Connecting Kaufman

COMMUNITY GARDENS

feeding the county one seed at a time

Spring 2023

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Welcome to Connecting Kaufman

THE BEST PLACE TO BE IS AT THE Fresh Market ON GROVE STREET!

Aswe enjoy a beautiful Texas spring and wildflowers, thank you for reading this season’s edition of Connecting Kaufman!

It’s a wonderful time of year to spend in the garden, and we are featuring two local groups who do just that. These volunteers aren’t just providing food for their family, they’re feeding our community as a whole. What an example of love and caring! I hope you enjoy reading about the Community Garden and the Children’s Legacy Garden, which is part of the Sharing the Love Foundation.

A pregnancy at any stage and circumstance of life is challenging enough, but an unplanned pregnancy compounds those concerns. Still Waters and the Door & Pregnancy Resource Center provide supplies to those who need them, but more importantly, love, support, and educational resources.

Need a spring treat? A favorite cake recipe from West Texas will fill the bill! Eat your veggies - eat carrot cake!

As always, we welcome your comments and suggestions. Give us a call, or better still, stop by downtown Kaufman and come say hello. We are proud to be a part of the Kaufman County community!

Thanks for reading,

Amy Fowler

Fresh Market on Grove Street is open every second and fourth Saturday in April, May and June from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 113 E. Grove Street in Kaufman. Many local vendors scheduled to attend some of the markets throughout 2023 will offer fresh local produce, meat, eggs, honey, baked goods, crafts, plant starts, gifts, home décor and more.

Amy Fowler Publisher, The Kaufman Herald

Annette

Wendy

Contributing Writers

Gay Fowler

Staff

Amy Fowler • Publisher & Editor

Bailey Daniels

Bailey Daniels • News Reporter

Hannah Loghry

Michael Morrill • Sports Reporter

Wendy Perkins • Office Manager & Classified Ads

Contributing Writers

Amy Fowler

Mollie Kasper

PO Box 460 300 N. Washington Kaufman, TX 75142 (972) 932-2171 A

932-2171

Community Gardens Team Up to Feed Kaufman County

Two separate organizations are joining forces to provide food for different populations in Kaufman County. The Community Garden, an outreach program of the First Presbyterian Church, and the Children’s Legacy Garden, an arm of the Sharing the Love Foundation, both in Forney, are teaming up to reach their goal of serving the community.

The Community Garden has been active on the grounds of the First Presbyterian Church for the last 10 years. A group of Eagle Scouts designed and installed 12 raised beds, and an in-ground bed was added later. The original intent was to provide the space and irrigation and allow community members to grow their own produce for their own homes. That model didn’t work out, so the garden is now managed by church member Linda Henderson, who is currently working toward her Master Gardener certification. All of the 300-400 pounds of potatoes, onions, zucchini, squash, radishes, lettuce, cantaloupe, peppers, and watermelon grown each year are donated to

By Mollie Kasper

the Forney Food Pantry. Henderson also volunteers at the food pantry, so she gets to see first-hand how the fruits of their labor benefit community members. The fresh vegetables provide a healthy supplement to the food pantry’s staple of canned and dried foods. The recipients are “really grateful,” notes Henderson. “They get very excited about the fresh vegetables.”

Sharing the Love Foundation is a youth empowerment organization that mentors teens and college students, providing them with leadership opportunities. Its goal is to get them involved with and let them have an input in their community. The Young Ambassadors are the group’s leaders, and they perform a variety of service projects for the community, one of which is the Children’s Legacy Garden. Directed by Marian Stewart, the garden provides an opportunity for the group’s Young Ambassadors to demonstrate leadership skills and mentor younger children.

The garden began in 2021 when Amanda and Mike Lewis donated three quarters of an acre behind the Forney ISD Administration building to the Young Ambassadors. The land has been

developed into a year-round garden, with 21 raised beds and nine in-ground beds, pergolas, and an outdoor kitchen. The produce raised, a whopping 1,100 pounds last year, goes to local seniors and veterans.

Sharing the Love Foundation provides a monthly curriculum for the kindergarten – sixth grade students who participate in the garden, including seed starting, growing, and harvesting. The primary goal is to serve the community, but the garden also provides a way for children to learn about and get interested in agriculture. In addition, there are opportunities to participate in events such as making garden art and read-alouds in the garden. Cooking demonstrations in the garden-to-plate program allow kids to try new foods.

While these gardens are two separate organizations who serve different populations, they work together whenever possible to share resources such as plant starts and volunteers. Stewart has partnered with Bonnie plants to take their unsellable plants that “need a little TLC,” and nurse them back to health for use in the garden. She shares any extras with the Community Garden. Volunteers often work with both groups.

The shared vision is for both gardens to work together to support the community. A greenhouse, possibly on First Presbyterian property, would extend the growing season and benefit both organizations. “It’s important for our church to do local ministry and local missions, so this is one of the ways we try to live that out, trying to grow things locally and feed people locally and partnering with other local people who have the same vision,” explains David Ivie, pastor of the church.

Both organizations welcome any volunteers and financial support. The Community Garden has workdays every Saturday, and all are welcome. Scan the QR code below to sign up. The Legacy Garden has specific work days as well, which are listed on their website (https://www.sharingthelove.org/outreach-events/children-s-legacy-garden/). Additionally, there are some specific equipment needs. Besides the greenhouse that both organizations would like to build together, the Children’s Legacy Garden needs an electric tiller, a portable generator, and a plumber to install a three-part sink. The Children’s Legacy Garden also offers bed sponsorships, with advertising signage, at $250 for a 4’x8’ bed, or $200 for a 4’x4’ bed.

As Pastor Ivie shares, “We are two separate gardens, but we have a shared vision. We try to work collaboratively, try to share resources, and not work in competition, so we share volunteers and look for ways to continue that.”

Support Throughout the Journey

Two Local Agencies Care for Families Experiencing Unplanned Pregnancies.

By Mollie Kasper

An unplanned pregnancy can be devastating. It can turn a woman’s life upside down. Expectant mothers may need support in many aspects of their lives, from prenatal health care to parenting classes to financial planning. Two organizations in Kaufman County, Still Waters and The Door Life & Pregnancy Resource Center, are available to provide support and guidance during a potentially challenging time in a woman’s life.

While neither is affiliated with a particular church, both grew out of Bible study groups. Both are faith-based and strive to save babies but are committed to support women regardless of their decision regarding the baby. They focus on walking with the women and their partners who suddenly find themselves in a difficult situation.

Still Waters

Still Waters, which began as a pregnancy resource center, was established in 2006, and its doors have been open since 2008. Its four founders all attended the same Bible study, and according to Executive Director Ketra Hancock, “God started stirring in our hearts,” to create the center.

In 2022, Still Waters served 800 women, with a paid staff of only four, plus 37 volunteers. The organization offers on- and off-site parenting classes targeted at teen parents, as well as abortion recovery, sexual abuse recovery, and peer counseling for girls in crisis pregnancies. In addition, they supply material assistance such as diapers, formula, baby clothes, cribs, and car seats. They also provide pregnancy tests, limited ultrasound vouchers, and STD testing vouchers.

Every Monday night, Still Waters holds free life skills workshops for teen and young parents at the First Baptist Church in Kaufman. Clients are paired with a mentor, and workshops are tai-

lored to the needs of the group. Meals and childcare are provided. The program requires a three- to four-year commitment, but it delivers impressive results. Graduates of the program have a 100 percent graduation rate from high school (or GED). Seventy percent go on to college, and of those, 83 percent graduate or receive a certificate of completion. None go back to the government for financial assistance.

Still Waters offers five parenting or recovery courses. Chosen is a selective program for teen and young moms. Participants are paired with a mentor who helps set long- and short-term goals. The

three-year program builds a foundation for good parenting. Thrive is the next step, focusing on encouragement and continued growth. Finally, Ignite is a program for teen or young dads, “who want to be encouraged and learn how to be a good father, provider and lead their families with confidence.” In addition to the parenting classes, the post-abortion and sexual abuse programs help individuals heal from emotional and spiritual trauma related to those events.

Still Waters is, “A place of hope,” Hancock says. “We are about meeting people where they are and helping them have better mindsets because we all

have pains and struggles. There’s a lot of people stuck in those dysfunctional mindsets that keep us stuck, so we really try to help them see their value and their worth and help them choose a better way.”

The Door Life & Pregnancy Resource Center

The concept of The Door began with the calling of several women who were involved with the Embrace Grace Bible study for expectant mothers with unplanned pregnancies at First Baptist Church in Forney. They wanted to do more, to get to know the participants better, and provide more support as the women negotiated their pregnancy journey. They felt led to develop an expanded ministry. After more than two years of planning, The Door officially opened on October 3, 2022. So far, they have served about a dozen clients.

The three ladies created a board of directors, performed a needs assessment, and began to garner community involvement. They contacted Heartbeat International, an umbrella organization, for guidance as they established their non-profit organization. Heartbeat provided materials and financial resources,

including a database, website, pregnancy tests, and training materials for staff and clients.

Although it began with a Bible study group, The Door is not a ministry of any particular church. “We intentionally don’t want to be tied to any certain church because we want the entire community involved,” says Vonnie Salguero, Client Services Director and Interim Executive Director.

The Door provides a myriad of services, including pregnancy tests and verification for Medicaid/WIC, pregnancy counseling, doulas, lactation consultations, parenting classes, mentors, financial and budgeting classes, prayers, and texts of support. They would like to expand to offer life skills classes, Bible study, and cooking classes. The Door is also broadening its scope to become a sexual health resource center, and

Salguero hopes they will soon be able to provide STD/STI testing. They take a holistic approach toward service.

“It’s not just about the pregnancy,” shares Salguero. “Whatever brought about that unplanned pregnancy, there is so much more going on around it. We just want to have the opportunity to walk with that young woman and that young man.”

They strive to support the entire family, not just the baby. Many of the staff are trained lay counselors, and they have a volunteer who is a licensed professional counselor as well.

The staff is knowledgeable in locating resources to help clients find places to live and help with bills and can provide clients with options. They make phone calls and act as advocates, which can make other organizations more receptive. They offer a variety of educational programs. First, they have training available for prenatal care and new parents. Through Bright classes they offer courses in prenatal care, infant care, CPR, and installing car seats. In addition to these programs, they offer Maidens by His Design, an educational program targeted at young girls (8+) and their mothers. “It teaches about the amazing design that God has for us as women,” Salguero shares. “It helps them to understand their bodies… and the amazing miracle that we experience in giving life.” They would like to develop a similar program for boys.

Due to the growth in Forney and Kaufman County, the need for support and resources continues to increase. Neither of these organizations could do what they do without community support. There are many ways volunteers can help, including time, financial support, and becoming a part of a prayer team. Business professionals are encouraged to help with financial planning classes.

If you’d like to make a donation to either of these organizations, you can scan the QR codes below.

(left-right): Vonnie Salguero (Client Services Director and Interim Executive Director), Stacy Mallison (Lactation Consultant), and Brianna Evick (Administrative Assistant)

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Annie Lee's Carrot Cake

BY MELANIE MAZUR • SPECIAL TO CONNECTING KAUFMAN

I‘dbeen looking for a really moist carrot cake recipe, when my mother reminded me of my grandmother’s formula! We assume she obtained this recipe while living in Odessa or

MIX TOGETHER

• 3 cups flour

• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt

• 2 teaspoons cinnamon

• 2 1/4 cups sugar (I’ve cut this back to 1 1/2 cups and it’s still tasty!)

IN A SEPARATE BOWL MIX:

• 1 1/2 cups vegetable or canola oil

• 3 eggs

• 2 teaspoons vanilla

• 2 cups grated carrots, packed

• 1 cup raisins

• 1 10-ounce can of crushed pineapple, drained

• 1 cup of chopped Texas pecans

the many small oilfield towns in the Permian Basin where my mother was raised. This recipe is easy to make, and the cake is moist and delicious.

GREASE a 9x13 pan, or a bundt or tube pan. Bake at 350 degrees for one hour. To make a three-layer cake, spray pans with cooking spray and line with parchment paper, and bake for 25 to 30 minutes. After the cake is cooled, frost the cake and decorate with pecan halves, if desired. Refrigerate any leftover cake after serving, but this cake usually doesn’t last very long!

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

• 1 lb. powdered sugar

• 1/2 cup sugar

• 8 ounces cream cheese

• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

• 1 cup chopped pecans

MIX the cream cheese and butter with a mixer. Add other ingredients and mix well.

Welcome Our New Provider

Graduate School: Texas Woman’s University

Nursing School: Southwestern Oklahoma State University

Certifications: Family Nurse Practitioner

About Trixie

Trixie is committed to providing complete and family- oriented care. She takes a comprehensive approach to all medical issues by treating the whole patient, addressing the physical, mental, and social aspects of their health.

Trixie can help with preventive medicine or manage acute and chronic conditions, and she treats children and adults.

Some of the reasons to visit her include:

• Allergies and Asthma

• Anxiety and Depression

• Diabetes Care

• Flu Shots

• Geriatrics

• Integrative Medicine

• Preventive Health

• Preoperative Evaluation

• School Physicals

• Women’s and Men’s Health

• Stress Management

• Integrative Medicine

“I love taking care of other people and helping them have better health.”

Newkirk M.S., CNS, FNP,