DSCF provides grant to education foundation

The Dripping Springs Community Foundation presented a $3,000 grant to the Dripping Springs Education Foundation in support of their mental health initiative for DSISD teachers and faculty on April 4.

“I’m very pleased to present this check today,” DSCF President Robert Musgrove said. “This is exactly the type of program I wanted to support when I became president of DSCF. It’s also a step away from our typical grants, which are typically brick and mortar. This grant is specific to providing a much-needed service to a vital component of our Dripping Springs community- our schools.”

While the DSISD had mental health resources in place for students, this new initiative is specifically aimed at providing mental health services to faculty and staff through the hiring of a dedicated mental health professional.

“Thanks to our community, and in partnership with DSISD, DSEF is committed to funding a mental health professional dedicated to servicing our teachers and staff,” DSEF Executive Director Audrey Pendergrass said. “We could not do this without philanthropic support from our community, so we’re very grateful for this gift from DSCF. We have partnered with a professional at the Samaritan Center here in Dripping Springs to provide these services and [the mental health professional] is expected to take on a caseload of about 30 patients at a time.” DSEF Assistant Director Amy Embrey chimed in: “While there were other [mental health] resources for DSISD staff, we saw the need to have a dedicated individual who could provide services to our staff on a regular basis... We have already heard great feedback from the staff who have used the service that it has been life changing. Having this person readily available for staff has increased access to care, and has removed financial barriers and time constraints to seeking mental health support.”

Pendergrass said the new mental health initiative complemented DSEF’s other studentled and teacher-led programs.

“These programs each serve our mission of providing more students with better opportunities in DSISD,” she added.

Likewise, Musgrove said mental health initiatives are a priority for DSCF. “When I took over as president of DSCF, mental health was one of my top three priorities. We recently provided separate grant money directly to the Samaritan Center, which provides licensed professional counseling in trauma, recovery, anxiety, and codependency.”

“In a sense we serve as a triage, identifying the areas in which the community needs the most help,” he explained. “That makes us unique. We’re not tied to one specific cause or area. We help the needs of Dripping Springs’ underserved.”

Musgrove said his other two priorities were addressing hunger in the community and senior services.

The Dripping Springs Community Foundation recently announced a 2023 fundraising drive to increase its support of local charities due to rising community needs. For more information, visit dscommunityfoundation. org or contact DSCF President Robert Musgrove directly at (612) 390-1242 or at musgrove49_49@msn. com.

Dripping Springs Community Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated solely to charitable works in the Dripping Springs area. Contributions are tax deductible.