By Karen Gleason
The 830 Times
An agency connecting persons with disabilities and the community resources they need will soon set up shop in Del Rio.
Val Verde County Commissioners Court on Wednesday approved the use of office space in the Judge Antonio “Tony” Faz III County Annex, 315 E. Chapoy St., by the South Texas All Abilities Center (STAAC), an agency currently headquartered in Eagle Pass.
Commissioner Pct. 2 Juan Carlos Vazquez asked the item be placed on the agenda of the court’s December regular term meeting.
After County Judge Lewis G. Owens Jr. read the heading of the agenda item, he asked Vazquez whether or not STAAC would be housed permanently in the Faz Annex.
Vazquez replied. “They’ll be housed there permanently, judge, and, of course, we’re relaying everything to our county attorneys, who are looking into an MOU (memorandum of understanding).”
Vazquez then made a motion to approve the use of the office space by STAAC, with Commissioner Pct. 1 Kerr Wardlaw giving the second.
Before calling for the vote, Owens recognized Zenaida Rodriguez, who introduced herself to the court as the missions director for the South Texas All Abilities Center.
Rodriguez told the court, “We are a brand-new non-profit, and currently we reside in Eagle Pass, but our mission, as it was originated, is to service six rural south Texas counties.”
She continued, “Our mission is to improve the quality of life for individuals that have disabilities and their families. As we know, rural areas, especially in border communities, sometimes are the farthest from crucial access to resources that someone with disabilities may need, for example, therapy, even to get diagnosed for certain disabilities.
“We are here to kind of bridge that gap, to identify what the barriers are, whether they be transportation or otherwise. We have a liaison who identifies what resources we can add to our network, for example, telehealth. Families may find it difficult to find those resources themselves, so we do that for them,” Rodriguez said.
She said when STAAC launched, it conducted about 500 assessment studies, adding she would like to bring a similar model to Del Rio.
Rodriguez said, “We have had wonderful meetings with community stakeholders that are ready to help us launch these assessment studies, and with those assessments, we identify what specific resources each community needs, whether your main barrier is transportation, whether it is the lack of doctors in the clinics.”
She noted in Eagle Pass, her organization helped raise funds so a therapist could be paid to visit a certain clinic.
“We identify the gaps, we identify the barriers, and then we work with all the community stakeholders to bridge these gaps and make sure these crucial resources are here,” Rodriguez said.
She reiterated STAAC is a non-profit organization that does not charge for its services.
Rodriguez told the court, “What we do is provide navigation resources, so if somebody comes to us, we may ask them what kind of insurance they have, that’s not to charge them, it’s so we can match them and their insurance with various resources. We will conduct a plan with you, and we’ll follow you the whole way.”
STAAC offers other resources of its own, Rodriguez said.
“For example, we had a kitchen skills program at Thanksgiving time, where persons with disabilities and their families came by, and we had a Thanksgiving event where we showed them how to create things in the kitchen, like grilled cheese sandwiches and trail mix. We showed them there are things they can do in the kitchen with their families, so they can contribute on Thanksgiving Day, and that makes them feel included.
“And that’s our whole mission, is to be inclusive, that what is for one, is for all,” Rodriguez said.
She noted although STAAC currently serves some Del Rio families, the office space at the Tony Faz County Annex would provide the group with a stronger foothold here.
She told the court, “A physical presence in Del Rio would help our mission immensely, and what we loved about the Tony Faz County Annex was that it is located in a neighborhood. It already has a lot of organizations housed there that we currently work with, so it can almost be like a hub, where families looking for resources can go from spot to spot.”
Rodriguez thanked the court for its consideration and said she looked forward to furthering her organization’s partnership with the county.
Owens asked her, “Do you all look into whether your clients need something at their homes, getting in and getting out?”
Rodriguez said they do, and Owens said the county offers home rehabilitation and modification through the Self-Help Center, adding STAAC might be able to partner with the Self-Help Center to offer those resources to STAAC’s local clients.
Owens also suggested Vazquez visit with County Engineer Carlos Velarde to draw a floor plan of the county annex to show which agencies are occupying various rooms and buildings on the county annex campus.
Following Rodriguez’s presentation, the court voted unanimously to approve Vazquez’s motion to allow STAAC the use of offices in the Tony Faz County Annex.
For more information about STAAC, visit the organization’s web site at www.staac.org
The writer can be reached at delriomagnoliafan@gmail.com.
