ARK Operations
Board of Directors Updates
The Ark of Highland Lakes launched its flood response Saturday July 5 at the request of Emergency Management, opening an immediate shelter for displaced residents at Marble Falls Middle School. Later in the day we also helped establish a secondary shelter in the Burnet Community Center as well. We served 24 people during the approx 15 hours of shelter operations, this included assistance with their pets, food/water, dry and clean clothing, and an initial place to stay while we helped coordinate hotel stays or family/friends to assist the people without homes.
By Sunday, full disaster operations were underway—mobilizing volunteers for donation intake, food distribution, and support for survivors, first responders, and volunteers. Trained muck-out teams were deployed into the field beginning July 6th. By July 19th, more than 100 cases had been ‘mucked-out’ and long-term recovery was underway. We are now into full scale long-term recovery and will be for some time. This consists of case management, shepherding, construction and rebuild, donations management, and repair/replacement of damaged items, including RVs, vehicles, and homes.
Guided by a commitment to compassionate care, Ark combines physical recovery with emotional and spiritual support.
A lot of the media attention has been focused on the flooding in Kerr County. It is quite easy for our smaller (yet still severely impacted) event to be overlooked. We, at Ark of Highland Lakes, are the lead agency in Burnet county for donations management, volunteer coordination, food distribution, and long term recovery. The Burnet County Commissioner’s court affirmed this role by formal approval on July 8th.
Total Cases
RVs/Mobile Homes
Vehicles
Rebuilds/Major Repairs
Shepherding
Donations Received
Total Needed
Core Values in Action
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.
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.
Humility
We believe in seeking God first, and depend on Him in every decision and action.
Selflessness
We believe that our reward is found in glorifying God, not ourselves.
Love God, Love People
We believe in prioritizing our relationship with God, knowing that love for others flows from love for Him.
Results
We believe in stewarding God's resources faithfully.
Integrity
We believe honesty honors God and builds trust.
Relationships
We believe that no one grows and thrives alone, that we all grow and thrive in relationship with God and one another
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.
Upcoming Events
Rick Edwards Day of Service (REDS), February 20, includes more than 50 service projects across the region in partnership with MFISD
Men of Faith Community Breakfast held February 3, strengthening church-to-church engagement
Dental Clinics, Litter Lifters, Foster Care Events
Case Management continues to meet with neighbors one-on-one, collect quotes from contractors or service providers, establish a long term plan for recovery, assign a shepherd (emotional/spiritual support) and set short and long term goals. This also includes financial and material support for long term stability and self sufficiency.
27,409 total transactions
1,021 voucher families served
$165,000 in free items distributed
The Warehouse continues to function as both a logistical hub and a relational ministry, ensuring needs are met with dignity and care.
554 cases supported through long-term flood recovery following the July 4 flood
$1.4 million stewarded back into the community
18,300 meals distributed
840 volunteers trained for muck-out response
This work reflects Ark’s call to respond quickly and compassionately in moments of crisis, while maintaining transparency and accountability.
450 patients treated
29 treatment dates
$416,918 in donated dental care
The Dental Clinic remains a powerful example of compassionate care opening doors for healing and restoration.
Friday, February 20th, 2026
This year, REDS includes 50+ service projects across the Highland Lakes region. Every MFISD campus participates, with students serving individuals, families, churches, nonprofits, and community organizations. High school students will spread throughout the area completing hands-on service projects, while younger students engage in age-appropriate acts of service on their campuses.
28 kinship families supported, primarily grandparents raising grandchildren
10 foster families supported
29 adoptive families supported
Ark continues to walk alongside families in one of the most relationally intensive ministries we serve.
January fundraiser reflected strong donor confidence and community support
Pat Hatch Volunteer Service Award presented to Ron Munos and Donald Wayne Thompson
Ongoing emphasis on honoring servant leadership
7 cabins dried-in and ready for interior finishes
Water system designed, built, and ready for final trenching and installation
Additional buildings preparing to break ground
Valley View represents Ark’s long-term commitment to transformation, stability, and hope for families rebuilding their lives.
889 families served through ANDY deployments in two months
301 families served through the commissary during the year
An average of 50 casseroles per week delivered to individuals and families
This ministry exemplifies selflessness and love for neighbors through practical provision.
Church engagement continues to expand through relational outreach and coordination with pastors, church leaders, and student ministries across the region, including recent engagement in Lampasas. Ark is actively supporting prayer initiatives, FCA-related efforts, and seasonal coordination such as warming centers, reinforcing its role as a trusted connector among churches and community partners.
Upcoming volunteer orientation sessions are now scheduled and visible on the new volunteer calendar, making it easier for individuals to take the next step toward involvement. These orientations help set expectations, provide ministry context, and connect volunteers with areas of need.
In addition, improvements are underway on the website to support volunteer user management, allowing Ark to better track interests, communicate opportunities, and engage volunteers more effectively over time. This work is designed to improve the overall stakeholder experience by creating a clearer journey from awareness to participation and long-term engagement.
Heart of the Ark Fundraiser
Over the last four years, Ark has experienced an average of 55 percent growth annually across programming, ministry reach, and provision. This growth is not accidental; it is the result of God’s faithfulness and careful stewardship aligned with Ark’s mission and values.
We are grateful for the Board’s leadership, prayer, and oversight as we continue this work together.
The story of Ark in 2025 is not simply one of growth, but of faithfulness. God has done immeasurably more than we could ask or imagine, and He continues to invite us into deeper trust, stewardship, and obedience as we look toward 2026.
We are grateful for the Board’s leadership, prayer, and oversight as we continue this work together.
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