The organization's mission is to improve the lives of children in Cy-Fair. To achieve this, the group has created several programs to support underserved students in the area, including:
- Counseling for individuals and families
- Dierker's Champs baseball program
- Fine arts programming
- Hope Centers for after school and summertime support
- Mentoring in local schools
- Providing backpacks of food for children over the weekend
- Scholarships for dual-credit students and those pursuing vocational certifications
- Summer camp experiences
Dierker announced her plans to retire in a letter to the community on Nov. 4. Theresa Fauser is set to take Dierker’s place as executive director starting in January. Per the letter, Fauser is a cofounder of Cy-Hope, former board chair and current member of the board of directors.
A closer look
Community Impact sat down with Dierker on Dec. 9 to discuss her time at Cy-Hope, the organization’s impact on the community and her desires for the future. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
What led to your decision to retire after 13 years as the executive director of Cy-Hope?
I've been in prayer about it for a while. I got married in 2021 ... we want to travel and do some things. ... If I were still single, that'd probably be a different story, ... but it's mainly just to spend more time together. I'm turning 65. That's another monumental age. ... I'll still be involved. We're building fields as a major campaign, and we have a Million Dollar Match that's on the table right now, so I will still be involved until those are complete.
How do you plan to stay connected to Cy-Hope and its mission after retirement?
I was part of the team that founded [Cy-Hope], and so I’ve been very much involved in it since the very beginning. ... With the fields being built, our baseball initiative and the Million Dollar Match, ... I’ll definitely be a part of that because it’s my husband’s namesake, so I’ll be involved in some capacity; ... the donor relations and development, sponsored development things like that. I’ll still be involved in those areas to help the new successor, who was also part of the founding team. I’ve known her for 20 years. ... I think it’ll be a good succession plan because we know each other [and] we trust each other. ... It’ll be a nice partnership to kind of segue into my retirement transition.
What will you miss most about Cy-Hope and being out in the community?
I just think the collaborations that we have with so many different other organizations, and just truly being a community nonprofit for the kids. ... I'm certainly going to stay connected, but not in the day-to-day operation. ... I'll miss that—being around my people on a day-to-day basis.
What do you believe has been the organization’s greatest impact on children and the community?
I think it's that every child would know that they have an opportunity for a brighter future, no matter what their economic status, no matter where they are. ... The cards they've dealt, ... you have no control over that. ... I’ve always said, ‘It's not giving a handout, it's giving a hand up to students that otherwise wouldn't have that opportunity.’ That's all our programs. ... We're a catalyst to bring the needs and solutions together, just filling those gaps. ... We lift them out of that and put them on more of a level playing ground. ... Our after-school programs, being able to send kids to summer camp who wouldn't have that opportunity. ... We've got to give them that hope and the tools they need so they can graduate and they can have everything they need to go out, get a job and be a productive and successful citizen.
Looking back at the last 13 years, what project has meant the most to you?
They all have a special place in my heart. Our feeding program and our after-school program, our Hope Centers, were our first two programs, so of course, they have a special place in my heart. ... I didn't realize the impact that sports have on students, learning not just a sport, but learning life skills from it, and that, for me, has been eye-opening to see families come together. ... It’s built a community around these families [and] those students who have been underserved. They feel like they’re part of something bigger. ... It builds self-confidence in them that they didn’t have before. ... It's just neat to see that we are making a difference.
It's got to be a passion. It's got to be your mission in life to just want to help others. ... There's been great times that we've been able to celebrate. There's been times when it's been difficult, but when you have the passion and the ultimate goal is there in front of you, there's just nothing like seeing kids being helped or just the excitement on their face. ... That little bit can carry you a really long way. Just being there, seeing what you can do for others, and ultimately making a difference in the lives of someone else ... one child at a time. Sometimes that's what it takes.
What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned as executive director of Cy-Hope?
The biggest lesson I’ve learned is you never know unless you ask. ... A lot of times, we have these preconceived ideas of what your volunteer is going to look like, what your donor is going to look like. ... I think you have to always consider that every person is a potential volunteer and every person is a potential donor. Every child can be a potential benefactor of what we do, and I think you’ve just got to take the scales out. ... These children we’re helping now can be our future donors. Some of them are going to be future leaders in our community, and I think that’s the biggest lesson I’ve learned. ... Where you grew up doesn’t mean you can’t achieve your dreams and goals in life. ... If we judge people based on our own perceptions, we’re going to be way off the mark, so it’s taking everyone and just being kind, being gracious.
How do you see Cy-Hope continuing to make a difference after your retirement?
When our fields get finished, that’s going to be huge, where we can grow that program. ... We own the property already, but that’s just going to be another avenue that we can serve people and families in a different way. That’s our big initiative. ... I just see the growth there and just being able to expand our footprint. I think all our programs provide something for every student. I think we pretty much identified all the gaps.
If you had a message to share with the community, supporters, children and families you might have impacted, what would that message be?
There’s always hope, and there can always be a brighter future. No matter what your age or where you are in life, you can give back. ... Somebody, a child that we’ve helped in the future, they can pay it forward. ... We can all pay it forward. I think of all the people retiring or being empty nesters, you could still do something. I mean, if we’re breathing, we have a purpose. ... There’s hope for everyone, no matter what their status is in life. Let’s be the hope. Let’s be the joy. Let’s emulate that to others so they know that everything’s possible, anything’s possible. It takes everyone. It takes a village, so be a part of the village, be part of the team.
