Beaumont Nonprofits and Charities

I'm an oil industry retiree and a TEM volunteer currently helping with accessioning some donated items in the museum's permanent collection. The museum's primary appeal for me is the history it holds and invites visitors into, with a clearly explained diversity of displays ranging the length and breadth of the industry. I've had the pleasure to see young school groups visit the museum and the care with which they are accommodated and shepherded by museum personnel. Anyone who visits TEM, regardless of age, will benefit to some degree!

Ten years ago, the spasms began. I went to several ophthalmologists before the condition was diagnosed. The spasms were triggered by movement. Sitting in a moving car did not instigate the spasming, but riding my bicycle did. On one trip, my eyes locked shut for a few moments and I hit a curb and fell, tearing my rotator cuff. At some point, about eight years ago, Botox was recommended and proved to work miraculously to stop the spasms. My doctor warned me that Botox might stop working and suggested a surgery which involved cutting some of the muscles that are involved in closing the eyes. I did that and it was very helpful. However, the Botox treatments were hit and miss, and about a year ago, they stopped working. A week and a half ago, I spasmed and crashed my bicycle into a metal light post, sustaining abrasions but no broken bones. The spasming seems to be getting worse. I am 81 and fear that I will crash again, next time with dire consequences, but, I have no other means of transportation. Every morning I ride seven miles to the local community college and play pickleball, and then ride home. It is scary.I would hate to give up this part of my life, however. <br>

When it comes to children it is so worth giving to an organization that is pouring into them. I have seen the work of Augusta’s Angels giving back to the community by giving not just material needs like food, clothes, school supplies & fun events to the children and their families but also emotional needs in these families. The love and support this organization continues to do for the community and abroad is amazing and my family will continue to give to support them so can continue to be an extension of God’s hands in the lives of those needing the support.

I have been a member of the Southeast Texas Nonprofit Development Center (SETNPDC) since 2008. At that time, I had been the Executive Director of Stable-Spirit for a year, and was needing to learn about running a nonprofit and writing grants. I attended just about every workshop that the SETNPDC held, so that I could run Stable-Spirit as effectively as possible, as well as within all the proper guidelines and rules. I have said for many years, and continue to say today, that Stable-Spirit is as successful as it is today, because of all the support and learning that I received from the SETNPDC. I have become very confident in my grant writing skills, because of all that I have learned from the grant writing workshops through the Center. I always encourage every nonprofit organization to join the Center, because of all the benefits that will be obtained from their workshops and excellent leadership. <br><br>Katie Durio, Executive Director of Stable-Spirit

As Executive Director of The Art Studio and a co-founder It is my intention to tell our incredible story. The Art Studio, Inc. is the only self supporting independent visual arts organization in Beaumont, Texas. The organization, Established in 1983, I fully dedicated to address issues of art education, artists workspace and supporting established and fledgling artists in their creative pursuit . This organization is committed to the cultural growth and creative identity of Southeast Texans. We are considered, by some, to be an alternative space. We encourage artistic experimentation yet we are open and available to all artists of every skill level, style and taste. All the providing a space that every artists is able to express themselves without constraints of cultural movements or censorship. We have a reputation for pushing the artistic, societal and cultural boundaries of arts to refine and develop their artistic expression. We have the support and endorsement of many art educators and administrators in school districts throughout the region where we are active in assisting schools to keep a strong art educational base. We have consistently offered studio space, exhibitions, and adult and youth art programs. For over 25 years The Art Studio, inc. provides a venue for young originating musicians and actors. In my 36 years with this organization I have experienced the growth and development of countless artists, children and musicians seeking to contribute to their own success and representing the community as have many artists before us. I hope my bias does not deter you from experiencing the art studio for yourselves. It has been one pleasure after another in our fight to keep southeast Texas a vibrant and creative community.

I grew up in Beaumont and the police always did a great job in keeping us safe<br>I saw a video posted on Facebook by a friend showing the department doing<br>a anti crime video that was comical and right to the point, and I wanted to donate.<br>My dad still lives there and he donates so I have decided as well.<br>Sincerely,<br>Ken Adams

This organization has taken a nose-dive in the last 6 weeks by hiring a manager and vet who are more concerned about wheedling power than caring for the animals. The vet has implemented policies that go against well documented recommendations for rescue vet medicine. One example is by holding healthy animals in in quarantine for extended lengths of time and having a week long wait time to get an animal in for his/her shots. The manager has made herself the approver of all things. One immediate result of this policy has significantly hindered the pound rescue program by virtually eliminating spontaneous rescues, increasing their chances of euthanasia. Any dog that was brought in without her approval is held offline for several weeks for what seems to be nothing more than a lesson to anyone who tries to do anything without her approval. The manager slandered a volunteer who started a rescue and transport program which resulted in the adoption of 23 dogs in less than one week, on the first trip. The manager made getting a cell phone, getting her husband hired and creating alliances by disseminating negativity and discord throughout the organization her first priority. Her next objective was to remove oversite by any working board members and appointed herself executive director, minus the title. The joint efforts of the manager and the vet resulted in HSSET losing two women who had dedicated a combined 35 years with the org and one volunteer who did in 4 days what they could not do in the two years since first considering it. These women are toxic to this organization and much of what they have done is at odds with the mission of any rescue animal shelter. One board member (maybe two) are complete under their spell, and the rest are so far removed that these women will do a lot more damage before they are stopped. I feel badly for the animals. An outside source needs to investigate or consult asap!!

Jonathan Williams invited me, other adult musicians and high school orchestra students to play in the "Gospel According to Scrooge" orchestra. Rehearsing with the cast opened our eyes to the myriad roles involved in a musical stage production. We witnessed problems arise and get solved. From coordinating diverse musical scores, finding music stands for everyone and creating an ensemble of vocalists and instrumentalists; to storage of instrument cases, feeding the musicians between dress rehearsal and show, and paying the professionals; Mr. Williams' team of volunteers demonstrated professionalism. <br>It was a huge gift to the students and comparable to a music major's experience in college.

This is a wonderful organization that serves the needs of all of Southeast Texas.

This charity has not filed it's paperwork correctley 990 with the attorney general. There is no list of expenses just a letter stating that the receipts are in a cat litter box. This is not professional and no way to handle a non profit organization. This makes me wonder if this non profit is legitimate.

Even with all my years in the medical profession, I get nervous when mammogram time rolls around, even though there is no family history of breast cancer on either side of my family. When you walk into the Julie Rogers center, you are immediately put at ease by the kind and caring staff. The center is set up so you feel like you are in your own home. Instead of extra-huge hospital gowns or worse, paper gowns, you are given a plush terrycloth robe to put on, refreshments and coffee are in the waiting area which have comfy rocking chairs and a plethora of magazines, or tv if you prefer. You are treated with respect and dignity whether your insurance is paying or you have no insurance. The Julie Rogers center also has a free screening at least twice a year in the entire county, if you don't have transportation to the location of the mobile scanner, they will utilize a senior citizen bus to pick you up and get you to the site. We are also extremely lucky to have a M.D. Anderson treatment facility in the area, a smaller version of the M.D. Anderson hospital in Houston which is 90 or so miles west of here. Even though I have been fortunate, there are 2 people who are near and dear to me who have had their lives dramatically changed by cancer. The first person is a fellow paramedic single mom of a 9 yr old daughter at the time she discovered a lump in her breast. She called her dr who immediately sent her for a mammogram and found a malignancy. She has always been such a positive person and you never saw her that she wasn't happy and the life of the party. She went through the chemo and radiation treatments, and our company allowed her to continue working at her insistance, but obviously could not work the streets, so they put her in dispatch and filled her spot on the ambulance with the dispatcher. We would watch her take a call and dispatch units while bending over the trash can puking her head off, she was not concerned about losing her hair, and wore the cutest hats. She beat the cancer, regained her strength and went back out on the streets. Two years later, the cancer returned in her lower back, drs removed the cancerous part of her spine and placed a cage device to stabilize her spine. She beat that while attending nursing school, and she never lost her positive attitude. Currently she is fighting cancer for her sixth time in the past ten years, and she has since remarried and her daughter is grown, but she still has a lot of living left to do and she is not going out without a fight. The second person who is dear to my heart is my uncle. Being the macho man he is, he ignored the fact that he was having increasingly difficulty swallowing, and when it got to the point that he choked on everything he put in his mouth, he finally relented and went to his dr. The dr sent him directly to the hospital for testing, and found out he had stage 4 esophageal cancer. He was sent to Houston's MD Anderson and was an inpatient there for many months, they rented an apt. on a month-to-month basis. The tumor finally shrank enough for them to operate, and they shortened the esophagus to the point that his stomach is up in his chest cavity, but they got it all and after teaching him to eat with his stomach so high, he was finally sent home cancer free. At his 6 month and 1 yr check-ups, he was given a clean bill of health. about 3 wks later he noticed a familar feeling and went back to the dr. His cancer has returned and it is inoperable because they took all they could of his esophagus the first time. He is undergoing chemo and radiation again but his prognosis is grim. The Julie Rogers gift of life center also does free prostate screening for the uninsured males. They are in Beaumont, TX and maybe we can get them on the Cancer Shmancer bandwagon in an even bigger way.