A chance to take care of themselves while building community bridges was recently offered to citizens through a Full Circle Resiliency Summit.
The free event was hosted Friday, April 11 at the Legacy Center in Stephenville by Community Connection Cohorts as part of a $50,000 grant awarded by Texas Health Resources. The grant was awarded to develop an innovative plan to address mental health and the social drivers of health for vulnerable populations in Dublin, Lingleville, Huckabay, Morgan Mill and Stephenville.
Community Connection Cohorts is made up of Texas Health Resources, CASA for the Cross Timbers Area, and collaborators Choices Clinic, Cross Timbers Fine Arts Council and Kate Jones, Tarleton State University College of Education instructor.
In the burn out session participants were encouraged to decorate ‘resiliency’ rocks to remind themselves of the auctions they needed to take for selfcare.
The summit included training on traumainformed care, resiliency and burnout prevention, interactive problem-solving and networking, a collaborative art project with Cross Timbers Fine Arts Council and takeaway resources, including a database of updated community resource contacts created during the summit.
“The biggest takeaway from the Summit is this: none of us are in this alone. We are part of a community rich with compassion, resilience, and a genuine desire to support one another. What made this event so powerful was the way it brought together nonprofits, educators, healthcare professionals, and community leaders— uniting voices across sectors to listen, collaborate, and take action,” Kristy Allen with CASA for The Cross Timbers Area said.
“Together, we identified the resources we already have, uncovered the gaps, and began building strategies to address the challenges we face. When we try to meet these needs alone, it can feel overwhelming—but collaboration turns the impossible into possible.”
Allen said they are thankful for the support offered by Texas Health through the Community Impact Grant to give the community an opportunity to come together in such a powerful way.
“This is only the beginning. The connections and momentum sparked at the Summit are planting seeds for long-term change. I’m incredibly inspired to continue this work alongside others in Erath County, so that together, we can build a stronger, more connected, and more compassionate community for all,” Allen said.