Board Report
Mission
Who We Are – The Ark of Highland Lakes is a faith-driven nonprofit organization that exists to serve individuals and families in crisis throughout the Highland Lakes region. Formerly known as the Highland Lakes Crisis Network, ARK unites churches, volunteers, and community partners to bring hope, healing, and long-term transformation to those in need.
Vision
How We Work – ARK operates through a network of local churches, trained volunteers, and nonprofit partners. We respond to both immediate crises—like natural disasters or emergencies—and long-term needs like transitional housing, food insecurity, foster care support, and spiritual guidance. Every response is built on relational support and a desire to show the love of Christ through action.
ARK Ministries & Operational Highlights:
“Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us…”
This verse has become the anthem of Ark of Highland Lakes. It reflects our daily encounters with God and the way He continues to show up through faith, generosity, compassion, healing, and provision beyond what we could plan or predict.
2025 was a year marked by abundant blessing, exponential growth, and unmistakable evidence of God’s faithfulness. As a Board, your mandate is stewardship of mission, values, and direction. The following overview reflects how Ark’s ministries, partnerships, and operations continue to align with that calling as we unite hands, heal hearts, and transform communities.
- Tiffany Contreras is now full-time operating as Warehouse Administrator
Year-to-date Numbers
Total Sales: $104,000
Vouchers Given: $21,075
Transactions: 5,728
- 6 new volunteers
Had a fantastic team-building/training day with the Warehouse and Office team on the 17th of February. The Warehouse received the “Locals Love Us” Award.
Implemented a new and improved voucher system
Upcoming Events
- Good Friday Community-wide Worship Night at Valley View on Friday, April 3rd at 5:30PM
Dental Clinics, Litter Lifters, Foster Care Events
- 12 out-of-state flood recovery teams have been assisting in flood rebuilds, including Convoy of Hope.
92 flood recovery cases are currently open and active.
- Active patients seen year-to-date: 55
- Total cost of procedures provided: $58,525.71
- Ark Agape Mobile Clinic- March 26 and 27 in Burnet: 15 Mobile dental units will be set up to provide treatment to approximately 300 patients by volunteer dentists from all over Texas!
20 people attended our first volunteer orientation of 2026 on Monday, Feb 23rd
- 40 casseroles prepared and donated by the HCF Foster/Adopt Ministry Group to support local families.
- 7 couples reached out to learn more about the foster/adopt process.
- 13 attendees at the February Foster Care Task Force Meeting
- Burnet Foster Meet-Up (Pizza & Arcade): 11 adults and 15 kids attended.
- Marble Falls Foster Meet-Up: 10 adults and 6 kids attended.
- Two new families moving into Transformational Living this week.
- As of right now, there are no open apartments. One unit is in the process of being renovated and should be ready in a few weeks.
- Jim Schwenk (volunteer) is taking on the role of helping us with upkeep of apartment grounds and apartment repairs. Huge blessing!
El Centro
In the final design approval stage
Dirt work done
Chapel and Amphitheater
Amphitheatre has been expanded
Warehouse
Clearing done, in the process of landing the final building location for the first 60’ X 100’ building
Meat Processing
Foundation forms are done, rough plumbing complete, getting poured this week
First Pastoral Advisory Meeting included: Ross Chandler, Andy Sellmann, Jon Weems, Doug Lindley, Greg Neil, Cody Logan
Next meeting: April 9th
Jackie and Elyse visited First Methodist in Lampasas and met with a core group of invested local church and nonprofit leaders interested in .
Elyse has now met with six church liaisons this month and presented to two church groups.
A.N.D.Y Trailer has been deployed to 19 locations in January and February
367 Hot meals were served in Llano in one day!
$100,000 received toward chapel commitment
One Star Foundation: $500,000 grant request submitted for Valley View development
Decision expected this week (Kevin to report back)
Core Values in Action
Humility
We believe in seeking God first, and depend on Him in every decision and action.
- We trust that God uses our vulnerabilities as a pathway to growth and deeper
- community with others.
- We welcome feedback, take responsibility for our shortcomings, and know our
- successes are shared.
- We serve others with gratitude, recognizing that every opportunity to help is a
- privilege.
- We are patient and slow to anger.
Selflessness
We believe that our reward is found in glorifying God, not ourselves.
We model Christ’s sacrificial love in every relationship and task.
We step into hard places for the sake of others.
We willingly share our time, talent, and resources.
We pursue unity over personal preference for the flourishing of “The Church Together”.
Love God, Love People
We believe in prioritizing our relationship with God, knowing that love for others flows from love for Him.
- We seek God’s will and work with a servant’s heart.
- We demonstrate with our actions that mercy triumphs over judgment.
- We extend grace freely.
- We are empathetic and treat every person with dignity, respect, and kindness.
Integrity
We believe honesty honors God and builds trust.
- We strive to reflect Christ’s character in everything we do.
- We keep our promises and fulfill our commitments.
- We do what’s right. Even when no one is watching.
- We handle finances, relationships, and responsibilities with transparency.
Results
We believe in stewarding God’s resources faithfully.
- We work hard and persevere through challenges, trusting that God multiplies our efforts.
- We set clear goals and pursue them with excellence and are accountable for the outcomes of our work.
- We measure impact, not just effort, focusing on real transformation in the lives we serve.
- We continually learn and improve.
Relationships
We believe that no one grows and thrives alone, that we all grow and thrive in relationship with God and one another.
- We prioritize people over tasks, remembering that every person is valued by God and worthy of our time and care.
- We perform better, are smarter, and have more fun working as a team than as individuals.
- We work hard to build partnerships of trust in all endeavors.
- We are committed to know, listen, and care as we build trusting relationships with people across the communities we serve.
ARK Flood Past Operations:
Faith After the Flood: A Testimony of God's Love
The Day After: When Community Becomes Family
ARK Warehouse
800 Industrial, Marble Falls, TX 78654
This has been the hub for all donations management and community recovery supplies (cleaning supplies, tools, equipment, volunteer teams and supplies, food, etc). This hub has distributed supplies across Burnet county and has made many supply runs to other local non-profits, San Saba County flood response, into impacted communities in Travis and Lampasas Counties, and continues to operate as a collection point, organization/sorting center, and redistribution to those in need. This has included volunteers working non stop to unload, sort, pack, and walk beside clients in need. This resource will be available for flood survivors on an ongoing basis as the needs arise due to homes being repaired or other developments. We have also increased storage capacity via containers and additional warehousing and storage to be able to store and distribute items for the long term need.
Ark A.N.D.Y.
(Abundant Nutrition Delivering Yahweh)
A mobile food and resource trailer has served as a secondary and satellite location in Burnet for supplies, food, and tools distribution. It was stationed at First Christian Church for the first week of the response, then at the Multi Agency Resource Center for the second week, and then back to First Christian for Volunteer team support until long-term recovery began. This will continue to be deployed, as needed, to areas with high poverty or food-desert areas.
Food Distribution Points
For the first 20 days of the flood event, we hosted a food distribution point out of the Warehouse parking lot. Volunteer teams, including food trailers, individual chefs, and people from all over the state came together to provide hot meal service at breakfast, lunch, and dinner to people driving through and hungry, people impacted by the flood, search and rescue teams, first responders throughout the area, and volunteer cleanup teams. This included volunteers to deliver meals across the county and distributions to the ANDY for service from that location as well. More than 18,300 meals were distributed in 20 days and included at least 20 volunteers per day to help operations.
Muck-Out Teams
Operations began on July 6 and were housed out of the Marble Falls Mission Center, with incredible support from the Marble Falls First Baptist Church staff. Each day began with a briefing at 8AM, followed by deployment to a work site. During the first 13 days we were able to deploy 840 volunteers to 103 sites and complete muck-out. This included more than 5,690 volunteer hours and coordination of heavy equipment and operators, brush clean up, demolition of housing/sheetrock/flooring, and general cleaning of mud and damaged items. Additionally, Texans on Mission have been assisting with “shock-wave” application to help prevent mold growth inside the homes. Muck-out teams have now transitioned to rebuild volunteer teams.
If you are able to help us and/or help us share the word about the need, please do!
Thank you for thinking of us! Please let us know if you have any questions.
Or mail checks to:
PO Box 1130, Marble Falls, TX. 78654