Spreading Joy and Cheer to Others
February 1, 2024 | Laura Coker, Senior Director of Development
by Laura Coker, Senior Director of Development
Serving and bringing joy and compassion to others is a way of life for Brianna Brown and Kama Koudelka. As the daughters of Veta and Dr. George Boswell, they surrounded their girls with faith, travel, the arts, and endless fun. A tribute the family has shared with the community at CC Young for generations. Their father’s clinic was the first clinic to serve CC Young residents and Veta was an active volunteer serving with the Methodist church in Dallas and then later became president of the CC Young Auxiliary in the nineties.
“Some of my fondest memories as a child were running from my dad’s office to the snack shop in the afternoons and helping my mother with events, programs, and parties for residents.” My mom knew how to throw a party and was always producing unique creative ideas to bring joy to campus, “Brianna Brown recalled.
Veta believed in the mission of The CC Young Auxiliary which started as an effort to support the work of founder Christopher Conley Young. The founding members’ purpose was to bring comfort and cheer to future residents. The initial focus of the Auxiliary was to provide residents with clothing and financial support when the need arose.
As the Auxiliary grew, it began to gather support from local area Methodist churches to serve and support the residents living at CC Young. In the early days, the Auxiliary ran and operated the snack shop which sold various candies, sodas, and snacks to staff and residents with funds being used to furnish and equip the volunteer-led salon. Members of the Auxiliary ran and operated the beauty salon. In the fifties the Auxiliary hosted their first silver tea, which raised vital funds to serve and minister to the residents of CC Young.
The Auxiliary is rooted in family, tradition, and legacy. Several current board members serve because their mothers were members, they were blessed by the ministry, or in the case of the Boswell family,
CC Young was part of their extended family.
Under the presidency of Veta Boswell, in the eighties and nineties, the Auxiliary was lively with fundraising events and unique programs to entertain the residents. Programs included events such as Around the World in Eighty Days, women of the bible fashion show and book reviews and tours featuring Rose-Mary Rumbley.
Bringing smiles and joy to CC Young has always been the goal for Brianna, Kama, and their families. Over the years their family has brightened the lives of residents singing Christmas carols, serving on the Auxiliary faithfully, or raising awareness and support from the community.
“CC Young has always been part of our family. The residents touch our hearts, and it is a pleasure to continue to serve in the way our parents did, Brianna said.”
Kama reminisced caroling in the hallways at Christmas one year. “A gentleman asked if we could come in and sing carols for his wife at her bedside since she was ill and not able to leave the apartment. After singing he expressed how much our family and friends had brought her great joy. What a blessing that was.”
Brianna and Kama have faithfully served on the Auxiliary board for over six years. The heart of the Auxiliary is still the same to bring joy and comfort to residents. In the last few years, the Auxiliary has expanded its mission to serve seniors living at CC Young’s HUD housing, Umphress Terrace. Every year the Auxiliary raises over $6,000 in support of the Umphress Terrace food pantry to provide nonperishable food items and essential care needs for the residents who live there.
To engage CC Young residents, the Auxiliary hosts educational programming highlighting key staff members, and influential Dallas area community members in addition to volunteering on campus to support the life enrichment team with on-campus events. To raise support for CC Young, the Auxiliary hosts two bazaars annually. Funds raised have supported The Benevolence Fund and various life enrichment needs on campus. This past year the Auxiliary also contributed to the Scholarship program to help staff with continued education opportunities.
The Auxiliary has evolved over the years, but the heart and mission remain the same to serve CC Young residents and raise awareness and support for the mission in the community. The Auxiliary will host the spring bazaar on March 20, and they hope the CC Young residents will attend. The Bazaar will include a program, food, and shopping.
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