Southwind Field's “City Local” Cory, launching his Fiesta
Especial campaign with his supervisors at Poet’s Walk
Memory Care, where he volunteers each week.
Southwind Fields: Where
Every Person Has a Purpose
BY RENEE GONZALEZ
WRITER
Chris has big dreams. Affectionately
known as “Superman” by those who
love him, he wanted more out of life
than what he found as a young man on
the Autism spectrum in a small town
in East Texas. Chris struggled to find
work, battled depression, and found it
difficult to access the community and
meaningful connections. Chris aspires
to be a competitive bodybuilder and a
public speaker, hoping to encourage
others to chase the calling that God
has placed in their hearts. Last May,
Chris became aware of Southwind
Fields (SWF) and asked his father to
help him apply to their program,
hoping to finally have the support he
needed to live in his own place. Chris is
now living in San Antonio in his first
apartment and currently works at
One Southwind “City Local” helping another unpack food
provided to them through Southwind Fields partnerships,
as they celebrate moving day together in Manny’s brand
new apartment.
UTSA part-time but has recently found
employment at USAA. He has learned
to travel the city on his own, is active
in church, and is a volunteer speaker
with SWF. Chris’s identity is not found
in what others say he can do, but
found solely in Christ.
Chris is part of a growing number
of testimonies coming from SWF.
According to their website, Texas ranks
49th in the United States for providing
services to adults with disabilities. Yes,
we are second to last and that is just
not Texas. In addition, an estimated
9-12 percent of the homeless population
has a cognitive impairment. SWF
offers a solution by helping such
people live independently as possible
and building an inclusive community
that inspires them to find purpose in
their lives.
It started in 2012 when a group of
church members from Life Point
Church started helping the broken and
marginalized in San Antonio. A year
later they founded the Mercy Coalition,
a homeless ministry where one of its
members, SWF co-founder and CEO
Leslie Bellieu, discovered how many
homeless individuals had disabilities.
In March 2017, Bellieu was called away
from her work as a CPO of a nonprofit
focused on special needs and her and
members of the Mercy Coalition
reincorporated to become Southwind
Fields, focusing on
Bellieu’s goal of creating
an all-inclusive
community for adults
with disabilities.
SWF is fostering a
sense of community
with remarkable
Everyone
deserves to
live a life
they love.
endeavors. For a small fee of $25,
program applicants become “Locals”
and are assigned a Local Advisor
(terms like “customers” are considered
impersonal according to co-founder
Charles Morris). Advisors check in with
Locals two or three times a week and
provide services whether they live in
their own places or with a caregiver.
They assist Locals in living semi-independently
by helping them find jobs,
find apartments (SWF secured a
partnership with a complex in Northwest
San Antonio), provide on-call
nursing, 24/7 on-call support, and
optional financial management, help
develop living skills, and plan weekly
“Local family” events. Upcoming plans
include opening the "Local Hub".
The Local Hub is the next step and
SWF is currently looking for a donated
space. It will be a program that
provides an environment where Locals
work towards holistic wellness (mind,
body, and soul) by taking part in activi-
12 www.saBeacon.com January 2019
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