Hidden Gem Family Center: Empowering Communities

This is Jennifer Featherston, everyone calls her Jenny.  She grew up down on the coast near Freeport, Tx and was blessed to be raised by two people that loved the Lord and were called into full time Christian service.  Her parents raised she and her sisters to always help those who could not help themselves and to share the love of Jesus with everyone they meet.  They didn’t just teach this concept, they lived it.  When she turned eighteen years old, she felt a very strong calling to surrender her life to full time Christian service.  In 1988, her youth pastor helped her get connected with the Inner-City Missions of Houston for a summer program.  This is where the doors were opened and few years she wen  back to the Mission Centers of Houston and served for 4 years as an Assistant Director and then went on to be the Director of the Gano Mission Center.  She has worked in two different Children’s Homes as a Child Care Specialist in Dallas, Tx and Round Rock.  At the children’s home in Round Rock, she met her husband in 1996.  They married and moved to Gatesville.  She worked in childcare from their home so she could raise their boys and in 2006 she took the Position of Program Director for our local Boys and Girls Club.  After working there for 6 years, she felt like she needed to make a change, and her work with victims and their families began.  She has been with the District Attorney’s Office as a Victim Assistance Coordinator for 8 years and is the Executive Director of the Hidden Gem Family Center, located in Gatesville.  The Lord has placed a strong desire in her heart to help those in need and to show them how much he loves them.

Kyle Matthews sits on the board of the Hidden Gem Family Center and currently holds the position of President.  He also sits on several other nonprofit boards across the county as do other family members of his. His family believes if you can, then you should, and if you can’t then you should… when you can!  This is what drew him to the Hidden Gem.  He served the citizens of the State of Texas and retired as a Texas Highway Patrol State Trooper. At the same time, he and his family built a business in Evant from the ground up and have worked hard to make it successful.  He feels the Hidden Gem’s goal is to give a hand up and not a hand out to make the community a better place while doing the work of the Lord.

Diana Barnett is a member of the Hidden Gem board serving as the Vice President. Diana ensures that all fund-raising activities operate smoothly. She also puts her heart into the organization from little

things like cutting onions for meals to facilitating life changing training for victims in need within our

community.

Diana’s day job is the owner of Cowboy Real Estate Team in Gatesville. She has been involved in real estate for over 3 decades (right out of high school). She also partners with others to be involved in the car industry, a vested project for 13 years.  In between selling homes, land and vehicles, Diana sits on the Board of Directors for the Gatesville Chamber of Commerce and Chair over the Ambassadors for the Chamber of Commerce. Diana is a Board member for the Fort Hood Area Board of Realtors and serves on the TREPAC Committee and Community Affairs Committee. She is a member of the Women’s Council of Realtors. Her selfless community service includes parking lot ministry for Coryell Community Church.

With all her social busyness, Diana disclosed her love for the rural community. She loves how everyone knows each other and kids are amazing. As a mother of 4, she has had the opportunity to meet many coaches and community residents. Diana credited Gatesville ISD for her children’s successes. Her oldest are twins. Adam is a CPA and shareholder for a prestigious firm. Andrew has worked as a U.S. Customs and Border Protection Officer for the past 10 years working a total of 15 with the Department of Homeland Security. Her third son, Thomas, is a psychology major and works as a team lead with Central Texas

Mortuary and Management. His degree plan includes attending mortuary school. Her youngest son was diagnosed with Asperger’s, bipolar, and schizoaffective disorder. He is currently incarcerated with the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. His struggles have fueled Diana to continue her own education with an Applied Behavior Analysis degree which will empower her to learn about and be proactive toward his needs.

Lastly, Diana has a heart for the Vietnam era veterans in our community because as she outwardly sees how they live with PTSD triggers, it reminds her of her father’s and the passionate care

he desperately needed years ago. Diana is a God-fearing Christian and believes that the ability and belief in love is both rewarding on Earth and in Heaven. If she had a magic-wand to wave, it would be to improve standard education across the board. There are many opportunities that people do not know they have access to because job skills have not been taught. Many of our youth do not know about budgeting, reading a paycheck, understanding taxes, frugal shopping, cooking and stretching recipes, how to buy a car, a house, or understand a credit report. It takes a village to raise a child and she encourages us to provide blessings instead of negative life habits.

This is Julie Matthews.  She was born and raised in Gatesville and is a graduate of Gatesville High School.  She received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree from Grand Canyon University.  She and her husband Kyle reside in Arnett, a small community in the western part of the county. They have two adult children, Mason and Maci who were raised here in Gatesville with both of them graduating from Gatesville High as well.  She and her husband are proud that they are both successful young adults.  She is employed with Darnall Medical Clinic as a Registered Nurse Case Manager and Clinic Care Coordinator.  Currently she serves as the Secretary for the Board of Directors  here at the Hidden Gem, serves as the Art Superintendent for the Coryell County Youth Fair, serves on the North Fort Cavazos Ministry Team, serves on the Keep Gatesville Beautiful Board of Directors, Gatesville ISD Education Foundation Board of Directors, and is a member of Trinity Baptist Church. She previously served on The Gatesville Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, FCS Advisory Coalition through Texas A&M Agrilife, volunteered through Samaritan’s Purse, Gatesville ISD Sports Booster Club, and the School Health Advisory Council.

She says communities thrive because of the hard work of nonprofit organizations and this has sparked a passion in her toward philanthropy, especially with organizations providing services that are working to make her community a healthier place to live and work. It’s critical for communities to have a resource like the Hidden Gem Family Center to help them develop, connect, and grow stronger. She is proud to serve on the Hidden Gem Family Center’s board because they provide valuable training and development resources to the community. It is important for her to be able to do her part to make a meaningful impact within the community. Being part of something small can yield a big change and changes can create something new altogether… a new outlook, a new person, and a new future. 

Hello! This is Holly Rodriguez and she is the treasurer of Hidden Gem Family Center. She has been living in Gatesville since 1993. She moved here when she was 12 years old from California where her father was in the navy. What she loves about Gatesville is the small-town feel and its values. Everyone knows everyone which makes it feel like one big family. She met her husband, Chris Rodriguez, in 7th grade and they’ve had the privilege of raising their three children here. She and her husband are Gatesville graduates and two of their children have also graduated from GISD. Their youngest daughter will be starting junior high in August  They are also proud grandparents to a beautiful 7-month-old little girl.  Holly says she trusted  Christ as my personal Savior when she was 10 years old living in San Diego, California. Christianity is a major part of her life and that is why she believes in the Hidden Gem Family Center. God calls His people to help the needy, the poor, and the neglected, so being a part of an organization, whose mission is to help anyone in need is truly a blessing and an honor. Hidden Gem’s goal is to provide people with resources that can and will better their lives while allowing Gods love to shine. She is proud to serve the residents of Gatesville and Coryell County in this way.

This is Don Jones, and he was born and raised in Gatesville, Tx. He was born right here in Gatesville at the old hospital in 1953. He attended Gatesville schools and in 1973 married his wife, which was the best decision he has ever made. We will be celebrating 50 years of marriage this year.

He has been farming and ranching for over 50 years here in Coryell County. He served for 20 years as a

Coryell County Commissioner over maintenance and buildings in our county. He was a member of White Mound Baptist Church for many years and in 1997 his Sunday School class began a new church called Mound Cowboy Church. They bought the old store at Leon Junction and that became the church. Don says the Lord has blessed the church over the years, and it has grown and expanded twice. He believes in being a servant of Christ. That is whay he is a servant in our church and in our community.

 
He joined the Hidden Gem Family Center board because he wanted to be a part of helping our community, especially those in need. He believes in what the Hidden Gem stands for and in what they want to do for the community.

Robyne Roberts is a Licensed Professional Counselor who serves on the board of Hidden Gem Family Center, a non-profit organization that helps crime victims and those in need in Gatesville, Texas. She has lived in Coryell County for most of her life and has a passion for improving the well-being of her community. She worked in the correctional system for almost 30 years, where she gained valuable experience in dealing with various mental health issues and challenges. She recently retired from her position as a Mental Health Program Manager and decided to dedicate more time to volunteering and advocacy. If she could wave a magic wand to enhance and help her community, she would provide more accessible and affordable mental health services for everyone, especially those who have experienced trauma or abuse.

June Dorman is a transplant from Ohio where she gained her Bachelors in Social Work in 2009; she will receive her Masters’ degree in October 2023. She has been employed with UTMB as a mental health case manager since 2019.  She has worked with other populations including: families with special needs children, the elderly, developmentally disabled, probation and anger management for recently released inmates, and Child Protective Services. Within her current position, she was instrumental in the creation of mentorship program to aid new clients in assimilating with program requirements. She is personable and connects well with all she serves aiding in empowerment and connections with resources needed to continue finding success. June would like to find creative ways to give to the community while continuing to develop professionally.