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Compassion Waco Ministries soon to be under new leadership

Jill McCall worked for 'Compassion' for 23 years and is passing the torch to Waco native Amanda Samaniego.

WACO, Texas — Compassion Waco Ministries will be under new leadership since Jill McCall announced her early retirement. 

Waco native Amanda Samaniego will become the Executive Director in October. Samaniego returned to the Waco area eight years ago and brings corporate experience to the position, including five years at the Greater Waco Chamber of Commerce. However, with a master’s degree in public administration, her heart has always been in the nonprofit sector.

"Just to be able to give back and to make a difference to the community but my heart, my heart is for women. My heart is for single moms in particular. Just to help pass that on and to encourage and uplift is exciting and I'm humbled," Samaniego explained.

Samaniego says has a calling to help reach struggling parents, especially women and to help them find their potential.

After her husband died when her daughter was three years old, Samaniego spent 13 years as a single mom trying to rebuild her own life. She believes she can relate to what single mothers need.

Compassion has been providing assistance to homeless families providing a transitional housing program and facility for homeless families in Central Texas since 1994.

In 1995, the organization began housing homeless families and became the only transitional housing facility for families in the area.

In 2013, Jessica Dugan was in need of somewhere to say and turned to Compassion for help. 

Fast forward almost ten years later and Dugan is now a homeowner and is in a stable place to take care of her daughter. She is grateful for the Compassion program and hopes other single mothers take advantage of it sooner than she did.

"There are so many resources like Compassion available in Waco. My pride held me back but where I am now, I would do it all over again," Dugan shared

With on-site case management and a dedicated team of community volunteer “Co-Partners,” Compassion has a unique program to help families end the cycle of homelessness.

More information on Compassion Waco can be found on their website.

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