We catalyze initiatives and form partnerships to address critical needs and cultivate wholeness across San Antonio.
According to Census Bureau data, 75% of low-income families move above the federal poverty line within four years, but half the households slip back under within five years. UpTogether is championing a nationwide movement where every person is recognized for their strengths and contributions and have what they need to thrive. We partnered with UpTogether to expand their work into San Antonio. Today, UpTogether is supported by the City of San Antonio and a range of local funders, including Methodist Health Ministries and the San Antonio Area Foundation, in addition to support from Google.org.
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, 53% of people struggling with anxiety, depression, and other issues associated with mental wellness will reach out to a pastor for help rather than to a psychiatrist or a doctor. We have prepared two reports on this topic and have partnered with Pathways to Hope, which continues to do good work in this area. Our first report partnered with the Meadows Foundation to explore the role of faith-based organizations in mental health in San Antonio. Then, in the fall of 2018, the Foundation partnered with 13 San Antonio-area Christian congregations and a research team at the University of Texas-San Antonio to study how churches respond to members of their congregations who might be experiencing mental health problems.
The Foundation forms partnerships and and strategies for new approaches to reducing mental health stigma, pre-crisis interventions, and shifting traditional youth serving institutions toward a climate that promotes mental wellness. We are currently a part of a collaborative pilot known as BaseCampus with Communities in Schools—San Antonio and Clarity Child Guidance Center. The project is designed to test the validity of hands-on in person and virtual coaching with teachers and administrators coupled with an online coaching tool that provides professional training and self care to improve classroom climate and the overall student wellbeing.
Special Initiatives are driven by the Office of the President in our San Antonio office at 140 West Sunset Road, San Antonio, TX 78209. For inquiries, please call us at 830-315-9240 or contact Perri Rosheger.
Vice President of Community Engagement and Communications
prosheger@hebfdn.org | 830-315-9240
Perri joined the H. E. Butt Foundation in 2004 as Director of Development to increase public support of capital projects and program scholarships. Since then, she has also been instrumental in revamping our guest care services, spearheading a major rebranding effort, and most recently, integrating several initiatives and strategies into the Foundation’s new Community Engagement program.
In that role, Perri runs a multi-year capacity-building incubator for leaders of like-minded youth and family serving nonprofits in San Antonio. Her program also conducts research, pilots initiatives, and invests in media and storytelling that lets us better understand the lives of our neighbors.
Before working for the Foundation, Perri served as Vice President of Development for San Antonio’s SAMMinistries. She also served as Associate Director of Development for the Medical College of Wisconsin. Perri graduated from Texas Tech University Human Development and Family Studies, and received her performance measurement certificate from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Executive Education in 2016. Perri lives in Boerne with her family.
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Community Engagement
