The Bandera County Republican Women met last Thursday and hear from Cain Hager, a Belong rep who spoke on the foster care system in Bandera County.
Belong is a division of SJRC Texas, a nonprofit organization that serves as the lead provider for community-based care in the South Texas and the Hill Country region which covers 27 counties. They are responsible for finding foster homes for children in state care and providing them with a full continuum of services.
Hager spoke about the 300 total staff in Belong and the 12 members responsible for services in Bandera County, noting the need for more foster homes in the area.
November is National Adoption Month, and Hager detailed the ways citizens can make an impact on the situation.
According to Hager, they can foster or adopt, volunteer, donate or follow Belong on social media. She reminded members the Bandera Foster Closet was a great place to volunteer.
She related that foster children are moved on average 1.8 times during their time in foster care. She detailed the new state law that requires foster children to be provided with a suitcase or duffle bag for their belongings when they are removed from their home. Belong partners with Day 1 Bags to help foster children feel more continuity.
According to Hager, 20 children have been removed from Bandera County homes and placed in foster care in other areas. Once children are removed from a home, their placement is taken over by the Belong case management team.
Hager encouraged BCRW members to select a child from the Angel Tree that she brought with her for Bandera County. Members should bring appropriate clothes and toys to the December 7 BCRW meeting.
Hager concluded her presentation praising Bandera for having a Child Welfare Board as well as an interagency coalition, Bandera County Connect. The interagency coalition coordinates efforts between all service organizations in Bandera County.
For those interested in joining the Child Welfare Board, she noted that they meet at Helping Hands during the lunch hour every other month. The Bandera Interagency Coalition meets at the Silver Sage.
Hager went on to state that her primary goal and that of Belong, was to see every child in Bandera County safe.
Because the meeting did not have a quorum of officers present due to working at the early voting sites, Skoglund deferred the Secretary’s Report and the Treasurer’s report until the December meeting.
Membership Chair Melanie Burns was absent but asked that the members record and check their community volunteering hours. According to a report from Burns, the club accumulated 1,580 hours for the third quarter.
Skoglund also spoke about attending the Texas Federation of Republican Women’s Conference. She recommended that each member consider attending next year. The program book was passed around the meeting attendees. Skoglund said that the convention was one of the best that she had attended.
Gayle Teagarden, Senate District 24 TFRW Director also spoke about the convention. She noted that Senate District 24 had the largest delegation at the TFRW Convention.
Mary Jane Avery, SD 24 representative to the State Republican Executive Committee also related her thanks for re-election to that position and encouraged members to get involved and attend the convention next year.
The Dec. 7 joint meeting of the BCRW and the Bandera County Republican Party will begin at 5:30 p.m., according to Skoglund. She said that the meeting will be a potluck with a White Elephant gift exchange. Hager and her Belong associates will be present to pick up the Christmas gifts from the angel tree participants.
Skoglund indicated that the membership could look forward to blockwalking for local candidates and meeting people new to Bandera. She also hopes to have two pop ups in front of the Republican Headquarters on Saturdays, Nov. 18 and Dec. 2.
The club will assist with water and serving at the barbeque lunch for veterans and families of veterans at the Saturday, Nov. 11 Bandera Honors Veterans recognition event.
Club secretary Tiffany Shirey related her experience delivering CARE packages to the U.S. Border Patrol.
President Skoglund announced that the Republican Headquarters would close on November 4 and re-open on Jan. 11 with a Cork Popper sponsored by the Bandera County Chamber of Commerce. The meeting then adjourned.
