On April 3rd, GENaustin hosted our first get together for women in Hays County interested in learning more about what we do and assisting with our expansion into Hays County. It was a fun evening filled with energy, brainstorming, and connecting.
For several years now, GENaustin has been serving schools in the Hays CISD area with our workshops and clubGEN after school program. A recent award from Impact Austin has helped us expand our 180 Program into the region. The organization as a whole is working to expand our services further into new regions of Hays County, specifically San Marcos ISD.
The event opened with co-hosts Johnell Huebner and CJ Legare each sharing why they have decided to get involved with GENaustin. They discussed the need for female role models, the power of women and girls joining together, and the importance of having someone tell young girls that they can overcome any challenges they face. Ani Mirasol, who works with our 180 Program, shared with the group about the challenges the girls she works with face, such as teen pregnancy, substance abuse, and histories of personal trauma, which demonstrate why our expansion efforts are critical.
Currently, Hays County services are supported by Impact Austin, the Cities of Kyle and San Marcos, the United Way of Hays County, and the CTMC Foundation’s Women’s Council. But with growing needs and opportunities in the region, GENaustin wants to poise ourselves to deepen our services with more sustainable funding streams and program sites. We hope to accomplish this by involving leaders like those on April 3. If you would like to be involved in the Hays County expansion, please email me: ami(at)genaustin.org.
As CJ said, “There’s nothing a group of like-minded women can’t do when they come together for a cause!”
A big thank you to everyone who came. We are especially grateful to CJ and Johnell for co-hosting with us and to Palmer’s for sponsoring the event on their beautiful patio space.
