Create Healthy Selects 12 Hill Country Nonprofits for 2026 Fuel to the Fire Initiative

Community donations to participating organizations will be matched up to $25,000 through year-end

Twelve Hill Country nonprofit organizations have been selected to participate in Create Healthy’s 2026 Fuel to the Fire initiative, giving community members an opportunity to make their year-end giving to local organizations go further.

Through its Fuel to the Fire initiative, Create Healthy will match eligible donations raised by each participating nonprofit dollar-for-dollar, up to $25,000 per organization through December 31. The organizations selected this year are addressing needs ranging from food security and senior well-being to early literacy and after-school programming.

“Fuel to the Fire is about bringing people together around the organizations that make our Hill Country communities stronger,” said Jayne Pope, RN, president and CEO of Create Healthy. “These nonprofits know our communities, they understand where the needs are, and they are doing impactful work every day. When a community member chooses to support one of these organizations, Create Healthy has the opportunity to come alongside them and make that gift go even further.”

The 2026 Fuel to the Fire participating organizations and projects include:

• Boys & Girls Club of Comfort – Supporting after-school and summer programming focused on academic achievement, character development, and healthy living for local youth.
• Comfort Golden Age Center – Supporting Aging Well at Comfort, including wellness activities, health education, social connection, and food resources for area seniors.
• Golden Hub Community Center – Supporting Sponsor A Senior, helping provide nutritious meals and social, recreational, and wellness opportunities for older adults in Gillespie County.
• Good Samaritan Center – Supporting charitable medical, dental, and mental health services for low-income, uninsured individuals, along with health education and assistance addressing other barriers to health.
• The Grace Center of Fredericksburg – Supporting services for individuals and families impacted by domestic violence, including crisis intervention, shelter, advocacy, and connections to health and community resources.
• Hill Country Community Needs Council – Supporting efforts to reduce food insecurity among Gillespie County residents.
• Hill Country Mission for Health – Supporting Care Shouldn’t Wait, helping uninsured and underinsured adults in Comfort access healthcare and other essential health services.
• Kingsland Sharing the Harvest – Supporting food security and other assistance for individuals and families in Llano County and surrounding Hill Country communities.
• Mason County Cancer Benefit – Supporting Mason County residents facing the financial and practical challenges of cancer treatment.
• Mason Ministerial Alliance Food Pantry – Supporting Aging with Dignity: Rural Senior Essential Care, providing seniors with essential care items, durable medical equipment, and home safety resources.
• The Salvation Army Fredericksburg – Supporting the Red Kettle Campaign and local assistance efforts, including expanded food support for Gillespie County residents.
• Zonta Club of Fredericksburg – Supporting the Dolly Parton Imagination Library initiative, which provides free books to young children in Gillespie County to encourage early literacy.

The 2026 participants serve communities across Gillespie, Llano, Mason, and Blanco counties and Comfort, with projects aligned with Create Healthy’s strategic priority areas of food security, healthy living, and early childhood development.

2026 marks the fourth year of Fuel to the Fire. Last year, Create Healthy distributed $270,000 in matching funds to 11 nonprofits across the region.

“Whether someone gives $25, $250, or $2,500, they’re choosing to invest in an organization they believe in,” Pope said. “Fuel to the Fire gives us a way to build on that generosity and help local nonprofits enter the new year with more resources to continue serving our communities.”

To learn more about Fuel to the Fire and the 2026 participating organizations, visit CreateHealthy.org/Fuel-to-the-Fire-2026-Organizations.