Published: August 06, 2008 11:58 pm      

Group really 'CARES' for Wolfe City

WOLFE CITY — Wolfe City CARES Incorporated (Community Alliance for Restoration and Economic Services) is in the process of creating a full-service community center for Wolfe City.

CARES is a non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation registered with the State of Texas and the IRS. It was created in March 2006 and has since strived to provide financial and managerial assistance to the organizations it sponsors, as well as to Wolfe City.

“It’s kind of an umbrella corporation that assists in funding, management and writing grants for various organizations,” W. Kelly Wood, president and creator of CARES said.

Wood is retired from TXU Electric and is very involved in the community.

He has served two to two-and-a-half terms as president of the Wolfe City Chamber of Commerce, has worked as a friend of the library, and with youth’s sports association to try to raise funds.

He has also worked with economic development in an attempt to bring more business to Wolfe City, and is currently the volunteer building inspector.

“As you can see, I’m quite active in trying to help the community to improve,” said Wood.

Wood’s baby — CARES — is focused on helping to provide economic development, youth and community programs, historical preservation, and community improvements, and since its birth in 2006, CARES Inc. has provided support for more than 23 projects and programs in the community, with another eight in the works.

The Henington family has donated the old Henington Publishing Company building in downtown Wolfe City to house the center. The building is 55,000 square feet and will contain the food pantry, an adult day care, after-school programs, a community auditorium, offices for community services, and the Wolfe City Museum, just to name a few.

“The building is going to be a multi-function facility,” Wood said.

According to him, the food pantry is quickly running out of room to store their food products, and have items stored all over town, wherever they could get space. Therefore, they will be receiving a large portion of the building.

“It’s going to be in the neighborhood of 12,000 to 14,000 square feet,” said Wood. “This will give them a permanent home with easy access for the disabled, to comply with the needs of the food pantry.”

“We’ve got a lot of work to be done,” Wood said with a sigh. “The first major hurtle is a roof repair for the entire building.”

Wood is in the process of searching for any private or corporate donations that would assist them in jumping this first hurtle.

He recently met with USDA representatives four weeks ago, and feels confident they will be receiving a grant from them, the maximum of which is $50,000.

“Of course, we’ll go for the full $50,000,” he said.

Wolfe City CARES just accepted the building donation from the Henington family, so the search for grants has only recently begun.

“We had to look at all the issues such as liabilities, and whether or not the funding would be there, and would we be able to afford the daily operations,” said Wood. “It looks like we are going to have it.”

“We want this to be a place where everyone can gather,” said Wood. “The community room will seat more than 200. We hope to have a stage so we can have community theater, which we haven’t had in a very long time.”

The center will also house an adult daycare center, where elderly and disable individuals can come in and partake of congregate meals, socialize, play cards or dominoes, or just watch some television.

“We have a lot of people who can’t afford to run their air conditioning and heating units,” Wood said. “This will give them a place where they can come and spend part of the day in an air conditioned environment.”

The center is also planning an adult-supervised club for the youth of Wolfe City. It will have neon lights and a back alley entrance to generate the feel of a real club. It will open in the afternoons — Monday through Thursday — and on Friday and Saturday it will stay open later.

“It’ll be a gathering place for the youth instead of the parking lot of the convenience store,” said Wood. “We have great plans for it.”

The youth that he has talked to are very excited about the club, and are even getting involved in its inception. Wood is encouraging them to take “ownership” of the club and run with it.

“They want to be a part of getting it put together,” he said. “They want to help fix it up, clean it up, and get it started.” Wood is looking for donations of booths — like the kind found in fast food restaurants — tables and chairs, pool tables, and stereo systems.

“This is just the beginning of the needs we have in that area,” he said.

CARES is very ambitious, and hopes to join with MHMR and HMHD to provide health and exercise programs for the elderly.

“Wolfe City has so many needs, and this facility has made it possible to provide all of these services under one roof,” Wood said of the new and upcoming community center.

“This is about community. The community will be the ones to make it happen, we’re just here to help them,” Wood said of himself and CARES.