News
You are what you eat. The age-old saying is rooted in the belief that to be healthy, you have to eat healthy. From your ability to perform academically to maintaining positive relationships to mental health, one's diet significantly impacts their overall wellbeing in countless ways. Unfortunately, 37.2 million of our fellow Americans live in homes that are deemed as food insecure by the USDA. Food insecure means that they are unsure of where their meal will come from. In addition, they have little-to-no access to nutritious food and are likely to have unbalanced diets and skip meals. Food insecure homes are found to be most prevalent in areas deemed as food deserts. Food deserts are defined as areas with high rates of poverty and low rates of access to a grocery store, where residents are capable of purchasing nutritious food.
Listen, if you want to see a change, you have to be the change. Each day Darius Brown embodies this statement through both his profession and passion for serving his community. Darius, a native of Hillsboro and 2010 graduate of Waco ISD, is employed with the district as a police officer, a career path that he set for himself as a child, wanting to change the narrative on how males within his family interacted with the criminal justice system. Darius's service to the community extends far beyond his place of employment as he is often found volunteering at Meals on Wheels and Glory Bell Church, where he leads their youth ministry. In 2017, Darius, alongside his fiance Micah Root, started the youth mentoring organization Becoming Better Boys/Grow Girls.
At Dichotomy in downtown Waco, steaming cup of coffee in hand - Carole Fergusson - the woman behind Waco Restaurant Week, shared her heart for Waco, commitment to the community, and why timing was right for the inaugural Waco Restaurant Week. Six years ago, after watching the Houston community rally for a month-long restaurant and food scene celebration, Carole couldn't shake the feeling that this type of event was something Waco needed. After taking on a role at Start Up Waco, working with entrepreneurs of all types, including ones launching restaurants and mobile food options, she rallied her resources and started planning. What resulted from her efforts was Waco Restaurant Week, a one-week, city-wide event benefiting Caritas, a local organization dedicated to ending hunger and poverty in Waco.
Passion! Vision! Heart! Those words do not quite do justice to Rachel E. Pate in describing the charismatic and affable leader. As the Vice President of Economic Development at the Central Texas African American Chamber of Commerce (CTAACoC) and a Waco-native, Ms. Pate often waxes poetic on the unprecedented growth and economic development across the city's landscape in recent years by sharing her excitement for Baylor Football's move from Floyd Casey Stadium downtown to McLane Stadium, the Magnolia Market, and the Elm Avenue revitalization. She has played a leading role in championing opportunities for Wacoans to thrive. Pulling from her background as a small business owner, through the CTAACoC, she helps entrepreneurs, women, and people of color to pursue their dreams.
"Where you live is a part of your identity," said Randy Lane, Waco resident since 2014. Lane is half of the Waco History Podcast team, alongside Dr. Stephen Sloan of Baylor's Oral History Institute. "[What I love most about Waco is] that it has a rich history and a promising future. I love that people are investing in connecting the two. It's essential to have a strong 'soul' that becomes part of the city’s character."
Since 1994, Compassion Ministries has worked to reintegrate homeless or near-homeless families with children into permanent housing and employment. Based around Judeo-Christian principles, their mission is dedicated to the belief that all individuals in society should be treated with respect and dignity. They offer a caring and warm environment that extends opportunity to their residents through counseling, job, and work skills training, daycare, children’s programs, transportation, GED prep, Healthcare, and drug/alcohol treatment.
As members sit in a board meeting for Inspiracion, a burst of infectious laughter followed by a charming smile cause the room to pause, cutting through the tension around the table. A sigh of relief is felt collectively. Hector Sabido, board chair, knows how to disarm a difficult conversation at just the right moment, refocusing the group on their greater purpose: helping children and their families at Alta Vista Elementary ensure they are Kindergarten-ready. These families, Hector reminds the group, are often Latino and depend heavily on the information the program provides to prepare their children for school in Waco ISD through Transformation Waco.
Founded in 2016 by Luke and Rachel Whyte and David Ridley, featured on HGTV's Fixer Upper, Waco Tours was created to intentionally connect the dots of Waco, Texas to curious guests. (You may remember Luke and Rachel Whyte from this fixer upper. David Ridley, known to Fixer Upper fans as the " eligible bachelor" is a bachelor no more – his wife, Rachel Ridley, is highly involved with Waco Tours, spearheading communications efforts since 2017.) Through a team of dedicated staff who share the redemptive stories of Waco, visitors leave feeling encouraged and inspired by the bigger picture of all God is doing within the city. Waco Tours provides fun, life-changing experiences through tours on land, water, and horseback, promoting the best Waco has to offer.
Attorney, City Center Waco Board of Directors member, former Junior League of Waco President, PTA President, and high school educator: for thirty-three years, spanning numerous roles, Angela Tekell has embodied servant leadership in Waco. Her love and commitment to public education and community service were instilled at an early age. Angela's mother is an educator, and her father was a long-serving elected official. Growing up, she watched as both of them dedicated their time, effort, and talents to make their community a better place--whether in the classroom or on the campaign trail--setting a standard of service Angela strives to maintain.
Family Health Center was founded in 1969 through a coalition of community leaders with various backgrounds aiming to address a shortage of doctors and a lack of primary care access to the less fortunate. Today, they have 15 remote clinics across McLennan County where they focus on a mission "to increase access to, and availability of high quality comprehensive primary and preventative health care for the vulnerable of the Heart of Texas and to provide an excellent educational, training, and research environment in the medical, dental and behavioral health fields."
It is not very often that you hear about a summer program designed to introduce children to the various components of good citizenship--much less one that does so in an exciting way--but iEngage Summer Civics Institute is doing exactly that for children here in Waco.
I had the opportunity in the spring of 2019 to sit down with a group of men who had a deep desire to celebrate the legacy of one of Baylor's hidden figures, Vivienne Malone-Mayes, Ph.D. Dr. Lance Littlejohn, past-chair of the Math Department at Baylor led a group that included Dr. Robert Darden and retired faculty member Dr. Howard Rolf in putting the final touches on the agenda and speaking points for the upcoming recognition ceremony and bust unveiling.
The Cen-Tex Hispanic Chamber in Waco was recently selected as the 2019 Small Chamber of the Year by the Texas Association of Mexican American Chambers of Commerce (TAMACC). This is one of the most coveted recognitions TAMACC awards. Waco’s Cen-Tex Hispanic Chamber received this award at the annual Hispanic Business Convention of Texas Gala in San Marcos in August for its impressive accomplishments, activities, community involvement, and growth
Have you ever stood in the shower staring at the tiled wall thinking about a business idea that grips you so tightly you cannot seem to get it out of your head? Did you dwell on it, tell your friends about it, write it down, erase it, and write it again? Did you come to that point, that every prospective entrepreneur comes to, where you realize that you just don’t know where to go and what to do next? You are not alone and entrepreneurs across the country have been coming to organizations like Start Up Waco that dot the landscape of every major city in America!
Our team recently had the opportunity to visit with the Executive Director and tour the space associated with a nonprofit dedicated to supporting homeless teens in Waco. Established in the summer of 2015, The Cove has created a nurturing center designed to provide a safe space for students experiencing homelessness.
You may be familiar with the statistics around early childhood education with regards to kindergarten readiness, third-grade literacy, and graduation rates. These three data points are highly correlated and are one of the reasons we highly value education programs at the earliest phases of child development. One of these programs is run by a new non-profit organization called Inspiracion.
We believe that being a good neighbor starts with a person, an organization, program, or just a simple smile and wave to another neighbor. The Solid Gold Neighbor initiative not only aligns with our core values, but also embodies these ideas to engage and empower community action for economic and social progress. To put it simply, we are United for Waco!