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PURSUING THE BETTER ANGELS—AND ANGLES—OF HUMAN NATURE

Welcome to ATX Good News! We launched this storytelling platform in January 2022 to share uplifting, positive stories about Central Texas, for Central Texas. Our page spotlights people, places and events that inspire and help bring our community closer together. Our goal is to make you smile, touch your heart or perhaps even encourage you to find ways to give back to this wonderful place we call home.

Sharing the Latest Good News

CLICK ON IMAGES FOR DETAILS

The best women tennis players in the world are wrapping up competition in the ATX Open Tennis this weekend.
But before they took the court, WTA Tour players paid a visit to the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Austin Area and treated more than 100 local kids to a free tennis clinic, courtesy of the ATX Open sponsor @lathamwatkins. Who knows, maybe one of these youngsters will become a tennis champion someday! @atxopen @bgcaustin

We all deserve access to fresh, nutritious food. Nikki Rivera is a single, working mom with two children, Kaydyn and Kayaura. She relies on the Healthy Food Pantry, twice at month, at her Foundation Communities apartment complex to keep her family eating well. The Riveras are just one of hundreds of Central Texas families who've found help with food insecurity, affordable housing and support services through the homegrown nonprofit Foundation Communities.
We're sharing this story as a reminder the biggest giving day of the year is fast approaching. Amplify Austin is March 5 & 6. More than 700 local nonprofits rely on donations during Amplify to keep their missions going.
( Video provided by @foundationcommunities )
( This story is part of the ATX Good News partnership with @ilivehereigivehere )

This just in ....one week from today is the largest giving day of the year in Central Texas!!!! ( Amplify Austin is March 5-6, 6pm to 6pm) Judy and Leslie have put together a special newscast in honor of on the big day. Watch and find out how you can support your favorite nonprofit. AmplifyATX.org

(ATX Good News is a proud storyteller partner with @ilivehereigivehere & Amplify Austin is their signature program)

We all need a night to shine!!! That’s the gift more than 150 Central Texans with disabilities were given recently at Austin’s Grace Covenant Church @gcc360 . The volunteer-run event provides all of the honored guests time in the spotlight to feel special, as each of them is crowned as a king or a queen. It also features a red carpet, face-painting, a fancy dinner and dancing. Founded by the @timtebowfoundation, Night to Shine takes place at churches all over the country and is meant to show people with disabilities they are loved and valued. #dancing #happiness #love #value

A Central Texas high school wrestler is proving hard work can’t be held down. Cedar Park High School wrestler Nate Reilly earned his second consecutive gold medal at the UIL state wrestling tournament this past weekend. In all, four Cedar Park wrestlers earned wins and made it to the podium. Congratulations! @cedarparkhigh
(Photo from the @statesman )

Love is always at the heart of the mission of The Rise School of Austin...an inclusive preschool for children of all abilities. Even though Valentine's Day is behind us, we wanted to share these heartwarming photos of the little ones celebrating love in their school family by:
❤ Practice writing letters and shapes
�❤ Learning about writing, addressing, and sending mail
❤ Singing about friendship in music therapy
❤ Whipping up some strawberry treats in speech
ATX Good News partners with @ilivehereigivehere to tell the stories of the wonderful nonprofits in Central Texas.
Don't forget Amplify Austin Day (March 5-6)!!!

Every school has a unique story to tell! Today on ATX Good News, Judy & Leslie talk with two women behind a new project bringing past and present students together to preserve the rich history of Austin's former Johnston High School. The campus now houses @austinisd 's Liberal Arts & Science Academy lasahighschool

Here's a smile-worthy salute to some of our amazing Central Texas teachers, principals and counselors!
H-E-B recently surprised 10 local educators with news they are finalists for the H-E-B Excellence in Education Awards. This is a cash prize to educators who go the extra mile to serve their students and our community. Congratulations!!!
Pictured here are Karen Terry, Monica Collins & Vicki Rowe. All of the finalists (listed here):
● Sara Allen, Cullen Elementary School, Hays CISD, Rising Star Elementary
● Candace Barnes, Sunfield Elementary School, Hays CISD, School Counselor Elementary
● Monica Collins, Pearson Ranch Middle School, Round Rock ISD, Principal Secondary
● Carol Fernandez, Maria Hernandez Elementary School, San Marcos CISD, Lifetime Achievement Elementary
● Wendell Norris Marquez, Lively Middle School, Austin ISD, Leadership Secondary
● Vicki Rowe, Taylor High School, Taylor ISD, Lifetime Achievement Secondary
● Dr. Amy Sharp, River Place Elementary School, Leander ISD, Principal Elementary
● Karen Terry, Bertha Sadler Means Young Women’s Leadership Academy, Austin ISD, School Counselor Secondary
● Gloria Ramirez Vega, Pflugerville Elementary School, Pflugerville ISD, Leadership Elementary
● Kylee Zapalac, La Grange High School, La Grange ISD, Rising Star Secondary

What a joy to share our ATX Good News mission with the amazing group of lifetime learners at @ut_olli_austin today. Thanks for the warm reception, great questions and story ideas! #learning #hookem #goodnews #media

What if you could turn unwanted belongings into a big donation to your favorite cause? The Austin nonprofit, Gone for Good, makes that happen! Its motto is, “selling worldly treasures to do a world of good.” Co-founded 16 years ago by Gail Miller, Gone for Good relies on dozens of dedicated volunteers. No one makes any money because the profits made at these sales go directly to charities of the donor’s choosing.
Lois Banning loves lending her time and talents to Gone for Good. She started volunteering 5 years ago after going to a sale. She says, “It’s more than volunteering. It’s about friendships. We are a family.”
It’s also a heartfelt gift to the people who make the choice to turn former family treasures into a donation to their favorite nonprofits. The sale of most of the items at a recent Northwest Austin estate sale benefitted The Settlement Home for Children and @hospiceaustin.
One of the daughters of the late homeowners says, “My parents were very philanthropic. Partnering with Gone for Good was a fitting way to honor them and benefit charities our family cares about.”

We're celebrating our 3rd Anniversary!
Thanks to all of you for coming along on our ATX Good News storytelling journey.

Austin school district families now have access to healthier, nutritious food thanks to the Central Texas Food Bank. The newest Feeding Futures School Pantry is now open at Galindo Elementary School in S. Austin. This pantry provides fresh produce, protein, dairy, and pantry staples in a welcoming, market-style setup, right on campus. At Galindo Elementary, 88% of the students live in economically disadvantaged homes
( photos and info from @ctxfoodbank )

ATX Good News salutes the Central Texas First Responders battling the massive wildfires in Los Angeles. These 4 firefighters from @kyle_fire_department are among the more than 100 firefighters, medics and other emergency crews sent to California from the Austin area. We appreciate our local heroes doing their part to help during this heartbreaking disaster.
( photo from the Kyle Fire Department)

As the nation pays tribute to President Jimmy Carter, Austin is honoring his vision for affordable housing.
Austin Habitat for Humanity & the Housing Authority of the City of Austin raised the wall Wednesday on 12 new affordable town homes in Prospect Heights in East Austin. On hand was HUD Acting Secretary Adrianne Todman, along with Mayor Kirk Watson and other local leaders. They all took part in a memorial signing of the wall as a testament to Carter's legacy. The late President donated countless hours volunteering to build homes for Habitat for Humanity. #AffordableHousing #EastAustin

( photos courtesy of Austin Habitat for Humanity & Housing Authority of the City of Austin)

Good news for our neighbors in need. The Austin Empty Bowl Project announced today more than $120,000 was raised for the Central Texas Food Bank & Meals on Wheels Central Texas during its annual event. That translates to more than 170,000 meals for people in our community facing food insecurity.
Kudos to the potters who donated their work, the restaurants that donated soup, the volunteers and the more than 1,300 Central Texans who showed up to buy the beautiful bowls filled with delicious soup.

( Photos and info from the Austin Empty Bowl Project)

Here's some good news from Buda...a celebration honoring the new year and the final night of Hanukkah. The Buda Downtown Greenbelt was the site of the 4th annual Buda Menorah Lighting. Rabbi Marie Betcher helped light the large menorah at this beautiful volunteer-driven event that brings people from all faiths together to celebrate the season and new beginnings.

However you choose to jump into 2025, we wish you and yours a new year filled with good news and happiness. @bartonspringspool #polarplunge

Let's all celebrate the "giving spirit" of these preschoolers this holiday season!

These three and four year olds from @primroseschools across Austin completed household chores and used their earned money to buy canned goods for neighbors in need. They donated 3,922 canned goods as part of the annual, nationwide Caring and Giving Food Drive. The donated food benefitted the Central Texas Food Bank, Oak Hill Community Center, Operation Liberty Hill, and Round Rock Area Serving Center.
#ATXGoodNews #givingback

Making tamales is a centuries-old holiday tradition with roots in Mexico. Multiple generations gather at Tamaladas each December to catch up and cook together. Here’s a look at the annual tamale-making marathon for the Godinez and Barron families. As always, laughter and lots of masa was on tap. Leading the festivities was 86 year old Aunt Eva whose mother started this Tamalada 41 years ago. Dozens of family members descended on Austin from all over the state bringing pots of pork, beef, chicken and venison to assemble the tasty tamales. After 8-9 hours, more than 1500 tamales were ready to go …. each one seasoned with love and wrapped in tradition.

Giving back to those in need is a wonderful way to honor the holiday season! Kudos to the team at Rifeline who made volunteering a priority this December by offering up time and talent to several local nonprofits. One of the places they volunteered was the Salvation Army warehouse where they gathered presents for families, confirmed every child received their gifts, and ensured families were able to get the presents home. Rifeline paired with the @salarmyaustin through their partnership with @ilivehereigivehere.
#givingback #volunteer #seasonofgiving #presents

A nursing career is all in the family for 23-year-old Katelyn Nutt! She always wanted to follow in her mother’s footsteps as a nurse, but becoming a mom herself at age 18 postponed those plans. Now, thanks to a partnership between Concordia University Texas & Capital IDEA, Katelyn just graduated with her bachelors degree and will soon start a full-time job at St. David’s Round Rock Medical Center, alongside her mom.
Capital IDEA gives financial help to non-traditional students. The nonprofit covered Katelyn's fees, nursing equipment, books and even child care. Katelyn was also born at the hospital where she will work, so this is a full circle moment! Congratulations!

Photo Credit: Concordia University Texas

There is no greater gift than the gift of love. The holidays are hard for people grieving the loss of a dear family member or friend. But honoring them and keeping them close to your heart can help. This past Sunday, The Christi Center @christicenter hosted its 37th Annual Remembrance Service. People paid tribute to their lost loved ones by writing their names on a purple heart and hanging it on the Christmas tree. Knowing you are not alone in your grief can give you hope.
Susan and Don Cox founded the Christi Center after losing their daughter, Christi Lanahan, to a drunk driver in 1985. The nonprofit offers its grief support services for free.

An Austin nonprofit is working to make the holiday season brighter for families of medically-fragile and terminally-ill children. The @abigailekellerfoundation helps these families struggling with financial hardships with Abbey’s Pink Santa program, working with Dell Children’s At Home hospice and the Comprehensive Care Clinic to identify families who need extra support. Each family receives a holiday gift card and stockings filled with goodies.

The Keller Foundation was founded by Travis and Melissa Keller after their only child, Abigail, passed away from numerous congenital medical conditions at the young age of 11. The Keller’s long term goal is to design and build the first pediatric respite hospice facility in Texas.
#atxgoodnews #PediatricHospice #pediatricrespite

The Love Notes Chorus is Austin's only singing group for people with memory loss and their caregivers. Lots of love on stage and in the audience at their bi-annual concert on Saturday.

Decorating gingerbread cookies is a treat and time-honored tradition. Celebrate the holidays and your favorite figure from Texas history with the Austin Parks and Recreation Department 5th annual Gingerbread History Heroes program. The city is giving out salt dough gingerbread cookie ornaments and a variety of decorating items at eight Austin museums and historical sites through the end of the year. See below for the list of places where you can pick up supplies. ( That's Elizbet Ney and Sam Houston featured in the pictured cookies 🙂 )
Brush Square Museums (O. Henry Museum and Susanna Dickinson Museum), 409 E 5th St.
Asian American Resource Center, 8401 Cameron Rd.
Elisabet Ney Museum, 304 E 44th St
French Legation State Historic Site, 802 San Marcos St
George Washington Carver Museum and Cultural Center, 1165 Angelina St.
Old Bakery and Emporium, 1006 Congress Ave.
Park Ranger Station at Zilker Caretaker's Cottage, 2105 Andrew Zilker Rd.

Tomorrow is GivingTuesday ... a global day of giving that's celebrated in more than 150 countries. Visit AmplifyATX.org to engage, volunteer, or donate to a local nonprofit that matters to you. Helping those in need is always good news! That's why we are proud storytelling partners with @ilivehereigivehere.

We are grateful for our wonderful friends and followers who help us share good news!
Happy Thanksgiving 🍁 🧡.

Meet Greta O, a Travis Heights Elementary student whose design will decorate 20,000 T-shirts at tomorrow's @thundercloudsubs Turkey Trot! The 5-mile Thanksgiving Day run partnered with @creativeaction this year to bring the Trot’s signature T-shirt art contest to four Austin schools. 100 students took part and created designs for the theme “helping neighbors.” Money raised at this year's race will go to @caritasofaustin, a nonprofit helping to end homelessness. Congratulations on your winning design, Greta!
#creativity #kindness #connection

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