by Elizabeth McFarland – Earlier this Spring, over a dozen women from Seeds of Strength joined the Habitat for Humanity of Williamson County to pour some sweat into one of the projects our grant dollars support. In 2017, Seeds of Strength awarded Habitat $24,600 to help purchase construction materials and supplies for three new homes in Georgetown. One of these homes has been completed, and two more will be completed this summer. As the new owner of the completed home told us, “We finally have a place to call home – our home! The day we dedicated the home I remember my son asking my sister if we were going back home, and I was so happy to tell him we ARE home…this is our home!”...

by Barbara Garland – New Seeds of Strength members joined Guiding Circle members on April 12 for an evening session designed to educate the newbies about the SoS mission and what the organization has accomplished over the past nine years. The newcomers were warmly welcomed by current Guiding Circle members. Pink and white table decorations, spring flowers, and delicious finger foods (provided by Guiding Circle members) were very inviting and set the tone for a festive and informative night together. The program began with each person introducing the person on her right. A few good-natured laughs ensued when some of us thought we were introducing the person on our left. There was a sens...

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...