For Frances Long, there was no better call to service in life than that of teaching young children. They gravitated toward her and she to them.
She taught in public school for more than 30 years, and was married to the Rev. Jessie A. Long, who preceded her in death, for 33 years. After she passed in February of 2020, her good friend Parris Cheney set about establishing the Frances Long Fund, as per Frances’ wishes.
The fund at New Braunfels Community Foundation was created to benefit and improve the quality of life in New Braunfels and Comal County in perpetuity. Specifically, the fund was established to support the following local charitable causes:
Outreach programs for children;
Programs for women or men who are victims for abuse; and/or
Charitable entities specifically engaged in benefitting quality of life in New Braunfels and the Comal County area.
Former NBCF Board Members Mary Jane Nalley and David Pfeuffer, who both rolled off the board in December, were asked to select the 2021 nonprofit grant recipients in honor of Frances.
“What better way to acknowledge their hard work and dedication than to have them select nonprofit grant recipients that are close to their hearts,” said NBCF President/CEO Brit W. King.
David chose to award a $5,000 grant each to the Crisis Center of Comal County and to Lifeguards: a fund for rescuing teens.
The Crisis Center of Comal County mission is to provide crisis and prevention services to victims of domestic violence and sexual assault while providing a safe environment where an individual can make educated, non-biased decisions about their future.
Donations to Lifeguards Fund with NBCF help fund suicide-prevention efforts such as Signs of Suicide, an evidence-based national program administered by Communities in Schools of South Central Texas, as well as professional counseling services for students with critical responses.
Mary Jane chose to award a $10,000 grant to River City Advocacy and Counseling Center, which provides affordable mental health counseling and peer support services to residents of New Braunfels and Comal County.
“I earmarked this for the addition of a new counselor,” Mary Jane said. “I knew they were offering mental health services and offered support work for CIS.”
River City Advocacy Executive Director Amanda Hunt said the nonprofit was grateful for the grant. In 2021, River City Advocacy saw more than 367 counseling clients and currently has a staff of two full-time and two part-time counselors.
“There is an extensive waitlist. That is what keeps us up at night,” Amanda added.
About Frances Long
“Frances was just a wonderful lady who loved children and supporting her husband, who served as a Methodist minister,” Parris said.“Our families met in Harlingen where the Rev. Long served as a pastor. Then, we both ended up in New Braunfels.”
The Rev. Long served as the pastor of Canyon Lake Methodist Church.
Parris said she immediately clicked with Frances and saw her as a kindred spirit.
“She was very forthright, and loved animals too,” Parris said. “She enjoyed camping and her stepchildren, and she loved spending time on the ranch that she grew up on in Yancey, Texas.”
Parris said that Frances was a simple, country woman who was at home on the ranch.
“I had the honor of visiting her at the ranch, and I remember her telling me, in a nonchalant way, to look out for wild boars,” said Parris, who was caught off guard by the warning.
Wild boars or not, it was a pleasure to be in Frances’ life, Parris said.
“She was just very loving and giving in nature. Her greatest honor in serving Christ was in serving others,” Parris said.
That is why it was important to Frances to set up a fund that would help others and last in perpetuity, Parris said.
For information or questions, contact Brit W. King, New Braunfels Community Foundation President/CEO at (830) 606-9597, brit@nbcommunityfoundation.org.