Amarillo area Our Town briefs for Aug. 7, 2022

Amarillo Globe-News
·7 min read

Amarillo Rainbow Room holding 'Back to School' supply drive

The Amarillo Rainbow Room has kicked-off its annual “Back to School Supply Drive” benefitting CPS-involved children and families.

“We feel every child deserves the opportunity to have the supplies they need to be successful and confident in school,” said Jennifer Sugg, Amarillo Rainbow Room Coordinator. “We’re asking the community to help with donations of backpacks, pencils, paper and more.”

To make donating quick and efficient, the Rainbow Room has established an Amazon School Supply Wish List: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/3HVN64ETDDTGM?ref_=wl_share

Donation deadline is Wednesday, Aug. 31. Drop-off location for school supplies is Texas DFPS, 3521 SW 15th Ave. Corporate and monetary donations are also welcome. For more information, contact Jenn Sugg, Amarillo Rainbow Room Coordinator at 806-354-6292 or jennifer.sugg@dfps.texas.gov.

DFPS Rainbow Rooms are emergency resource rooms located at Child Protective Services that assists children and families in crisis situations. Community Partners of Amarillo - through the Rainbow Room - supplies diapers, formula, clothing, school supplies, cleaning supplies, cribs, toddler beds, etc. to children and families in crisis situations.

APHD offering vaccines, information at back-to-school events

The Amarillo Public Health Department (APHD) will be at several back-to-school bashes across the city this weekend and beyond, including:

  • Back2School Barrio Bash 4 - 1 p.m. Sunday at 1621 S. Houston;

  • Hillside Back-to-School block party and shoe drive, 11 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Sunday at 24th and Grand;

  • Back-to-School party, 4:30-6 p.m. Aug. 11 at Tradewind School Park;

  • Back to School party, 5-8 p.m. Aug. 12 at Hamlet Elementary;

  • Back to School Bash, 6-8 p.m. Aug. 12 at Forest Hill Park, 3515 N. Grand; and

  • Braids and Fades, 10 a.m. Aug. 14 at Bones Hooks Park.

According to a Facebook post, APHD will be providing back to school vaccines. Students must have their immunization record and meet eligibility for those who have Medicaid and/or are uninsured. A free COVID vaccine will be offered for kids 6 months and older, including adults. Information about other services will be provided by APHD that are low to no cost at its clinic.

AAMW holding 'Clear the Shelters' adoption special

The city of Amarillo's Animal Management and Welfare department is running a "Clear the Shelters" adoption special through the month of August, to help as many animals as possible find their "furever" homes.

Adoption cost is $25 for dogs and $5 for cats, and the fee includes spay/neuter, vaccinations and microchips. To schedule an appointment, visit amw.amarillo.gov or call 806-378-9032.

Amarillo Area CASA hosting open house at its office Aug. 9

Amarillo Area CASA is hosting an Open House event at its office on Tuesday, Aug. 9, from 4 to 6 pm.

"We invite community members to come tour our office, meet the staff, and hear about the work we are doing for children in foster care in our area," a news release said. "This event is come and go, and light drinks and snacks will be served."

Questions can be directed to Doug Hathcock at (806) 373-2272, or via email at doug@amarillocasa.org.

Amarillo Area CASA is a local non-profit that partners community volunteers with children in foster care-there are currently hundreds of children in our area who are in CPS custody due to abuse or neglect. CASA advocates ensure their CASA kid stays safe during the difficult situations they face in foster care. Volunteers participate in home visits, phone calls, letter writing and getting involved at the school level to guarantee their children know they are supported. Volunteers represent stability for kids who are often experiencing relational poverty and chronic stress.

Beef cattle conference addresses difficult decisions Aug. 9 in Pampa

A beef cattle conference will be offered 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 9, by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service in Gray County in the Gray County Annex, 12126 E. Frederic Ave., Pampa.

The cost is $10 at the door, and lunch will be provided. Participants are asked to preregister by calling 806-669-8033 at the AgriLife Extension office.

“This program is aimed at anyone raising cattle,” said Nick Simpson, AgriLife Extension agriculture and natural resources agent in Gray County in a news release. “We decided to develop this program to address some difficult decisions that have been and will have to be made due to tough markets and inputs, little to no forage and short hay supplies due to drought. ... We also, thinking about down the road, wanted to look at what these drought/input implications will mean headed into winter/spring calving.”

Topics and speakers will include:

  • Starting Cattle Off the Right Way, Clay Burson, Ph.D., cattle consultant with Purina Animal Health.

  • Cattle Market Outlook, DeDe Jones, AgriLife Extension risk management specialist, Amarillo.

  • Fly Control Options, Reina Lewis, Ph.D., regional sales manager for Central Life Sciences, Lubbock.

  • Factors Affecting Optimal Calving Season, Tim Steffens, Ph.D., range management specialist, AgriLife Extension and West Texas A&M University, Canyon.

Commodity Supplement Food Program (Senior Food Box) distribution event Aug. 10 in Hereford

A Commodity Supplemental Food Program distribution event will be held Wednesday, Aug. 10, from 1 to 3 p.m. at Nazarene Family Church, 1410 La Plata St.

Eligible seniors 60+, who meet the household income requirements, can sign up for a monthly food box valued at $60-$70 including a 2 pound block of commodity cheese. Applicants will need to provide one form of ID at sign up. Acceptable forms of identification are: Driver’s License, State ID Card, Birth Certificate, Permanent Resident Card, Passport, Military ID, Refugee Visa, Baptismal Certificate, Health Card.

Applicants are allowed to self-declare their income. If there is more than one resident in the home, applicants must provide names, birthdays and income of any additional residents to determine eligibility.

For more information, visit www.hpfb.org/csfp . The High Plains Food Bank partners with the Texas Department of Agriculture to provide the Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP) to eligible seniors 60 years of age and older. The food items included in the CSFP box are U.S. Department of Agriculture products. Therefore, in order to participate in the Commodity Supplemental Food Program, seniors must qualify by meeting USDA’s Income Eligibility Guidelines.

WGU celebrates 11th anniversary, offers Texas Trailblazer Scholarship

As WGU celebrates over a decade in Texas, it is reflecting on how its student-centric model leads to student success and how this success contributes to the state. The non-profit online university currently has about 13,800 students across the state, and 74 percent of their students work full-time while enrolled, according to a news release. WGU Texas’ diverse student population includes many first generation and low-income students, most of which are working adults.

This year, during the 11th anniversary, WGU Texas is offering the Texas Trailblazer Scholarship in honor of the 8,000+ Texans that made the decision to complete a college degree. To celebrate this milestone, WGU Texas will award five scholarships, each valued up to $5,000, to motivated Texans wishing to further their education. The deadline to apply is June 30, 2023.

The online, non-profit university has more than 24,000 graduates in Texas, many of which are from underserved communities. Of these graduates, 39% are first generation, 30% are underrepresented, and 23% are active-duty military, veterans or military spouses. In fiscal year (July 1, 2021-June 30, 2022) alone, WGU Texas awarded more than $1.8 million to 655 students. Learn more at https://www.wgu.edu/financial-aid-tuition/scholarships/texas/trailblazer.html.

This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Amarillo area Our Town briefs for Aug. 7, 2022