Knapp Community Care Foundation

07/28/2025

On Wednesday, July 23, 2025, the Knapp Community Care Foundation (KCCF) Board and Staff had the privilege of visiting Valley Nature Center to observe a no-cost special needs camp held in partnership with TEAM MARIO.

Both The Valley Nature Center and TEAM MARIO are valued KCCF grantee partners. TEAM MARIO is dedicated to improving the quality of life for individuals with autism spectrum disorder through education, advocacy, and access to essential resources. The Valley Nature Center supports this mission by offering inclusive, no-cost camps for children with special needs, emphasizing active fun, education, nutrition, health, and community inclusion.

The Strive to Thrive Camp exemplifies the power of collaboration between grantee partners, offering educational experiences designed to ensure that every child, regardless of learning style or ability, has the opportunity to explore, learn, and thrive.🌱

07/21/2025

Please help us spread the word about this funding opportunity from our friends at Hogg Foundation for Mental Health and connect it with organizations that can make the most of it.

Also, the Hogg Foundation’s signature learning event, the Robert Lee Sutherland Seminar will be held in San Antonio on September 8-9, 2025. This FREE, two-day gathering offers valuable learning and networking for small to mid-sized nonprofits, with four focused tracks:

1. Building Partnerships and Collaboration
2. Community Outreach, Engagement, and Well-Being
3. Data and Evaluation
4. Grant Writing and Fund Development

For more info: https://hogg.utexas.edu/mental-health-events/rls-seminar

We’re always glad to share resources that help strengthen the work happening across our communities🌱

Building on community strengths and fostering community-driven solutions in rural and rural border communities to improve mental health.

07/15/2025

Grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with Methodist Healthcare Ministries of South Texas, Inc. and Valley Baptist Legacy Foundation, on an engaging event for the nonprofit sector, including many of our grantees.

The day focused on strategies for fundraising, data-driven storytelling, and upcoming funding opportunities.
The gathering fostered new connections and strengthened our shared commitment to advancing health equity in South Texas.
Thank you to all who participated and continue doing the important work of serving our communities. We are proud to be part of a network that believes in collaboration and collective impact.

07/10/2025

The Children's Bereavement Center Rio Grande Valley and Boys and Girls Club of Weslaco Inc. hosted the Monarch Family Camp, a one-day grief support event on June 28, 2025, aimed at providing comfort, connection, and healing for families coping with the loss of a loved one.

Created as a safe space for grieving families, the camp focused on therapeutic group support and meaningful connection. Each family underwent a screening during the intake process to ensure readiness for this type of healing environment.

A total of nine families (about 50 participants) attended the camp, closely meeting the goal of serving ten families. Ms. Noelynn Llasos, Administrative Manager at the Children’s Bereavement Center, shared: “It is beautiful to witness how attendees use their own pain and grief to uplift others experiencing a loss.”

06/09/2025

We're proud to highlight one of our long-time grantees the South Texas Juvenile Diabetes Association! Their Stomp Out Diabetes program has reached nearly 24,000 elementary students this year, including 3,348 third graders. Through fun activities and lessons on healthy eating and diabetes prevention, children are learning how to live healthier lives. In 2024, third graders more than doubled their knowledge about diabetes jumping from 38% to 78% in test scores after the program!

Thank you, STJDA, for your dedication and continued impact across our region! 💙

Check out more of the details in their impact report!

06/09/2025

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06/04/2025

🌱Essential resources as organizations navigate the current landscape.

Find out what we are hearing from the sector and unlock the full potential of your nonprofit board.

05/23/2025

The passing of Bobby Calvillo has left a deep and shared sense of sorrow across our community, a reflection of the remarkable life he led. More than a grantee, colleague, or friend, Bobby was a steadfast servant leader whose quiet strength and compassion touched countless lives. With humility and purpose, he dedicated himself to opening doors for those too often unseen. He didn’t just imagine a better world, he worked to build it, always with kindness, vision, and an unwavering belief in human dignity.

On behalf of the Knapp Community Care Foundation Board of Directors and staff, we extend our heartfelt condolences to Bobby’s family and the AHSTI team. We are forever grateful for his life and leadership.

With a heavy heart, we share the loss of our beloved CEO, Bobby Calvillo, who has joined our Lord and Savior. Bobby wasn’t just a leader; he was a mentor, a friend, and a guiding light for all of us. His heart, filled with compassion and unwavering dedication to our community, touched so many lives.

Though our hearts are broken, we promise to carry on his work and continue to serve the families and the people he cared for so deeply. Bobby's legacy will live on in every life we touch, in every home we help create, and in the spirit of community that he built.

We will keep sailing this ship, with his memory as our guiding star. Rest in peace, Bobby. You will forever be in our hearts. 💔🙏

05/13/2025

Nonprofits are encouraged to stay abreast of critical resources that support their sustainability and preparedness, especially in times of financial disruption. The National Council of Nonprofits offers a valuable checklist titled "What to Do When Your Federal Grant or Contract is Terminated", which provides practical guidance for navigating unexpected funding changes. Staying informed through trusted tools like this ensures that organizations are better equipped to respond strategically during times of uncertainty.

Access the checklist here:

Some initial steps that nonprofits should engage in when they learn that their federal grant or contract is terminated by a federal agency.

05/07/2025

Knapp Community Care Foundation is thrilled to partner with Methodist Healthcare Ministries and the Aspen Global Innovators Group to bring the Healthy Communities Fellows program to the Rio Grande Valley! We are especially honored to support two outstanding local leaders, Jorge Rodriguez, Director of the Buckner Family Hope Center, and Monica Hernandez Sanchez, CEO of Behavioral Health Solutions of South Texas through this prestigious fellowship.

The program invests in leaders across the U.S. who are advancing health and well-being. Jorge and Monica’s participation reflects a broader effort to elevate local leadership in community health, and we’re proud to help make it possible alongside healthcare ministries Methodist Healthcare Ministries.

Jorge Rodriguez recently met with the KCCF Board of Directors to share an overview of his engagement with the program and discuss the meaningful impact this opportunity has for him and the Rio Grande Valley community.

Meet all the Fellows and learn more about the program: https://www.aspenglobalinnovators.org/stories/2025-class-of-healthy-communities-fellows/

04/29/2025

Last Friday, Knapp Community Care Foundation’s Board of Directors visited Sauceda Middle School (Donna ISD) to learn more about Teach For America Rio Grande Valley’s Ignite Program, now active in both Donna ISD and Edcouch-Elsa ISD!

Through mentorship and academic support, Ignite is helping students strengthen critical skills, explore future pathways, and advance education, opportunity, and long-term health outcomes in our communities.

Teach For America’s Ignite Program is delivered through two models:
• At Sauceda Middle School (Donna ISD), college mentors guide 8th graders as they explore college and career pathways.
• At David Ybarra Middle School (Edcouch-Elsa ISD), college mentors provide small-group math tutoring to help 6th graders strengthen their academic skills.

At Knapp Community Care Foundation, we believe investing in education is investing in health and in the future.

04/23/2025

A heartfelt thank you to Knapp Community Care Foundation for selecting the Rio Grande Council this year. Through your grant awarding, we were able to purchase three new AED’s for Camp Perry, BSA. These three new systems will continue to provide life-saving support in the case of an emergency for our scouts and anyone visiting our property. We now have 6 AED’s on property.