It was a sunny day on Tuesday, May 25th in Marble Falls, TX as The Helping Center celebrated the grand opening of its brand new location, now adjoined to the existing Community Resource Center in town. A buzzing crowd gathered under a shady tree in front of the new facility to witness the official ribbon cutting; Local Police Officers, Sheriffs, Judges, City Council members, volunteers, and families were all in attendance. What was once a small yellow building on the corner of Avenue N and Broadway and a dream of a few individuals with a passion to serve, is now a central hub for families in need in Burnet County and beyond.
The Helping Center of Marble Falls provides food, emergency services, life skill classes and programs to those in need. It is estimated that they serve about 2,342 individuals monthly and volunteers’ clock roughly 585 service hours a week.
“It’s amazing how many people they can touch now with this big facility,” said Mike Ganske, one of our Lauren Concrete Mixer drivers who lives in Marble Falls. “They are going to touch a lot of lives here I just know.”
Mike was in the crowd to witness the ribbon cutting, along with his wife and granddaughter. He had the privilege of delivering the concrete that was donated for the foundation of the new Helping Center in his home-town. But for him, it was so much more than that. He was able to deliver concrete to help an organization that once helped him.
“A while back me and my family went through a really tough ordeal,” Mike said. “I got injured on the job and was out of work and got laid off. And my wife lost her job. So we didn’t have any income. This place right here, which was over on Avenue N at the time, they stepped in and they helped us. They paid for three months of electricity bills because we were already behind, and they gave us food. They helped us out in a really tough time in our lives.”
From left to right: Michael Basquette (Lauren Concrete West Sales Manager), Rudy Gill (General Manager at H-E-B in Marble Falls), Sam Pierce (Executive Director of The Helping Center), Linda Ganske (Wife of Mike Ganske), Gabby (Granddaughter of Mike and Linda Ganske), Mike Ganske (Lauren Concrete Mixer Driver), Jimmy Grubbs (Lauren Concrete West General Manager), Howard Spratlen (Lauren Concrete West Sales Manager) and Paul King (President of the Board of The Helping Center).
In 2018 Mike joined the Lauren Concrete team with no previous experience driving a mixer truck, but he gave it “one hundred percent” and quickly learned from driver trainer and Lauren Concrete veteran, Dave Nemchin.
“I should’ve done this years ago,” Mike said in reference to working at Lauren Concrete. Not only does he get to know more people by delivering concrete all across town, but he also enjoys the opportunity to build his community. Including the new Helping Center.
When asked if he had a sense of accomplishment coming full circle and delivering concrete to this special project, he said that in his mind he has only skimmed the surface.
“This is home. We lost almost everything,” Mike said. “And now we are surviving. Our family is all doing good. And I don’t think it would’ve ever happened if these guys hadn’t stepped in and helped us. I really don’t think we would be where we are right now. It’s something I will never forget and someday I would like to repay these people what they have done for me.”
