Mineral Wells Area News

*See Editors Note at the Bottom

Local Charity Will Spend Winnings to Feed the Elderly of the Community

The Mineral Wells Senior Center won over $10,000 Sunday at the annual 100 Women of Palo Pinto County giving event.

One hundred women from across Palo Pinto County with $100 to donate gathered Sunday, February 16th for the once-a-year, quick, high-impact community fundraiser event.

During the hour long gathering at Holiday Hills Golf Club, three first-time finalists, chosen by the committee from fourteen applicants were introduced to the crowd.

The top three were given five minutes to present their charity’s mission and explain the plans for the money to the roomful of donors who then voted by secret ballot for their choice to win the pile of money.

The finalists this year were Addiction Ministry Services(ARMS), ABLE Oaks Farms and the Mineral Wells Senior Center.

Executive Director Alexis “Lexi” Masterson Perez tugged at heart strings as she shared the Senior Center’s mission of serving local seniors.

“I serve a forgotten generation,” Perez said. “Many of my seniors made just enough to not qualify for financial assistance. However, with the cost of living continuing to rise, many are forced out of retirement or into isolation,” she added.

She explained how the center strives to eradicate loneliness and social isolation by creating a welcoming and safe environment that feels even better than home sometimes.

The Mineral Wells Senior Center’s mission focuses on serving seniors throughout Palo Pinto County with delicious home-cooked meals throughout the week at the center located at 102 NW Sixth Avenue.

The center also facilitates opportunities to build life-long friendships and fun-filled memories through special activities hosted all month long.

One client recently told Perez she comes to the center because it’s cheaper than buying groceries, but is now reconsidering because she can’t afford the gas to drive there daily. Perez said her organization, if chosen, would use the funds to continue providing low cost meals to the community’s elderly.

ABLE Oaks Farms, under Director Sheena Chan Hamscher, empowers people with intellectual and developmental disabilities to live abundant and prosperous lives through their working day program. The organization uses farming activities including horse care, gardening, and chicken tending to provide meaningful work experiences.

“We believe that if you’re a young adult or an older adult that has a special need and you want to do something productive, you want to have meaningful work, then in the day that we live in today, there’s no excuse that you shouldn’t be able to,” Hamscher said.

Operating under the acronym ABLE (Agriculture, Belief, Learning, and Everyone), the program combines hands-on agricultural work with continued education and social skills development. Sheena concluded by asking the community to join their mission “to make Palo Pinto County a county that understands that a disability is not an inability.”

ARMS (Addiction Recovery Ministries) led by Executive Director Soozy Stone, empowers individuals to break free from the pain of their past and guides them toward a fulfilled destiny. In 2024, they served over 2,400 clients through their programs, which include services at the Palo Pinto County jail, probation, parole, and CPS programs.

“Last year we provided over 200 units of services to Palo Pinto County residents,” Stone said. “We do this by having 13 nonpaid volunteers and they do it because they love God, they love people and they love our community.”

The organization offers church services twice monthly, 12-step life recovery classes, anger management, parenting, financial management, and one-on-one counseling. They recently became an official GED testing center for Mineral Wells, expanding their ability to help clients build better futures.

Kriste Burnett, speaking on behalf of the organization which is led by an Executive Committee including herself, Joy Eaton, Jill Moore, and Barbara Upham, also recognized the Advisory Committee members of Amy Bryan, Beth Buckalew, Lisa Hodgkins, Mandy Woodring, Kay Lynn Bridges, Rita Wade, and Jolly Patel.

“Even though only one will win money today, all three of them have found a new audience through you being here today,” Burnett said.

The event raised $10,400, surpassing its traditional $10,000 goal. Previous winners include:

• Mineral Wells Center of Life (2024)
• Palo Pinto County Meals on Wheels (2023)
• CARE (2022)
• Children’s Alliance (2021)
• Mineral Wells Back Pack Buddies (2020)

*Editors Note: MWAN supports all three of these amazing organizations but wanted to mention the immediate need for ARMS. They have recently refurbished and converted a building on Fort Walters Base into a women and children’s domestic shelter. They cannot open the doors until they repair one final HVAC system which is estimated to cost about $5,000. Financial donations or assistance from a local HVAC company would help get this much needed facility completed. MWAN would love to help connect the shelter with a resource to get the shelter open ASAP. Please reach out to us if you or someone you know can help. My email is asb@mwareanews.com