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Historically, rural populations get the short end of the stick when it comes to social and health services. Funding follows numbers – the thought is that the more people a program touches, the more change the program has effected. As a result, rural populations, like those in many Texas counties, are not afforded the benefit of programs which may address critical gaps in the ability of those populations to care for themselves. We work with clients with gaps in their nutrition, medication, transportation and socialization needs on a daily basis.

The Lena Mae Farris Foundation (LMFF) began to serve and focus attention on minority populations in rural areas – the elderly, the poor, women. The organization was named after Mrs. Lena Mae Farris. Mrs. Lena Mae - or Ma’ Mae as those who knew her called her, as she was everyone’s Mamma – was the essence of what community should be. She collected money to give to families who were burying a loved one, collected clothes and household items to give to families who had experienced a fire; she was always welcoming, with a warm smile and kind word. She also was what our ‘typical’ client was to be - over 65, female, widowed, poor and rural. She epitomized what we were to do – be ‘community’ to the people we were to serve. She died in September of 2002. The Lena Mae Farris Foundation was incorporated January of 2003.

We work with seniors in 19 Texas counties, but the majority of our work is done with seniors who live in the Brazos Valley.