The community came together to support grandparents raising grandchildren.
SAN ANTONIO — It’s a place where a lot of healing is packed into a tiny parcel. At just over two acres, it’s the kind of refuge where the peaceful call of winds chimes fills the air while children laugh in the distance.
They call it Small Acres Ranch and on a recent sun-kissed afternoon, the compound in northwest San Antonio was alive with happy families who gathered to support one another and be supported by the community.
The local nonprofit Grandparents Raising Grandchildren staged an early Thanksgiving celebration, thanks to generous donors.
Organizers said the event was created by Juvenile Judge William Cruz Shaw.
Shaw told the families who gathered to enjoy the company of therapy animals like goats and horses, games and street tacos that they are to be celebrated for doing the hard job of raising kids when they should be enjoying retirement.
“You are voluntarily stepping up to do a responsibility! You’ve done your time. You should be in Cancun sipping Pina Coladas enjoying life!” Shaw said.
The judge said he is familiar with the group and the important work they do because he sees grandparents all the time from his bench in the 436th District Court.
When youngsters come to court they are shackled with chains at their ankles and wrists. Many of them shake uncontrollably as they await their turn to appear before the judge.
Shaw says many of the kids show up alone and that they have little to no support from their parents.
When children are left to fend for themselves, Shaw says grandparents often step in to fill the gap of caring.
“And the grandparents may be the victim of the offense but they are still there supporting their grandchild and that tells you volumes!” Shaw said. “They are the unknown foster parents. In juvenile court we see them all the time and they’re always struggling to put them in school, get them medical attention, because they are not the parents and they don’t have the legal documentation to oversee and speak for them.”
Calling their dedication amazing, Shaw said keeping kids out of state care is crucial.
“If there are multiple siblings they don’t know where they will end up. This makes sure they all stay together. It’s the importance of unity and family,” Shaw said.
As the holidays approach, Shaw said he thought it was important for the families to feel seen and heard.
“They need resources. A lot of them are retired and they are now raising four or five kids on their own from their retirement. As a community or as a government, how do we support those individuals?” Shaw said.
In addition to support from Small Acres, others joined the aid effort as well.
Volunteers from Tony G’s Soul Food helped with the heavy lifting of delivering boxes with full holiday meals for everyone in attendance.
Speaking for the group, volunteer Joe Linson said, “We thought what better way to show love through food.”
Helping to heft the haul, Linson said “20 pound turkeys. Two pies. Gravy. Dressing. Salad and hot dinner rolls. Enough to feed eight people in a family.”
Linson said being a part of the event and experiencing the emotion from families was a big blessing.
“It’s what God has put on our heart to do and I’m almost speechless, it’s just a labor of love,” Linson said.
A first time visitor to the site, he said it’s important for everyone to know they have community support.
“The parents, some are in jail, so let’s be honest about it. Some got caught up in drugs and things like that but I can feel what they are going through and there is success around the corner,” Linson said.
Linson said it did his heart good to see all the smiles.
“These young people are our future,” he said.
Mercedes Bristol, who founded the support group, told the group “This is the hidden foster care system that we are trying to get support from.”
Bristol said when she found herself in the trenches of raising her own grandchildren, she realized there was a great unmet need for guidance.
“These children and we as grandparents have emotional and trauma ourselves so how do we work through this?” Bristol said, adding she is proud of the advocacy work the group is doing.
“We are creating this program to be able to work on those tools that we need to be able to help these children that are being left behind,” Bristol said.
The group’s website includes information about an upcoming training event November 25.
The post reads: “This series is designed to empower kinship caregivers and grandparents by providing them with practical advocacy tools and in-depth knowledge on key issues. Each session covers critical topics ranging from the importance of advocacy, understanding the legislative process, and addressing public policy matters relevant to education, healthcare, and kinship care in Texas.”
A holiday luncheon is planned for December 5.
As for the recipients of the event, all expressed an overwhelming sense of gratitude.
Grandmother Rebecca Mojica called the gifts a blessing.
“I appreciate everything they do for us There’s a lot of grandparents out there that need help,” Mojica said.
Grandfather Juan Mata called the event “a very great day.”
Grandmother Beverly Morales said “This is an awesome organization and I love it! And my granddaughter loves it!”
Morales said group support makes all the difference.
“First when you get into it you feel like you are all alone. You just feel helpless. This shows how we can come together and be a comfort to each other,” Morales said.