Blog Posts

Happy New Year and welcome to winter in East Texas! Despite the relatively warm New Year’s Day, I have found myself repairing more frozen and broken pipes in the last week than I did during Snowmageddon in 2021. That was some cold front! East Texas weather is...

Thanksgiving cards are starting to arrive at our office so it must be time to gear up for another Turkey Trot! Several years ago a few members of our family were inspired to participate in the Tyler Turkey Trot 5K, held each year on Thanksgiving morning. It’s really a...

Halloween is an occasion that prompts some people in our community to drag out the strangest collection of yard decorations, including turning their yards into cemeteries. I don’t mean to spoil your enjoyment if that is your thing, but I just have too much respect for...

The Mrs. A.D. Francis Endowment Fund awarded grants to three public charities serving the Winnsboro, Texas, area. The fund, held at East Texas Communities Foundation in Tyler, Texas, made grants to the Winnsboro Center for the Arts, Winnsboro Community Resource...

The start of school brings new routines. As children get older, they establish more independence and require less daily oversight and family involvement. Perhaps this year is one of those milestone years in your household that results in more time for you to spend on...

Around East Texas, it would be easy to speculate that the “Dog Days of Summer” is a reference to how dogs survive the August heat. One of the more interesting funds held at East Texas Communities Foundation is a fund for the benefit of the John Wingate Truitt Log...

The solemn celebrations of Memorial Day around East Texas last week were a reminder of the freedoms protected by the sacrifice of hundreds of thousands of members of our military over hundreds of years. The Civil War claimed more lives than any other conflict in U.S....

For some of you, 2021 feels like an eternity behind us. For others it feels like yesterday. The passage of time can be both fleeting and painfully slow depending on how it is used. Giving USA produces an annual report that is released each summer. The report provides...

Graduations and senior awards ceremonies are in full swing in the month of May. Our staff and board members at East Texas Communities Foundation are busy attending awards programs throughout East Texas to honor this year’s graduating seniors. When the dust settles,...

Winter is often a hard period for many people. People tend to stay indoors due to cooler temperatures and have less spontaneous interaction with neighbors while working in the yard or enjoying outdoor activities. On December 21, the shortest day of the year, Tyler...