HCWC Celebrating 40 Years Serving Local Victims Of Abuse And Annual Auction

A call came in from the Sheriff’s Office looking for a safe place for a woman who was found walking from Kyle to San Marcos with one broken arm and her baby in the other arm. She had been violently attacked…

In 1978, a group of local women met for brown bag lunches to discuss women’s issues to help women become independent and resilient when women were first entering the workforce.

Early classes were self-help topics such as self-defense and car repair. This group initially called Hays County Women’s Center, quickly evolved into something deeper as local community needs became evident.

A call came in from the Sheriff’s Office looking for a safe place for a woman who was found walking from Kyle to San Marcos with one broken arm and her baby in the other arm. She had been violently attacked by her husband and walked all the way to San Marcos from Kyle. 

After receiving medical treatment, she needed somewhere safe to go. They made phone calls and arranged for her to return to her family and quickly realized more needed to be done.

It wasn’t too long after, San Marcos Police Department officers started calling for help developing protocols for sexual assault cases and helping victims of sexual assault.

The Hays County Women’s Center had few resources with an early budget of $250 and little knowledge on how to run a shelter or a rape crisis center.

These brave women volunteered their time and energy to formally begin offering family violence and sexual assault services by writing grant proposals and offering services to local victims.

HCWC opened one of the original six family violence shelters to receive state funding and one of the original ten sexual assault programs in the state.

Then in 1997, HCWC board members decided that the next programming needed was the children’s advocacy center model to work on behalf of victims of child abuse.

HCWC Board Member, Roxanne McKimmey worked tirelessly, along with HCWC staff, to gather all the necessary components for this new model that required partnership with all local law enforcement agencies, child protective services, court appointed special advocates and district attorney’s offices in both Hays and Caldwell County.

After many months of work, Roxanne McKimmey passed away unexpectedly and Roxanne’s House was named in her memory, as an everlasting sign of her commitment to local children.

After several years of growth in services, HCWC board members started the first Annual Auction held at the Crystal River Inn in 1985 hosted by Mike and Cathy Dillon and raised about $4,000 for HCWC. 

The early auctions were called “Great Escapes” and board members started the tradition of doing everything from collecting items to preparing the wine and cheese refreshments. Hundreds of hours are poured into this event still by volunteer board members who continue to work on behalf of the thousands of victims served by HCWC.

This year’s annual auction is Saturday, May 5th at 6:00 pm at Texas State’s LBJ Student Center Ballroom. The Annual Auction will have a silent and live auction, a delicious BBQ dinner by Black’s BBQ, raffles, games and entertainment.

Tickets are $35 and available for purchase by visiting our website hcwc.org or contacting us at 512-396-3404. We invite you to join us in celebrating 40 years of advocacy, shelter, counseling and education in Hays and Caldwell counties.

The Hays-Caldwell Women’s Center has a 40-year history of serving women, men and children in Hays and Caldwell Counties who are victims of family violence, dating violence, sexual assault and child abuse.

All HCWC services are free and confidential. For more information please visit www.hcwc.org or call (512) 396-HELP.