Area health organizations meet for COPE meeting

Health organizations gathered at Gonzales Community Health Center Tuesday, July 18 for a proposed project.

Debbie Marshall, of Community Health Centers of South Central Texas, had a vision to combine and utilize health resources from Gonzales and the surrounding area.

“Back in December 2022, I wanted to find a way to pull all the resources together that all of us in the community always worked so hard to be able to provide the people,” Marshall said.

That idea became Community Outreach People Empowerment (COPE), and Marshall said COPE wants to provide people of communities that they serve with resources by category that they need.

Categories includes: health care, senior care, child care, housing, finances, dental care and more.

CHCSCTX has been serving the community of Gonzales for more than 56 years, and Marshall wants to expand that with the help of other organizations.

“We wanted to see what we could do beyond the walls of the clinical side of things. how do we help the people of our community with not just the health disparities, but provide them with resources for many other things, being able to improve their quality of life, their mental health, help them with financial, food, and all of everyday challenges.” Marshall said.

At the meeting, Marshall invited several organizations that can put their input what they can to combine resources.

The organizations were Guadalupe Regional Medical Foundation, Bluebonnet Trails, Wesley Nurses, Methodist Ministries, Boy Scouts of America, Noon Lion Club, Victoria College, Volunteers of America, Community Action of South Central Texas, Concordia University of Texas, and Golden Age Home.

Community residents Estela Chapa and Mara Jabsen and Mayor Steve Sucher were in attendance.

“We just continue to grow this program as we find the need to provide a hub for easy access to resources throughout the community for so many different areas of need,” Marshall said.

Even though COPE is in a work in progress, it doesn’t stop the organization from showing their passion on the project.

“We're just really excited to be able to get involved with the communities that we serve and come together. I call this my togetherness program. And that togetherness program is what's gonna make all of us be there for the people and empower the people,” Marshall said.

The hub space for COPE is still in work in progress, and Marshall said they are in the process of looking for funding and support.