Bandera Village of Hope

BANDERA COUNTY RESOLUTION NO. ________


WHEREAS, Bandera County Helping Hand was organized in 1983 by area churches as a safety net for families in need—families that were wiped out by a fire or a flood or simply the loss of a job. Helping Hand’s building and everything in it were destroyed in the Flood of 2002. As heartbreaking as that was, the Board met and voted unanimously to rebuild, and then, without any supplies, spent the next few weeks assisting more than 600 county flood victims, and;

WHEREAS, Through the amazing generosity of county residents and area foundations, Helping Hand bought 3.7 acres out of the flood plain on the northern edge of Bandera and built their new 7,200 sq. ft., $710,000 Crisis Intervention Center. At the dedication of the new building, Board President Comellia Rue announced to the startled audience, “Our next building will be a free medical clinic for the most underserved people of Bandera County,” and;

WHEREAS, Bandera County residents again gave extraordinary support in funding the new $584,000 clinic, which opened its doors to patients on May 12, 2008. From that day on, thousands of county residents—who previously had no access to primary or preventive healthcare—have benefitted from the free medical services the Clinic provides. The mission of the medical staff is to deliver the same professional, compassionate care to all of its patients, whether they are dealing with a minor respiratory infection or a life-threatening disease, and;

WHEREAS, Helping Hand and the Clinic are joining forces in the fight against chronic disease. Construction began this month on Helping Hand’s $434,000 Tranquility Park, which will be both a park for the people of Bandera County, and a health facility that will offer a different kind of care, one that is designed to save lives by reducing the prevalence of chronic disease in Bandera County. The tools that will be used include a walking/jogging trail, a community garden, cooking classes, and much more. The Clinic’s medical staff will monitor the progress of each program participant. Helping Hand will manage the Park, and;

WHEREAS, The Park is the fulfillment of a dream. Over the gate into the property is this simple name: “The Village of Hope.” “The Village” will become more than just a name. It will be a place of caring, and healing, and hope. Helping Hand cares for people in crisis; the Clinic helps people heal; Tranquility Park will offer hope to those who suffer from chronic disease. Three entities, one mission—to improve the quality of life of the people of Bandera County;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, THAT;

The day that Helping Hand and the Arthur Nagel Community Clinic dedicate Tranquility Park will be a day of celebration and will be officially designated “The Village of Hope Day” in Bandera County.

Adopted this day, the 26th day of March, 2015.