Volunteer Appreciation The Heart Behind the Mission By William Grimes, CEO Every organization has goals. Every organization has programs, plans, and events. But behind every successful mission are people willing to give their time, energy, and heart to something bigger than themselves. At TARS Awareness Texas, our volunteers are the heartbeat of this organization. They are the early mornings before events begin. They are the extra hands during moments of chaos. They are the e

The Strength Within Rare Families May has been a month of reflection. Not just on the work we do as an organization, but on the people at the center of it all — the families who continue to show up every single day with resilience, adaptability, and love that often goes unseen by the outside world. Rare families carry a unique kind of strength. It is not always loud or visible. Sometimes strength looks like advocating through exhaustion. Sometimes it looks like learning compl

The Power of Being Seen April is National TAR Syndrome Awareness Month. And every year, this month brings something deeper than awareness alone — it brings visibility. Not performative visibility. Not temporary attention. But the kind of visibility that reminds people they are not invisible anymore. Over the course of this month, we’ve shared stories, highlighted families, created conversations, organized events, and invited communities to learn more about TAR Syndrome and th

The People Behind the Mission By William Grimes, CEO No organization succeeds on mission alone. It succeeds because of people. At TARS Awareness Texas, our volunteers are not an afterthought. They are not extra help. They are a critical part of how we deliver on our mission every single day. But building a volunteer base is not the goal. Building the right volunteer culture is. ⸻ More Than Just Showing Up Volunteering is often viewed as simply giving time. But at TARS, we exp

Inclusion in Action Inclusion is a word we hear often. It appears in mission statements. It shows up in marketing materials. It’s spoken at events. But inclusion is not a slogan. Inclusion is a decision. At TARS Awareness Texas, we believe inclusion must move beyond awareness and into action. It must be practical, intentional, and measurable. ⸻ What Inclusion Is Not Inclusion is not lowering standards. It is not creating separation under a different label. It is not symbolic

Why Awareness Must Be Ongoing March often feels like preparation. Preparation for awareness campaigns. Preparation for events. Preparation for conversations that need to happen. But this month has reminded me of something important: awareness is not seasonal. It’s not something we turn on in April and turn off in May. It’s not a social media trend or a single campaign. Awareness, at its core, is about visibility that leads to understanding — and understanding that leads to ch

Building for Longevity, Not Emotion Nonprofits are often born from passion. But passion alone does not sustain impact. Emotion may start a movement — but structure sustains it. At TARS Awareness Texas, we are committed to building something that lasts. That requires more than good intentions. It requires governance, discipline, and clarity of responsibility. Many nonprofits struggle not because their mission isn’t worthy, but because they lack clear bylaws , defined board

Learning to Carry the Weight Together! Over the past month, our focus at TARS Awareness Texas has been on one essential question: What does real support look like when it’s built to last? Advocacy work — especially in rare and disability communities — carries weight. Families navigate complex systems, communities work to understand needs they may not have encountered before, and organizations must ensure that support is thoughtful, accessible, and inclusive. What we continue

Why TARS Exists: My Journey to This Moment Before TARS Awareness Texas had a name, it was a feeling—one I couldn’t ignore anymore. It was the feeling that comes when you realize the world is not built for your child. The feeling of sitting in hospital rooms, reading medical language that feels heavy and cold, and wondering why families like mine are expected to navigate everything alone. It was the quiet moments late at night, after advocating all day, when I realized that wh

Welcome to the CEO’s Corner. This week I will discuss Why TARS Exists—and Where We’re Going! This space exists for one simple reason: clarity . Clarity of purpose. Clarity of direction. And clarity around why TARS Awareness Texas does what it does. TARS Awareness Texas was not created to be just another nonprofit. It was created to solve a real problem that too often gets overlooked—providing meaningful, consistent opportunities for children with disabilities and their famil