Texas Tidbits: BCFS coffeehouse receives funds for expansion

BCFS coffeehouse receives funds for expansion. Guadalupe Street Coffee, part of the Baptist Child & Family Services community ministries program, will receive nearly $200,000 in economic development funding from San Antonio’s Avenida Guadalupe Association to invest in expansion and improvements to the building that houses the west side coffeehouse. The funds are part of a $610,000 grant awarded to Avenida through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Community Services and a city bond program. Guadalupe Street Coffee provides free computer access to students in an area where only 3 percent of homes have computers.

BCFS awarded foundation grant for emergency response. Baptist Child & Family Services received a $240,000 grant from the Baptist Health Foundation of San Antonio to increase emergency response capacity during disasters. During the next three years, BCFS will use the grant to recruit, train and certify at least 3,000 volunteers and 75 churches to operate medical special-needs shelters during catastrophic events. Funds also will be used to set up a project database and rapid notification system that can reach thousands of volunteers or responders within seconds.

Howard Payne honored for student service. In recognition of the acts of service by students at Howard Payne University, the institution has been named to the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll for the second consecutive year. Launched in 2006, the Community Service Honor Roll is the highest federal recognition a school can achieve for its commitment to service-learning and civic engagement.

Scholarships endowed at Wayland. Five endowed scholarships have been established at Wayland Baptist University. A scholarship for female ministerial students has been named in honor of Texas Baptist missions leader Amelia Bishop of Austin. She served from 1984 to 1988 as president of Woman’s Missionary Union of Texas. Charles and Mary Abercrombie of Amarillo and other family members established the Barton and Harriett Smith Abercrombie Endowed Scholarship to honor pioneering ancestors. Wayland trustee Tom Brian of Lubbock and his wife, Ann, established a scholarship in memory of their daughter, Kathryn Anne Brian Wiley, who attended Wayland her freshman year. Trustee Max Gabriel of Plainview and his wife, Marcheta, established a scholarship in their name and one in memory of their son, Kyle, and in honor of their daughter, Tiffany Gabriel Wright.

Target gives grant to TBCH Family Care program. The Texas Baptist Children’s Home Family Care program has been awarded a $3,000 grant from Target as part of the retailer’s ongoing efforts to strengthen families and communities. The grant will be applied to operating expenses for the residential program for more than 30 single mothers and their children.

Historical markers approved for Baylor. State historical markers have been approved by the Texas Historical Commission for Carroll Library and the Texas Collection at Baylor University.