wants that same experience for over 1,000 children each summer. And ...