For families with a child or parent who is battling a long-term illness, it can be difficult to find time and money to spend creating memories, said Abbie Maberry, founder of Light Work 316 Inc.

Maberry, who also began the Facebook group Moms of New Braunfels, created the nonprofit in 2018 with the goal of raising money to give families opportunities to spend time together without a financial burden.

“We were calling [the events] Days of Light ... to let [families] have days where they didn’t have to think about the diagnosis that they were living with,” Maberry said. “When you’re sick, you just don’t have the ability to do the things that you would like to do with your kids and your family.”

In addition to cultivating small Days of Light, the nonprofit also hosts larger events to celebrate an individual family, the first of which was organized for Isaac Juarez, who battled neuroblastoma before dying in December 2019.

Working with Isaac’s family inspired Maberry to continue creating the Days of Light and working with her team to raise money to help local families pay medical bills and travel expenses.


“They’re absolutely incredible families, and with the exception of a couple, most of them do not qualify for any other kind of assistance,” Maberry said. “If you’re carrying 1,000 pounds on your back and someone takes 100 pounds off, it’s not all of it, but it does help alleviate some of the burden.”

Maberry recently began planning a pajama party and movie night in partnership with local artisans, performers, and Stars and Stripes Drive-In Theatre to raise money to provide families with Christmas meals and gifts.

The event, which is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Dec. 3, will include cookies and hot chocolate donated by local businesses, a Christmas photo booth, a showing of the movie "Elf" at 7:30 p.m. and a market where attendees can purchase locally made goods, Maberry said.

Tickets are $25 per car and can be purchased on the Moms of New Braunfels website ahead of the event. Proceeds will be used to provide Christmas celebrations for families throughout Central Texas.


Last week, an anonymous donor pledged to match up to $5,000 raised through the second week of December, Maberry said.

“If we can reach that $5,000 goal, then we're really going to be able to make a huge difference for Christmas and beyond for some of our families,” Maberry said.

Half of the available tickets should end up being given to families who are facing a major medical struggle, she said.

“Our function is to give these families the ability to have a good night and have a fun time and make some memories together,” Maberry said. “Light Work's function was born to give families the ability to breathe in the middle of what is a really terrible time.”