Rising to the Moment: Responding to Central Texas Needs During Uncertain Times
This year, November was… memorable.
While we closed the month with a late Thanksgiving, it began with an election that left some full of elation, and others dealing with various levels of fear, uncertainty, and doubt.
I have spent a large portion of my career as a “corporate trauma surgeon”. Which means that I have often been asked to step into situations where there are strategic challenges, financial crises, or just general chaos. While those experiences are never enjoyable, I have found it immensely satisfying to help organizations navigate through these sorts of uncertain circumstances.
In this moment, therefore, I am encouraged by the sentiments I have read, heard, and seen demonstrated that lean toward an attitude of “OK, what’s next?”
I don’t believe there’s any merit to assuming that “things will just work out”, and everyone will be fine. That would require an extraordinary level of naïveté, and it would be a poor reading of current social and cultural realities.
Instead, I believe that this moment is one for which the nonprofit community may be uniquely equipped to rise to the occasion.
What I have been amazed by in the almost 9 months I have been with Mission Capital is the extent to which extraordinary leaders, volunteers, and allies are joining forces to address the truly, intractable challenges facing our community.
Whether the mission is to provide laundry services for those who are experiencing homelessness, or if an organization is intended to provide pre-and postnatal care to under-resourced moms, I have been encouraged to see a measure of resilience, persistence, intentionality, and, frankly, toughness. All of these are what this season requires.
While the metaphor may not be a perfect fit, I have come to see Mission Capital and others who serve the nonprofit community as functional — if not literal — first responders.
By that, I simply mean that our response to situations like this is to assess and then to serve. We should focus on the most pressing unmet needs, then quickly bring any appropriate resources to bear to alleviate distress, discomfort, or harm.
At a time when it feels as if empathy and selflessness are in short supply, I respectfully refuse to believe that offering support & comfort to our neighbors is out of favor.
To the contrary, my reading of American history reminds me that most of the significant milestones of social progress came from the methodical, relentless and often very shrewd efforts of folks that balanced pragmatism with breathtaking idealism.
My hope is that Mission Capital can help equip, support, find resources and encourage those who are willing to rise to the challenges affecting Central Texas. The community has our commitment to focus on addressing that “what next?” question and then leaning into the opportunities we have to collaborate, to advocate, to serve.
In the coming weeks, we will continue to share dispatches like this that highlight the great work being done by the nonprofit innovators with whom we have the pleasure of working. At the same time, we will make space for the exchange of ideas from all corners, without any “pride of ownership” on our part.
We will adopt a posture of open minds, open hands and open arms, confident that our partners will do likewise.
Finally, I have found strength from civil rights lion, John Lewis. Of all of his insightful quotes, there is one that especially fits this moment and is an apropos rallying cry:
“If not us, then who? If not now, then when?”
Join us in the pursuit of Rev. Lewis’s “good trouble.”
Join us in making a tangible difference in Central Texas.
As we navigate the challenges and opportunities ahead, we recognize the immense power of collective action and community support.
Today, we encourage you to consider contributing to a mission that ripples across all of Central Texas. Your gift will fuel our efforts to equip, support, and provide resources to those who are rising to the challenges we face. Together, we can build a stronger, more sustainable community for all. Let's stand hand in hand, united in our commitment to making Central Texas a better place for everyone.