Texas Tidbits

Food Policy Roundtable slated. The Texas Hunger Initiative—a joint venture of the Baptist General Convention of Texas and the Baylor Center for Family & Community Ministries—will sponsor a Food Policy Roundtable Nov. 19 at Baylor University. Participants will seek to develop and implement strategies to end hunger through policy, education and community development. Jeremy Everett, director of the Texas Hunger Initiative, expects about 250 representatives of advocacy groups; federal, state and local governments; nongovernmental organizations; congregations; and social service pro-viders. The first initiative of the roundtable will be to increase participation of Texas children in feeding programs in summer 2010, when many of the state’s 3 million children who participate in the free school lunch program otherwise would go without a meal. Texas has the highest food insecurity rate among children in the nation. For more information about the roundtable or the Texas Health Initiative, contact [email protected] or call 254-710-3946.

BCFS awarded grant for abstinence education research. The Federal Office of Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention awarded an $85,000 grant to Baptist Child & Family Services to measure the success of the agency’s Decisions for Life sexual abstinence education program for middle-school students and at-risk youth in San Antonio.

Men’s breakfast benefits Breckenridge. An antique car show, auction and men’s breakfast featuring guest speaker Gene Stallings netted more than $66,000—including a $10,000 gift from the Willingham Foundation—to benefit residents of Breckenridge Village of Tyler. Stallings—former head football coach for the University of Alabama and Texas A&M University, as well as the St. Louis and Phoenix Cardinals after serving as assistant to Dallas Cowboys Coach Tom Landry—told the crowd the greatest accomplishment of his life was being the father of his son, Johnny, who was born with Down Syndrome. Breckenridge Village, a ministry of Baptist Child & Family Services, is a residential community for mentally handicapped adults.

County residents see Baylor favorably. Nearly nine of 10 McLennan County residents view Baylor University favorably, a recently released study reveals. The survey of 1,137 residents of McLennan County—more than half with no connection to Baylor—was conducted by the university’s Center for Community Research and Development late last year. Survey results show a combined 89 percent of respondents rate the university favorably—43 percent say “very favorably” and 46 percent, “somewhat favorably.” Ninety-seven percent say it is important for the community to have opportunities for local students to attend a top-ranked university. Ninety-five percent think a world-class university is important to the community, and it is important to have access to university facilities and programs. University research that improves the local community is important to 94 percent. Opportunities to attend world-class music and cultural events and major collegiate athletic events are important to 92 percent of respondents.

Evangelist writes on Halloween. Evangelist Ken Lovelace of Garland has written a brochure explaining his faith-based opposition to observing Halloween. The six-page brochure traces the history of the holiday and draws on biblical references to warn of dangers associated with Halloween. Lovelace also provides suggestions for alternative celebrations and observances. Copies of the brochure are available from Lovelace by calling (214) 364-5010 or writing him at [email protected]. The ministry’s website is www.KenLovelaceMinistries.com.