Kendall County RC&D Brochure and News Article
Kendall County RC&D , Boerne Star Article
July 22, 2005
Submitted
Photo RC&D officials Dusty Bruns and Alma Aguirre meet
with Commissioners Court to declare July as Flood Awareness Month.
From left: Commissioners Gene Miertchien, Ann Reisseig, County Judge
Eddie Vogt, Bruns, Aguirre, Commissioners Darrell Lux and Russell "Rusty" Busby.
Local organization helps non-profits, community groups find funding
through grant writing, research
By JESSICA SANDERS - Staff Writer
Grant
writing seemed a daunting task for Linda Gonzales until she got a little help
from
her neighbors.
The Kendall County Resource Conservation and Development Committee started
assisting Gonzales, director of Senior Outreach Services, in her research and
grant
applications in January. A few months later, Gonzales' non-profit organization
became a
recipient of the coveted Kronkosky Grant.
"They gave us the resources we needed to find people who would donate,"
said Gonzales,
whose organization received a $25,000 grant. "They pointed us in the right
direction."
Since the Kendall County RC&D became active in January, it has assisted
a variety of
local non-profit organizations including Hill Country Daily Bread, the Christian
Women's
Job Corps and the Boys and Girls Club.
Committee member Alma C. Aguirre said the Kendall County chapter is part of
the
Alamo Area RC&D, a network including Atascosa, Bandera, Bexar, Comal, Frio,
Guadalupe, Kerr, Medina and Wilson Counties. The organization assists the community
in the areas of natural resource conservation, community and economic development,
rural fire protection services, health and human services and many other community
outreach programs.
"All the committee members are volunteers from the community," she
said. "The idea is
to help local people help each other."
Gonzales said that the RC&D helped her receive $30,000 in funding, and now
she is
ready to help others as a committee member.
"Now I'm here to guide other non-profits to help them get grants and info
to help
themselves," she said. "That's the whole idea of RC&D."
Gonzales said that her organization is eligible for help because they serve
senior citizens,
but any group that benefits the community can benefit from RC&D's services.
Aguirre said the program was created to help rural communities with any social
or
environmental services.
Along with services like grant writing assistance, the RC&D also offers
education on
subjects like irrigation, soil conservation and water prevention.
The group is also responsible for a proposal that led Kendall County Commissioners
Court to declare July as Flood Awareness month.
"We help the young and old, women, children and families," she said.
"We really serve a
wide spectrum of the community."
The Kendall County RC&D meets on the third Thursday of every other month
at 6 p.m.
at Senior Outreach Services, 116 W. Fabra Lane. (NOTE: NEW LOCATION
OF
MEETINGS WILL BE THE ST. FRANCIS EDUCATIONAL BUILDING AT 117
W. HOSACK ON THE ST. PETER’S CATHOLIC CHURCH GROUNDS IN
BOERNE. )
The next meeting will be Sept. 15. For more information call Alma Aguirre at
(830) 816-
2210 or email aaguirre@gvtc.com.