by Barbara Garland – As eight Seeds of Strength members gathered for a site visit at the Williamson County Children’s Advocacy Center in early April, they were greeted by stark, black silhouette cutouts of various- aged kids, each of which graphically point out chilling facts about child abuse. More than 90% of abused children know their abuser. Only 1 in 10 tell of their abuse. If a child is neglected he is 59% more likely to be arrested as a juvenile and 30% more likely to commit a violent crime. Nineteen children die from child abuse in Texas each month and the majority are younger than four years old.”  The Williamson County Children’s Advocacy Center, or WCCAC, is one ...

by Martha Lawlor – Sooner or later, all of us will have to deal with memory loss issues, possibly for other family members, if not for ourselves. Different options are available in our community. Respite programs, often run by churches, typically hold weekly programs with socially enriching and fun activities, offering the caregivers some free time of their own. When it isn’t safe for an individual to be left on his or her own, the next step may be an Adult Day Health Center, licensed by the state, where there is usually a daily fee. Memory Connections is a different type of program, aimed at adults in the EARLY stages of a memory impairment disease, intended to provide emotional sup...

by Linda Austin – On February 13, Seeds of Strength members and their guests gathered at the historic Williamson County Courthouse for this year’s Wine, Women, Chocolate and Giving social. When the ladies arrived, there was no question about where to go. They needed only to follow the sounds of laughter and chatter up the stairs to the second floor where a full house was congregated to sip and socialize. Participants were greeted by members of the Events Committee of SoS, offered a glass of wine, and directed to the festive table replete with chocolate delicacies of every kind. It was an enjoyable evening, a respite from the dreary and seemingly never-ending February weather. One of ...

by Barbara Garland – When our Seeds of Strength members and guests convened at Ride on Center for Kids (ROCK) on a cold Friday morning, we were met by a smiling Karah Ricketts, the Community Development Manager. After we all signed in, Karah led us to the Rockateer Room (the volunteers are called Rockateers). That day the room was filled with Rockateer students, GISD high schoolers, who were waiting for the bus bringing new clients — special-needs students from GISD elementary and middle schools. Kids on that bus were coming for their first morning of a seven-week program at ROCK. Ride on Center for Kids began with a crazy idea by founder, Nancy Krenek, who thought that a horse c...