“We just can’t make ends meet anymore.” The family standing in HCM’s food pantry had never been there before. There were five of them: two working parents and three children. They were doing everything they could to keep up, but somewhere between groceries, bills, and the ordinary costs of raising a family, the numbers just stopped working. And for…
Over the last few months, a theme has started to emerge from our childcare stories: some relationships do not end when a child leaves the classroom. First, Gigi shared what it feels like to watch children grow up and bring their own children back through the doors. Then, Jack shared what it meant to return to HCM as a…
Every place has a history. Sometimes that history is inspiring. Sometimes it is painful. Often, it is both. As Highlands Community Ministries marks 40 years of serving children and families at our Eastern Star campus, we believe celebrating this place also means being honest about its past. Through our participation in Bearing Witness, an initiative of the (Un)Known Project,…
Two months ago, we shared a story from Gigi about the quiet, steady magic of childcare. She talked about something you cannot really plan for. Over time, the children you help care for grow up, build lives of their own, and sometimes return years later as parents, walking back through the same doors with children of their own. That…
If you’ve ever wondered what happens when you give a group of kids cameras, a deadline, and a lot of creative freedom: this is your answer. Patrick Fitzgerald, Director of Highlands Youth Recreation, gives us a behind-the-scenes look at HCM’s and Beargrass Media’s Video Camp, where campers spend the week writing, filming, editing, and premiering their own movies. “Quiet…
Most of us can point to places that shaped our lives. For some, it’s a school. A neighborhood. A church. For Gigi Hildenbrand, the Director of Childcare at Eastern Star, it’s HCM. What began as a college practicum became a lifelong calling: one that has touched generations of families and continues to do so today. Her story is a…
Patrick Fitzgerald has been part of the HYR community since 1976, first as a nine-year-old player and later as a coach for all four of his children. He has served as HYR Director since 2017, leading efforts to expand outreach, strengthen financial sponsorships, and ensure the league reflects the diversity of Louisville. In this reflection marking HYR’s 50th anniversary,…
Lisa Nutt is a certified Tai Chi instructor who came to the practice through her own journey with balance and neurological recovery. She now teaches at Highlands Community Campus, helping students improve stability, coordination, and confidence through mindful movement. Our Playful Tai Chi Community I came to Tai Chi more than twenty years ago out of necessity. I have…
The first thing I noticed was the sunlight. After several days of bitter cold, the weather climbed into the forties and the sky returned with a kind of shy generosity. Families stepped into the stairway with coats unzipped and shoulders relaxing in a way that suggested they had been bracing themselves for days. By 9:00 a.m., the room was…
The following is an excerpt from A Brave and Startling Truth by Dr. Maya Angelou, followed by a reflection from our Executive Director, Troy Burden, which was presented at our annual Thanksgiving Service. We, this people, on a small and lonely planet,traveling through casual spacepast aloof stars and indifferent suns,must learn a brave and startling truth. When we come…
