Town Lake (TX) Chapter Programs
The Links, Incorporated, is committed to organizing and supporting educational, cultural, and civic activities that enhance our community. Our national programs have provided enriching experiences for youth who are educationally disadvantaged and talented, as well as those who are gifted. Our focal points for 2022-2024 are in three main areas of interests listed below.
RISE (Readiness in Science and Engineering)
RISE (Readiness in Science and Engineering), a STEM program at Bertha Sadler Means Young Women’s Leadership Academy, a Title I middle school in East Austin, that inspires girls to achievement with a robotics competition team and National Society of Black Engineers, Jr. chapter.
The chapter supports the Robotics Team at Bertha Sadler Means Young Women’s Leadership Academy as a part of the Services to Youth Facet’s RISE Program (Readiness in Science & Engineering).
SOAR (Spurring Optimism and Affirming Resilience)
SOAR (Spurring Optimism and Affirming Resilience), a health program, which raises community dialogue about childhood trauma and reduces the suffering of children in our community at critical points of distress and hardship, such as food insecurity during school breaks, court-appointed supervised parent visitations, entry into foster care and refugee arrivals in Austin.
The Town Lake (TX) Chapter provides mentoring to a middle school girl at Bertha Sadler Means Young Women’s Leadership Academy as a part of the chapter’s SOAR Program (Spurring Optimism Affirming Resilience).
The Town Lake (TX) Chapter members received training and certification in Mental Health First Aid to become the first line of support to help a person feel less distressed and be a vital source in helping the person to seek assistance.
Town Lake (TX) Chapter members volunteered and participated in the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Walk, which is the largest mental health awareness event in the Austin area to combat stigma, raise funds and promote awareness of mental illness. Chapter members participated in the walk, raised funds, registered voters, handed out water, and assisted with packing and loading equipment to make the event a success.
RACE (Raising Awareness for Civic Engagement) Program
RACE (Raising Awareness for Civic Engagement) Program – includes all of the voter registration and engagement activities.
Town Lake (TX) Chapter members received training and certification to register voters. We participated in career fairs, walks and gatherings to encourage unregistered voters to register to vote.
Other Chapter Activities
The Town Lake (TX) Chapter is actively involved in many other activities that serve our community. We have a long-standing relationship spanning more than 20 years with the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Texas and the Central Texas Food Bank.
The Town Lake (TX) Chapter volunteers monthly to prepare dinner for the Ronald McDonald families. Each meal, with a minimum of four courses, has a theme and is enough to feed at least twenty families.
The Town Lake (TX) Chapter donates annually a minimun of $15,000.00 to the Central Texas Food Bank and partners with them to provide backpacks filled with nutritious food for children to eat over weekends.