Volunteer Pam James sorts through items for Hill Country Community Ministries’ Clothes Closet.[/caption]
Tiesa Hollaway grew up in a household with six children and said her family struggled financially, but because of the help of nonprofits, her mother was able to become successful in her career in the military.
As an adult, Hollaway was a single mother and said although she was working and going to college, she struggled and needed help.
“We were really poor growing up. … Because of organizations and them willing to help us and not judge and just be there to help us enable ourselves, [that] allowed my mother to be hugely successful,” Hollaway said. “My heart came into this work. … Even though I was working and I was going to college, I needed help, and there were organizations out there that helped me. … I had people that were willing to help [me], and that empowered me to do better and be better. It gives me a heart of service.”
Leander resident Tiesa Hollaway began as HCCM’s executive director Oct. 5.[/caption]
Hollaway, now the executive director of nonprofit Hill Country Community Ministries, began her first day on the job Oct. 5 and said she has large goals for growing the organization, starting with rebuilding lost relationships and creating new ones with other area organizations and stakeholders.
HCCM, a Leander-based nonprofit for more than 30 years, provides assistance to people and families experiencing hardship or crisis because of unemployment, family disruption, disability, chronic illness, aging or other emergency situations. The nonprofit assists anyone living in the 10 ZIP codes it serves, including those in southwest Williamson County and northwest Travis County. Services include providing food and clothing for adults and children as well as vouchers for free eye exams and dental assistance. HCCM serves an average of 350 families per year, or about 1,200 people—40 percent of whom are children, according to HCCM.
Hollaway has more than 10 years of experience with nonprofit work through her Rotary Club as well as the Williamson County Association of Realtors, including fundraising, membership drives and event planning.
“[HCCM] hired me for [my] community relationships, for the community outreach [and] to partner with other organizations. … So we can truly become that resource that everybody comes to and to partner with all of these other organizations that have … other opportunities that we don’t [have],” she said.
A person in crisis may come to HCCM for emergency assistance and can receive one week’s worth of food, the amount of which is determined by the number of people in the family, Hollaway said. Within the first few days of a person coming to HCCM, a case manager will provide an assessment as well as a review of finances to help determine what the person may need.
Once per month, HCCM clients can receive groceries at the food pantry, which is partially stocked by the nonprofit’s partner, Capital Area Food Bank of Texas.
During the holidays, the nonprofit provides turkeys to families and serves about 450 families per month, or more than 4,200 families per year. Holiday meals are available through Dec. 22.
Hollaway said some of her volunteers are people who were once HCCM clients.
Kandy Chimento began working at HCCM about five years ago as a volunteer to pick up food for the pantry and now serves as volunteer coordinator. Chimento manages about 100 volunteers weekly, she said. The organization has more than 250 volunteers annually who donate about 8,700 hours of their time.
“I have several hundred more friends now than I did five years ago,” Chimento said. “I’m able to have a part in helping people in need. I’m able to get people in a position where they can help.”
