July 2011

New LINK Transit Bus Dedicated at Community Ribbon Cutting Ceremony

Members from Workforce Solutions for the Heart of Texas, Waco Transit, Falls Community Hospital & Clinic, TSTC, the Council of Governments, the Metropolitan Planning Organization, and the City of Marlin gathered at a ribbon cutting ceremony on June 22 to commemorate the new LINK transit bus dedicated to LINK, a transit service that connects residents of Riesel, Marlin, Chilton, Golinda and Robinson to Waco and all nine Waco Transit routes.

LINK, formerly known as 6 To Success, has provided access to employment, education, and recreation with more than 45,000 passenger trips over the last four years. “January was a record month with 1,996 passenger trips and we are proud to announce that we are on pace to have a record-breaking year,” says Willis Reese, member of the Heart of Texas Workforce Development Board, Inc. and partner in the project.

Since not having a vehicle or a ride is a barrier to getting and keeping a job and to attending college or job training, the Heart of Texas Workforce Development Board, Inc. partnered with Waco Transit to find a solution. With support and partnership with public and private agencies, the Workforce Board was able to secure a grant from the Texas Department of Transportation to partially fund a low-cost, reliable public transportation service to connect residents of Falls and McLennan counties to educational and employment opportunities. Partners in the project contribute either cash or in-kind contributions to help fund the service. Partners include Sanderson Farms, MCC, TSTC, Falls Community Hospital & Clinic, Citizens State Bank, Texas Star Bank, First State Bank, Members Choice, Jimi Lynn’s State Farm Insurance, Denton B. Lessman, Restoration Haven, Inc., EOAC Community Programming, Communities in Schools, and the cities of Marlin, Rosebud, Waco and Riesel.

Bus passes for the LINK service are $40 per month or $3 per day and can be purchased at Marlin City Hall, Waco Transit, TSTC and MCC. High School students and recent graduates can purchase summer passes for $30 that are good through August 31, 2011.

There have been many changes to the service over the last four years that have made LINK better for customers, such as lowered fairs and route changes to include more communities. “We are excited to rename the service which we believe sends a clearer message about its purpose,” explains Reese, “LINK is your link to jobs, college and recreation.”

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Local Child Care Center Directors Graduate from Taking Charge of Change Leadership Development Program

Five local child care directors graduated from the Taking Charge of Change Leadership Program in June at a graduation ceremony held at the Hilton Garden Inn in Temple.

Developed by the McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership 19 years ago, the Taking Charge of Change (TCC) Leadership Development Program is a 9-month comprehensive program for improving the quality of early childhood care and education. “These Child Care Directors were chosen to participate in the TCC program because of their commitment to improving the quality care and education of young children and their participation in the Texas Rising Star Certification Program,” explains Tamera Carter with Workforce Solutions Child Care Services.

All participants in the program receive approximately 100 professional development hours and up to nine college credit hours. A unique feature of the program is the assignment of a mentor to each participant. The Mentors meet with the Child Care Directors at their centers and work with them to develop and implement a Program Improvement Plan to better the quality of the education and care provided to the children. Additionally, the staff at the child care centers received quality training. “The training offered to our staff really gave caregivers knowledge that can be taken to the classroom,” said Kathy Philyaw, Director of Bosque Oaks Early Care and Education Center. “Each session was led by folks who have actually worked in the field and understand what caregivers must do to offer quality care for young children.”

Workforce Solutions for the Heart of Texas, Workforce Solutions for Central Texas, Temple Community College, McLennan Community College and Raising Texas all partnered to bring this new program to the region and involved 17 Child Care Center Directors from both the Heart of Texas and Central Texas Workforce Development areas in the first cohort. Efforts to support a second cohort are currently underway.

Pat Summers, Little Cougar, Inc. in China Spring; Misty Gipson, Aunt Rosie’s in Mexia; Tamera Carter, Workforce Solutions Child Care Services; Hilda Courtney, Oaklawn Baptist Children’s Center in Waco. Not pictured: Kathy Philyaw, Bosque Oaks Early Care and Education in Bosqueville, and Debbie Miller, Waco Child Development Center.

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Free Tax Prep Services Net Over $5 Million in Refunds

This tax season, like previous tax season’s, Workforce Solutions for the Heart of Texas partnered with the Asset Building Coalition (ABC) of Waco as a means of helping to spread the word about the Free Tax Preparation program that is offered in our area.

Having a free tax preparation program in our area not only positively impacts our region but also provides many benefits to the low-to-moderate income taxpayer. The free tax preparation program benefits the taxpayer that is on temporary assistance; it benefits the taxpayer that has suffered a job loss and is unemployed; and it benefits that taxpayer that is eligible for the Earned Income Tax Credit, a credit that the taxpayer may not know how to take advantage of.

While free tax preparation is a monetary benefit to taxpayers, the peace of mind that comes with having qualified, professional, and caring tax preparers who complete and file one’s taxes is a huge benefit to many as well.

A grant from the U.S. Small Business Administration helped to increase our marketing outreach within McLennan and Falls counties.  Through our marketing efforts, we were able to spread the word to low and moderate income working individuals and families about not missing out on the opportunities of filing for free and from taking advantage of the credits that they are eligible for.

Workforce Solutions for the Heart of Texas is proud to be a part of the Asset Building Coalition of Waco - coalition that includes AARP Tax-Aide, A.J. Moore Academy, Baylor University’s Hankamer School of Business and NeighborWorks Waco.  Through this partnership and equipped with the message of “It’s Your Money – Get Your FULL Refund”, total tax returns completed this tax season numbered 3,333 for total refunds of $5,136,982.

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UPCOMING EVENT: Texas Small Business Forum – Waco Regional Conference

August 9, 2011
8:00am – 3:00pm
Waco Convention Center
FREE Registration Deadline: August 2, 2011
Click here for more information

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