The butterfly symbolizes “soaring from one success to another.” | Photo via The MAC
Anyone responsible for the care of a person with special needs knows that healthcare can be fragmented, uncoordinated, and hard to find.
That’s why officials with Morgan’s Wonderland announced the Multi-Assistance Center — aka The MAC — a revolutionary facility bringing 30+ community organizations under one roof to provide all-in-one care to people with special needs.
A history of inclusion
The MAC is the latest project for Morgan’s Inclusion Initiative, a nonprofit that plans + fundraises “inclusion-centric ventures.”
Morgan’s Wonderland (where it all started) is the world’s first-and-only theme park designed with special needs in mind, founded by Gordon and Maggie Hartman to give their daughter a place to play.
Since then, the Inclusion Initiative’s projects have given San Antonio the moniker “Inclusion City, USA” + spurred progress locally, nationally, and across the world.
How it works
Community organizations gathered in The Mac’s multi-story, 165,000-sqft facility (within walking distance from Morgan’s Wonderland) include medical services like Children’s Hospital of San Antonio, therapy services like Guide Dogs of Texas Inc. and TEAMability, and community support services like Project Access and San Antonio Food Bank.
Together, these groups will provide coordinated care with a special focus on SDoH factors, or social determinants of health. SDoH factors include availability of food + barriers created by income status and education level, which together contribute up to 70% of an individual’s health status.
Other accommodations at The MAC include extra-wide doorways, sound-absorbing floors and walls, and a café serving H-E-B Meals Simple.
Let’s get moving
This Sun., Oct. 2 from 1-5 p.m., The MAC will host its grand opening ceremony. The event is open to all — and when The MAC says all, you know they mean all — and will open with guest speaker Joe Mantegna, the award-winning “Criminal Minds” and “The Godfather: Part III” actor and advocate for people with special needs.
Visit 5210 Thousand Oaks Dr. and see the future of inclusion.
Discovering Bugs with Parks & Recreation | Tues., Sept. 27 | 4:30-5:30 p.m. | Pan American Library, 1122 W. Pyron Ave. | Free | Children ages 5-12 will learn the difference between the four types of arthropods through observation. 🐞
The Adam Carrillo Quartet | Tues., Sept. 27 | 7:30 p.m. | Jazz, TX | $15+ | Don’t miss the Adam Carrillo + his quartet performing hits by stars like Marvin Gaye and Luther Vandross. 🎷
Wednesday
Bone Thugs-N-Harmony | Wed., Sep. 28 | 8 p.m. | The Aztec Theatre, 104 N. St. Marys St.| $30+ | Throw back to some classic 90s hip-hop. 🎤
Adult Craft Time - Tile Painting | Wed., Sept. 28 | 4-5:30 p.m. | Thousand Oaks Library | Free | Paint tiles, meet new people, and learn about the San Jose Tile Workshops of San Antonio with supplies provided. 🖌
Thursday
International Artists-in-Residence: Welcome Dinner | Thurs., Sept. 29 | 6-8 p.m. | Artpace San Antonio, 445 N. Main Ave. | Free | Artists will talk about their careers over a light meal on this casual evening of food, friends, and the future. 🖼
We have amonthly guide filled with events + activities you can plan for in advance. Click the button below to bookmark ideas for upcoming date nights, family outings, and time with friends.
For tickets to local and regional events, check out our 6AM Tickets resale marketplace.*
Participants can pick up running packets between 7-7:50 a.m. on race day. | Photo provided by Athlete Guild
Sweat to support a good cause. The Salvation Army Pumpkin Run, benefitting TheSalvation Army Boys & Girls Club of Kerrville, takes off Sat., Oct. 29 at 8 a.m. from the Kerrville Kroc Center.
And the fun doesn’t end at the finish line. 5K run/walk participants can look forward to:
Swag bags + race tees
Family-friendly costume contest
Free Drive-Thru Harvest Festival (9 a.m.-12 p.m.) ft. games + goodies from the comfort of your car *
You can roll down your sleeves. This summer’s record-breaking highs seem to have abated, and we can now look forward to autumn lows in the 60s. Highs this week will hover in the low-to-mid 90s. 🍂 (MySA)
Civic
A council vote on the proposed St. Mary’s parking permit — which would close residential streets from 10 p.m.-6 a.m. — has been delayed in order to gather more input from citizens. The next town hall meeting will take place at 2 p.m. on Sat., Oct. 8 at the San Antonio College Victory Center. 🅿️ (MySA)
Try This
Looking for pumpkin to do? KSAT put together a map of local pumpkin patches open this fall. Start now + get brush up your jack-o'-lantern carving skills. 🎃 (KSAT-12)
Edu
San Antonio ISD will begin redistricting ahead of its May 2023 board elections. Uneven population changes are expected to lead to changes in nearly every district. The first public meeting will be held today at 6 p.m., both at Whittier Middle School and via Zoom. (San Antonio Report)
Watch
The Amazon animated series “Undone” features some familiar scenery to SATX locals. According to a recent interview, creator + showrunner Kate Purdy grew up in San Antonio and brought that experience to her psychological comedy-drama. 📺 (San Antonio Report)
Ranked
Four San Antonio H-E-B’s ranked among the best in Texas: Bulverde and 1604, 281 and Evans Road, Alamo Ranch + 211 and Potranco. Curious about the worst? Read on. (San Antonio-Express News)
Shop
Football season is in full swing. If you’re headed to a game this fall, don’t forget to pack your game day essentials in a stadium approved bag. This clear crossbody with 8,000+ positive reviews is a must + we also love this trendy fanny pack option.*
Eat
Skip the meal hassle with Sunbasket, a meal kit delivery service that makes healthy eating beyond easy. Sunbasket offers 10 different meal plans that work for those with dietary preferences and specific restrictions (think: paleo, gluten-free, veg, diabetes-friendly + more). Bonus: Sign up for $100 off your first four deliveries. 🥕 *
Content marked with an * is brought to you by our advertising partners and helps make this newsletter free.
We’re berry excited to try the SATX-exclusive smoothie bowl lineup. | Provided by Smoothie King
Get ready for some un-bowl-lieveable news.
Starting today, you can order a new menu item at Smoothie King. The Dallas-based company officially debuted a new line of products — Smoothie Bowls — exclusively in San Antonio.
Editor’s pick: We talk about food a lot here at SATXtoday — but only today did I learn that Fritos are an Alamo City original. I’m very grateful. My folks are from Oklahoma (with time spent in Texas), so I learned the art of the Frito pie from a young age. Super excited for mySA’s “Chisme” series, by the way.
Content marked with an * was created in partnership with 6AM City’s advertising partners. Paid content helps keep this newsletter free. 6AM City may also receive a commission on purchases made through affiliate links in this newsletter.
* This content is paid advertising, or contains links to our Six & Main marketplace, or affiliate partners which we may receive a commission from. ^ This content is created by our content studio.