The Story Goes...

Angelica Holmes is the Executive Director of Black Outside, a nonprofit organization that reconnects Black youth and youth of color to the outdoors. The nonprofit runs Camp Founder girls, which revived the first summer camp for Black girls, not only in San Antonio, but the entire country. Learn more about all of their programs and how the organization connects the dots between history, culture, and the outdoors. As always, this episode of The Story Goes shares how you too can get more involved and support the mission of Black Outside.

Black Outside: https://www.blackoutside.org/

Francisco Vara-Orta is the Training Director for Investigative Reporters & Editors (IRE), a national, grassroots nonprofit committed to improving the quality of investigative reporting. A San Antonio native, Francisco has 17 years of newsroom experience, including with the San Antonio Express-News, Austin Business Journal, and the Los Angeles Times. In this episode of The Story Goes... we talk to Francisco about the significance of accountability to his work, why he believes so deeply in the power of storytelling, and one of the stories he's most proud of researching and writing. Listen to Francisco as he offers many ways you can support local journalism.

Additional Resources:

IRE: www.ire.org

For 75 years, Goodwill has been fighting poverty and providing opportunity in San Antonio. In this episode of The Story Goes, we learn more about the nonprofit's impact, funded largely by their well known retail stores, from Chief Mission Officer Angelique De Oliveira. Angelique shares how Goodwill meets people where they are to "get a job, get a better job, and ultimately a career," and the role of trust in the process. Whether you're a community member who wants to get more involved or you represent a business, Angelique has calls to action for everyone.

Bringing people together in service to the community is always at the heart of Christian Reed Ogba's work as co-founder and Chief Operations Officer of EHCÜ Public Relations. In this episode of The Story Goes... Christian shares her commitment to supporting the growth and sustainability of Black-owned businesses in San Antonio and how she sets boundaries to sustain herself as an "accidental activist." Listen to Christian to learn more about EHCÜ Public Relations In the Black Campaign and Black Freedom Factory, as well as how you can get involved in both.

As the Principal of Bonham Academy, a Kinder through 8th grade school in the San Antonio Independent School District focused on dual language, fine arts and science, David Nungaray understands his role as a bridgebuilder for students, their families, as well as teachers. David is also the entrepreneur behind David’s Plantas, a micro-business he launched that combines his passion for plants with serving the community. Listen to David share how Bonham Academy is navigating the COVID-19 crisis and what fuels David’s passion for education and service.

Small Businesses, those with less than 20 employees, make up 82% of all businesses in Bexar County. As COVID-19 moved more and more of them to rethink their business models, we talk to Emile and Tatú Herrera of Folklores Coffee House. When the pandemic hit, they realized that their coffeehouse was also a connection to community. Hear how they pivoted to meet community need and how they need your help to serve San Antonio's Southside seniors.

Twelve years ago, the Las Casas Foundation, known for its work in revamping the Majestic and Empire Theatres, began a scholarship program for local high school performing arts students. This year, the COVID-19 crisis forced Las Casas to take their scholarship program online, reminding us all that the show must go on.

For some, sheltering in place through the COVID-19 crisis has meant sheltering in an unsafe place. Thirty years ago, Patricia Castillo cofounded the P.E.A.C.E. (Putting an End to Abuse through Community Efforts) Initiative, a nonprofit organization that raises awareness about the harmful, community-wide consequences of domestic violence. Through the P.E.A.C.E. Initiative, Patricia advocates for responsive policies and funding, and trains community members to know their rights and support their loves ones. Listen to Patricia share the impact of building meaningful relationships with survivors across generations, and how you can get involved to make a difference. If you or someone you know need help, call the confidential Family Violence Prevention Services crisis hotline at 210-733-8810.

Since the original visioning process in 2010, Education has risen to the top as a priority for reaching San Antonio's Community Vision. Today, sixty-five percent of jobs require something beyond a high school degree. For thirty years, the San Antonio Education Partnership (SAEP) has provided students the opportunity to access higher education. SAEP students have earned 25,000 degrees. As Program Director, Rebeca Gonzalez oversees the nonprofit organization's programming, which currently includes remote college advising to students. In this episode of The Story Goes... we talk to Rebeca about why college access and completion is important to her and how the COVID-19 crisis is affecting students.

Resources: https://www.saedpartnership.org/

1 in 5 children in the U.S. suffer from a mental, behavioral and emotional concern and Clarity Child Guidance Center is the only nonprofit mental health treatment facility for children ages 3 to 17 in South Texas. CEO, Jessica Knudsen, shares the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on San Antonio's children and what Clarity Guidance Child Center is doing about it. She also has a call to action we can all get behind: be kind.

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