Phoenix Center

Special to The Highlander

Last month, construction of the ropes challenge course was completed on Phoenix Center’s future site in Horseshoe Bay.

The Austin-based Irish traditional band The Here & Now are returning for the third annual Nollaig, a Celtic Christmas celebration and concert, at 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 15, at Trinity Episcopal Church, 909 Avenue D, Marble Falls.

Tickets are $20 for this special, family-friendly Celtic Christmas concert benefitting Phoenix Center and are available for purchase online at thehereandnowmusicatx.com/store.

Emergecy medical personnel may be the first to encounter a traumatized child and now they have another tool in their kits to provide the best care in the Highland Lakes area.

Two trauma-informed care trainings were provided by Phoenix Center for 26 Marble Falls Area Emergency Medical Service (MFAEMS) professionals to expand awareness of the impact of trauma childhood trauma and provide effective tools and strategies for interacting with children and families in emergency situations.

This community collaboration began after Kevin Naumann, president of the Marble Falls Independent School District (MFISD) Board of Trustees and the operations director for Marble Falls Area EMS, attended an MFISD board meeting in November 2016 and heard about the numerous trauma-informed trainings Phoenix Center has provided for the school district.

Glynis Crawford Smith

The Highlander

The Phoenix Center is roughly a million dollars closer to it's five-year goal for a new $6.6 million treatment facility and program operations.

Even before the tally was complete of contributions and bids on exclusive auction items at Saturday night's 10th Anniversary Gala, it was apparent the event would top $1 million, organizers said Monday.

The presentation at the event repeated the numbers showing the six-counties served by the innovative trauma therapy program—Burnet, Llano Blanco, Lampasas, Mason and San Saba-- have twice the state average of child sexual abuse.

Since the program was established by Sarah Rosen Garrett in 2007, the number of children served has grown from 84 to 724 in a year for a total of 3,382 children and families served. More than four in five of them from low-income homes.

By Dorothy Crockett

By Lew K. Cohn

Managing Editor

The Highlander

More than 60 Texas A&M University College of Architecture students and faculty members will come to Marble Falls on Monday, Sept. 12, to tour a potential site for a new Phoenix Center facility and to help produce schematic architectural and site master planning concepts for the non-profit organization.

Phoenix Center Executive Director and founder Sarah Garrett said the partnership is being made possible by a $25,000 grant from the Texas A&M College of Architecture’s High-Impact Learning Vertical Interdisciplinary Studio.

By Lew K. Cohn, Managing Editor

The Highlander

Four Phoenix Center staffers recently returned from Banff, Alberta, Canada, where they presented information about the center's model for assisting children with trauma at an international symposium.

By Lew K. Cohn

The Highlander

Managing Editor

Residents of Burnet County who contribute to The Phoenix Center during its current capital campaign could see their gift leveraged into an even larger amount, thanks to two separate matching pledges by supporters of the Marble Falls-based center.

Marble Falls resident Robert Ruff has pledged to match, dollar for dollar, donations made to the 501(c)(3) non-profit organization through Jan. 10, 2017, up to a maximum amount matched of $300,000. This includes contributions received through charitable organizations.

By Emily Hilley-Sierzchula

It’s a fast-paced, digital world, and it can be hard for anyone to slow down, but for children it’s even more critical. Groups of three-year-old children have been benefitting since the fall of last year from a partnership between Marble Falls Head Start and the Phoenix Center: a 20-minute classes in mindfulness meditation called: “Head Start Yoga Storytime, Relaxation & Coping Skills."
The weekly classes at Marble Falls Elementary are led by a children’s therapist from the Phoenix Center, Erin Givarz, who is trained in yoga and meditation.