BUDA — Buda’s Brightside, a local organization that supports caregivers and families of people with disabilities, is holding an art exhibition later this week that will be open to the public.
Originally known as Terry’s Dayhab, Buda’s Brightside is a nonprofit organization that provides respite care for caregivers of those with disabilities, such as autism, cerebral palsy and Down syndrome, as well as traumatic brain injuries.
Located inside the Historic Buda Elementary, Buda’s Brightside has a five-day per week program during the school year, with a four-day per week schedule during the summer months of June through August. The programs are designed for people with disabilities who have aged out of the 12-grade school institution.
According to the chief executive officer/director of Buda’s Brightside Griselda Vargas, many of these students, known as friends, struggle with the ability to communicate. Buda’s Brightside focuses on helping the friends learn how to better communicate and advocate for themselves, as well as have better social skills and independence. Another thing that Buda’s Brightside focuses on is giving caretakers a break and a chance to rest.
“I think the important piece that people don't understand is that being a caretaker is really difficult,” said Vargas. She explained that parents or caretakers of people with disabilities never really experience an “empty nest” and that can be wearing on the relationship between the caregiver and the person they’re caring for.
“When you're not getting to see your child go off to college or go off and be independent on their own and you're still caring for them at 30, 40, 50 years of age, it's wearing on a caregiver, whether it's a parent or a sibling or a foster parent,' explained Vargas. 'So, we try to provide that respite care because if we provide that and the parents continue to have a good relationship with the child, then they're well taken care of.”
One of the biggest challenges that Buda’s Brightside faces is the lack of funding, which leads the nonprofit to rely on resources in the community. This includes the local school district, Hays CISD, allowing the organization to use two of the rooms on the Buda Elementary campus at no cost until there is a permanent residence found. Additionally, the funds that Buda’s Brightside receives goes toward paying the employees and taking care of the friends. During the school year, Buda’s Brightside takes care of 18 to 20 friends, but there is a waitlist of about 12 families. Most of the friends are ages 22 and up, with the oldest being around 60 years old. Buda’s Brightside has a bus that it uses to go on outings into the community, including: police and fire stations, the Buda Public Library and other locations. Vargas described the bus as “not always operational,” adding that getting money for a new bus would allow them to take more trips and integrate with the community.
From 10 a.m. to noon on Thursday, Nov. 14, Buda’s Brightside is hosting an art exhibition at Inspired Minds Art Center, 121 Main St., Buda, to give the public a chance to celebrate the friends’ artistic talents and provide the opportunity for greater understanding, as well as appreciation for community members with disabilities. The art exhibition will show off the hard work of the friends through several mediums of art, such as painting, drama and music.
“I think [the public will] really enjoy the different skits that they have provided, then come and see their artwork,” said Vargas.
According to Vargas, to support Buda’s Brightside outside of giving funds, the public can also support the organization on social media.
“We do social media and we monetize our Facebook and our Tiktok and so, the more views we get, the more funds we get,” said Vargas. “It doesn't cost people money. It just takes their time to watch one of our reels.”
Visit www.budasbrightside.org to learn more or to donate. Buda’s Brightside can also be found at @budabrightside on TikTok and @budasbrightside on Instagram.
