HAYS COUNTY — For nearly 20 years, Lisa Adams has been working on helping members of the community in Hays County — from hospice patients to veterans and their families — and now, the state of Texas has recognized her for her contributions. At the Kyle Chamber of Commerce “Lunch with Leaders; Their Impact on Our Communities” luncheon held on Tuesday, June 26, Adams was recognized by the Office of the Texas Governor with the Yellow Rose of Texas Award, which is an honorary commission conferred by Gov. Abbott to Texas women for exceptional community service. “I was really caught off guard. I did not expect this whatsoever when they said my name … I was very honored to receive this very honorable award from the state of Texas that's signed by the governor,” said Adams, who is the CEO of Hats Off For Veterans. “I'm truly grateful because 20 years of hard work, it's not really hard work, it's what I want to do. I don't do it for the recognition I do because not only can I throw a good party, but how fun is it when you can throw a party for your entire community. A lot of people come to support that cause and you're doing something good out of it.” Hats Off For Veterans is a nonprofit organization committed to providing financial assistance to veterans across the state of Texas who are pursuing their higher education degree, as well as supporting professional development for those seeking certification or licensure in skilled trades. “Sometimes you have a military person who retires in their 40s and decides to go to college, and although they have the G.I. Bill, the G.I. Bill doesn't pay for your car payment, rent and things like [that]. We want to alleviate as much stress on the veteran as they're transitioning or are going into getting their first degree as best as we can. And the other part of our mission is not everybody wants to go to college and so, they want to go get an apprenticeship with a skilled trade or they want to focus on their professional development towards work. Instead of going to college, you can become a welder, electrician or a plumber. But what makes us unique is that for us, we recognize a skilled trade as anyone who is doing something that's their source of income whether you’re a bartender, realtor, musician, artist [or] a chef … We want to help as much as we can financially for that veteran to work towards that skill trade and we don't want them to feel like what they do is any better or less than any other job.” The inspiration surrounding Hats Off For Veterans came from when Adams was working for the hospice care program at Central Texas Medical Center in San Marcos. From 2005 to 2016, she helped CTMC with its long-time fundraiser, titled Hats Off For Hospice, that helped fulfill end-of-life wishes for local hospice patients. “Some of the wishes that I remember that make me smile to this day, and I still have pictures of, [was when] we sent a gentleman up in a hot air balloon. He was like 88 years old, I think, and he always wanted to go in a hot air balloon. We canceled 14 times because of the weather, but he was so patient and when we finally got to do it, it was such a beautiful day,” Adams explained. Following her time at CTMC, Adams started working for an association that hired her to help with its veterans employment program — knowing that she needed to put on a fundraiser in her new capacity, she thought, “Why reinvent the wheel?” “I went back to all my sponsors from the hospital and said, ‘Look, I want to put on the same fundraiser, but the only difference is, I want to help veterans.’ I'm a military brat, I'm an Army brat,” she said. “When I say I'm an Army brat, I'm a traditional, 18 years overseas on military bases and I didn’t come to the United States really until I came to college.” Then, in 2017, after further discussion with sponsors and partners, it was agreed that Hats Off For Hospice would become Hats Off For Veterans Inc., also known as Operation: Hats Off for Veterans. And it became an official nonprofit organization in 2023. Adams said that her goal for Hats Off For Veterans is to give out as many scholarships and grants as possible to help veterans. But she is setting her eyes on an even bigger dream. “My dream is for Texas to be recognized as the national headquarters for Hats Off For Veterans, but I'd love to have a chapter in every state. I know that there are a lot of programs out there helping veterans with PTSD, mental health and wellness [and] family support. When you have scholarships and grants out there for veterans, they're really having to compete also against all those other students who are not veterans,” she said. “Like, if you're a student at Texas State University and there's a scholarship and you're a veteran, sure, you might be able to click a little check mark on that application that says you're a veteran, but you still have to compete against a Texas State student who's maybe just straight out of high school, a freshman in college. You're 40 years old, but you can't get that scholarship because they got it. We strictly [say] you have to be a veteran to receive our awards, so they don't have to compete against anyone but other veterans.” According to Adams, the fundraisers would not be possible without the support from three main sponsors: Kent Black (Black’s BBQ), Larry Kruzie (Texas Old Town) and Texas Oncology San Marcos. She also thanked the volunteers, community supporters and veterans who have been there along the way. “We could not do it without our volunteers and our community supporters and we couldn't do it without our sponsors. I really want to do a shout out to Texas Old Town, Black’s BBQ — and when I say Black’s BBQ, I mean Kent Black himself. He has supported this event since the beginning — and of course, Texas Oncology San Marcos, [as well]” she said. “We want to thank all of our veterans for their service. They pay the biggest price of all. They sacrifice their personal life so we can have our freedoms and I appreciate that. So, this is my way of giving back.” Donations are needed to fuel the operations behind the nonprofit, Adams said. The organization is having its next event coming up from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 4; the Krug Activity Center in Kyle is going to be transformed into the Great Hall for the Harry Potter Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry Fall Dinner. To learn more about Hats Off For Veterans, apply for scholarships, send monetary donations or to purchase tickets for the fall dinner, visit
www.ohofv.org/home .
Most Popular
Comments / 0