Our mission is to build a bridge between racial, cultural, educational, and economic divisions within the community.
Our mission is to build a bridge between racial, cultural, educational, and economic divisions within the community.
June Message From the Board of Directors
We start June with grateful hearts. The capital campaign is off to a great start thanks to individual, church and corporate donors who responded to our April mail-out. As of May 31, 2021, donations had reached $21,866.71. We are truly blessed to have your support.
Currently, we are selling Bush’s Chicken meal dinner tickets for $10; half of the proceeds are dedicated to our capital campaign. In mid-June we will start selling raffle tickets for our “Let’s Dine Out” raffle. See the newsletter articles below for more details on both of these capital campaign activities. Thank you to everyone who has already purchased meal tickets and hope that more of you will do so before Sunday, June 20.
Camp Hope, our two-week day camp, starts June 7 and area campers are so excited about science projects, arts and crafts, canoeing, swimming, Bible-themed activities, worship, and the all-important water balloon fight. We are fortunate to have Deacon Cindy Robles, Jeanette Shepherd, Jolene Wickel, Carolyn Thiemer and Tonja Scheer providing leadership, along with dozens more hard-working volunteers. Our wonderful partner churches are ready to provide lunches for our campers and staff.
Finally, we want to recognize the dedicated volunteer drivers who deliver hot meals to our homebound seniors every Friday. Pat Ahlhardt, Thelma Doppelhammer, Cindy Lyles, Lois Mooney, and Gloria Niday arrive every Friday at 11 a.m. to help package and then deliver meals to 33 homebound neighbors. Nothing prevents them from making deliveries (except the Polar Vortex when we couldn’t prepare meals). They deliver in the rain, cold, heat and the COVID-19 pandemic. They never question the need to continue this ministry. Our homebound neighbors and Burton Bridge Ministry appreciate your commitment and caring spirit.
Bridge Ministry of Burton, Texas Board of Directors
Bill Comiskey, Treasurer
Barbara Donnelly, Secretary
Ivenus Garcia, Vice President
Madeline Johnson, President
Pastor Marcus Snowden
Bush’s Chicken Meal Fundraiser
Who doesn’t love Bush’s Chicken? Purchase a meal ticket by June 20 from The Corner Shoppe, Hair Depot, or one of our participating partner churches. Then mark your calendars to visit Bush’s Chicken in Brenham on June 24, 25 or 26. Thank you for supporting our building fund!
“Let’s Dine Out Raffle” Fundraiser
Take a look at all the generous restaurants that are participating in our “Let’s Dine Out” raffle fundraiser. (As of 6/1/2021.)
Lone Star Southern Grill
Applebee's Grill and Bar
JW's Steakhouse LLC
Mariachi's Mexican Restaurant
Pizzaiolo's Pizza
Smitty's Cafe and Bakery
Blue Willow Cafe LLC
On Deck Restaurant
Royers Pie Haven
Los Cabos Mexican Grill and Steak House
White Horse Tavern
Nathan's BBQ
Pioneer Smokehouse
Sealand Seafood and Steak
Teague's Tavern
Brenham Grill
Brazos Belle Restaurant
Dairy Bar
Las Americas Latin Cuisine
Los Patrones Mexican Grill
Manuel's Mexican Restaurant and Taqueria
Must Be Heaven Sandwich Shoppe
Neon Moon Coffee
Purchase 1 chance for $5 or 3 chances for $10. Winning tickets will be drawn on July 22, 2021 at the Board of Directors meeting, and proceeds benefit Bridge Ministry of Burton, Texas’ capital campaign. Thank you so much!
Turning a (Food) Desert Into an Oasis
We came upon a vintage advertisement in the History of Burton by Annie Maud Knittel Avis. Published more than 100 years ago and featuring stores like Moore & Parker, Hons & Summers, Wickes & Moskowitz and Chas. C. Burns & Co., it’s easy to see that Burton was once home to all types of merchants. We could buy just about anything we wanted or needed: lumber, hats, groceries, farming supplies, cotton, and wool. We lost valuable job opportunities when those stores closed, and now buying necessary items means a trip to Brenham or Giddings or — even worse — Houston or Austin.
In planning our capital campaign, Bridge Ministry of Burton, Texas has prioritized the opening of a Client Choice Food Pantry. We want to make fresh produce available to Burton neighbors, and we want to protect both our volunteers and clients from inclement weather (a mobile food pantry is never fun in the middle of July or during a torrential downpour).
By becoming a partner of record with the Brazos Valley Food Bank, Burton Bridge Ministry will be able to access wholesale prices and purchase food for just 22 cents a pound. Compare that with this week’s prices at H-E-B: grapes for $4.10/lb., chicken for $4.93/lb., and ground beef for $4.01/lb. Becoming a partner agency is a smart business strategy that harnesses the power of wholesale buying and keeps prices low through the time and talent of dozens of dedicated volunteers and pantry clients.
The Client Choice Food Pantry will serve many senior citizens as well as area families based on income: a single person household earning $23,606 or less (or $11.35/hour), a two person household earning $31,894 or less, a family of four earning $48,470 or less, or a family of eight earning $81,622 or less (for example).
The Burton Chamber of Commerce, the Mayor’s Office and Market Realty have done a wonderful job paving the way for new businesses to come to Burton.
We want area businesses to succeed. Thriving commerce creates jobs so that the underemployed or jobless can lift themselves out of their current circumstances, it brings tax revenue into the city, and it encourages tourism and population growth. Businesses need to be able to hire good workers to prosper. We believe that by offering affordable groceries to qualifying neighbors that it can help to close the gap between household income and expenses.
Senior Fellowship and Dining Continues
There’s no need for FOMO (fear of missing out). Never miss a day of fun when it comes to our Senior Fellowship and Meal at St. John’s United Church of Christ, 516 North Colorado. Just call 979-337-3370 by the Tuesday before the Friday and let us know you’re coming (and how many are in your party). Games and fellowship are from 10 a.m. to noon, BINGO begins at 11 a.m., and we serve lunch from noon to 12:30 p.m. The recommended donation is $4.
Not ready to mingle? That’s OK, too; just let us know you’re driving through.
Upcoming Menus:
June 4: Pork roast, sweet potatoes, mixed greens, dinner rolls
June 11: Creamy Cajun chicken with pasta, salad, bread (On Deck)
June 18: Taco lasagna, Mexican corn, chips (White Horse Tavern)
June 25: Manicotti Italian casserole, salad, garlic bread
If you’re 55+ or have health issues that require you to stay home, let one of our volunteers deliver a hot meal to you each Friday at no charge. Call team leader Pat Ahlhardt at 979-421-0972 for more information. Our delivery area is limited to Burton.
Time, Talent and Treasure
Burton Bridge Ministry’s website has been redesigned so that it’s responsive, which means it can be viewed from any device, even a smart phone. Stop by and explore ways to serve (volunteering), ways to give, and to learn about all of the wonderful things we are doing in Burton. Did you know that last year more than 168 volunteers devoted 5,147 service hours in our community? Visit burtonbridgeministry.org.
Let’s Hear It For the Red, White and Blue
The Corner Shoppe is all decked out for Independence Day, so stop by for 4th of July decor items and more.
The first weekend of the month brings oh-so-fab savings on clothing, the second weekend features discounted shoes, and don’t forget that we also sell furniture through Facebook Marketplace. Look for Burton and if the seller is board member Barbara Donnelly then you’ve found our virtual store.
The Corner Shoppe • 601 N. Main, Burton, Texas
Open 10 a.m.-3 p.m., Thursdays-Saturdays
Facebook.com/burtoncornershoppe
Bridge Ministry of Burton, Texas • 12607 W. Washington or by mail at P.O. Box 68, Burton, Texas 77835
burtonbridgeministry.org • burtonbridgeministry@gmail.com • 979-337-3370