Oak Hill Back To School Bash
This year due to pandemic restrictions the Back to School event was again a drive through. PPE, pizza dinner, and family games given to each family as well as personalized back packs for each school aged child. Back packs with shoes, socks and supplies for the new school year as well as masks were given to 141 children in 52 families this year.
Oak Hill staff support Santa Programs
In pre-pandemic years, Oak Hill's Community Center staff support Brown Santa distribution in our parking lot with a holiday festival including games and Santa visits for the families getting their presents. This included working with several local churches to ensure families getting services at Oak Hill but not eligible for Brown Santa had access to a Christmas angel program for gifts called SW Santa. Due to pandemic protections in 2021, there were separate Brown Santa distribution from SW Santa. We supported both events, including an outdoor holiday party for gift distribution to our clients through Southwest Santa, working in partnership with Southwest Family Fellowship and the Advisory Committee for the Center. This year the Southwest Austin Rotary Club's annual Coat Drive provided over 150 coats for clients to access through the Center.
Brown Santa Oak Hill
This year's online registration covered 165 families from the outlying areas of the County who wanted to pick up at Oak Hill Community Center. Distribution happened drive -through style starting at 11:30 and distributing through 3 PM on Saturday December 11th. The Travis County Sheriff's office was on hand with the gifts, food boxes and HEB gift cards for a turkey dinner. Constable Stacy Suits and his team provided additional supports, and the Rotary Club was on site to organize coats. FSS brochures were distributed to each family at pick up so they could access services and coats if needed. 23 families not able to pick up at the event got their presents and coats at the Community Center the week before Christmas.
Southwest Santa
This year Oak Hill staff personally selected coats for the 38 families registered for Southwest Santa. Southwest Family Fellowship provided amazing gifts for each of the 133 children in these families and the West Rural Travis County Advisory Committee provided gift cards for a holiday meal from HEB.
Distribution happened Sunday, December 12th at a holiday festival with Santa, a petting zoo and bounce towers for kids, while parents could pick up the presents , coats, and a holiday meal gift card onsite.
