Today we’d like to introduce you to Griselda Galindo-vargas
Hi Griselda, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Buda’s Brightside was first established over 20 years ago by a parent, Terry Throop due to a need for her own daughter with developmental disabilities. She chose to retire Covid year prior to the beginning of the Pandemic and gave the business to one of the staff that was passionate about caregiving. It was then known as Terry’s Dayhab. Shortly after the business was closed due to lack of funds I was approached by parents to reopen it. As a parent like Ms. Throop I had a need to provide a productive and nurturing space for my child and the friends he had curated over the past few years.
My background as a bilingual special education teacher and a campus administrator as well as entrepreneur provided me the background to re-establish the dayhab program. My own son is 33 year old with autism. We do lots of community based activities within Buda, South Austin and Hays County. We subcontract weekly services of Music therapy, art therapy and Drama. We provide coffee and cookies to first responders.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It’s difficult to find funds. I’ve had to take money from my retirement to keep us operational. Salaries are our biggest cost and in order to have a ratio of 4:1 or 5:1 we need 3+ employees. As the director/CEO I don’t take a salary. My husband’s business helps with monetary donations as do many local businesses and the parents/caregivers as well.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Buda’s Brightside is a nonprofit that serves adults with developmental disabilities. We provide dayhab and independent social skills training. The dayhab was founded by Terry Throop a mother of a daughter with IDD. She started with a handful of young people her daughter’s age and grew in numbers over the years due to need for these services. During Covid year 2019/2020 Terry chose to retire and handed the dayhab to Christina Trevino who brought it out into the community and made it a nonprofit. Unfortunately after COVID it was difficult to maintain due to the constant closings due to possible COVID contamination as most of the clients are immune compromised. It was difficult to financially keep it open. The doors closed on February 2023. Myself, Griselda Galindo-Vargas and several parents in a parent coalition needed something for our children; they were becoming anxious and bored. We called upon the Hays CISD school board and superintendent to help us find a place to start the program again.
In May 2023 we secured a location and in June 2023 we became licensed to operate. We have been able to grow and get a list of clients that have been waiting to join our program. We are paid by the state through third party agencies and the fees are minimal at $30 – $40 per client per day. We have self-paying clients and we leave our costs at $30 per day to help parents’ pocket books. We not only serve the clients but the caregiver/parents as well to ensure they have a respite from caring for their son or daughter. Caregiving is hard work.
We contract with local businesses to provide Music therapy every Tuesday with Music Therapy Solutions that provides internships to local music teachers. We also contract with Inspired Minds to provide art to our clients whom we choose to call friends. We contract with Joshua’s Stage for our friends to have drama and improv class to be able to express themselves better. We also go about the community visiting many local shops to help provide inclusive opportunities for our friends but also for members of our community. We have a great network of support from local businesses. Our nonprofit board is also composed of local business owners and parents.
Our name Buda’s Brightside was created by the friends, although change in management and ownership the name is well known in our local community and surrounding areas. Our friends come from the Hays County, South Austin, San Marcos and surrounding areas in Central Texas.
We serve adults with developmental disabilities from ages 22 to 60+. Our oldest friend is 61 years old currently. We do things that serve their need to be productive or to be in a social group. We all need attention from others and we provide that and more at Buda’s Brightside. Our friends play board games, do puzzles, do simple math problems, memory games and other cognitive activities that helps them with self advocacy such as knowing their name, address, birth date. They learn basic skills knowledge such as colors, numbers, and basic reading skills. We have learned that our friends like routine and having a schedule and themed inspired activities keeps them productive. We have learned that having conversation that is interactional is necessary.
We also have programs imbedded such as STEM, life skills cooking class, financial literacy by keeping a kindness store where friends earn Buda Brightside Bucks for being kind and taking initiative to help others then they shop for donated items we have been given or things we purchase for the store that they are interested in. We have a creator class where we make items and sell at festivals or different markets.
We teach self advocacy skills by visiting our local police and fire departments to take coffee and snacks. Our services are to integrate our friends into the local community and learn and teach life skills to the community. We are very involved with the local area chambers, local business networks and the City of Buda. It all about providing opportunities for each other.
Our friends like competing so we also do Special Olympics Bocce, Bowling and Cycling under the Kyle KnightHawks or Hays Heroes team names in order to collaborate with other nonprofits and allow independent competitors to join a team.
We’re always looking for the lessons that can be learned in any situation, including tragic ones like the Covid-19 crisis. Are there any lessons you’ve learned that you can share?
Yes, we have learned that our friends need to stay productive and connected. When we would close for a week or two everything was fine. During COVID we closed for much longer like everyone else but when we closed due to finances it became more difficult to explain to our children why we could not get together. My son became restless and bored sleeping 12 – 16 hours a day. He prefers to go see his friends than to stay at home. There he is able to socialize and have a routine where he is helpful or can do things with his peers.
Pricing:
- $30 per day
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.budasbrightside.org/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/budasbrightside/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BudasBrightisde
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@budasbrightside9492
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/search?lang=en&q=buda%27s%20brightside&t=1729665382295
Image Credits
We do a photography unit and some of the pictures have been taken by the friends.
