Texas Mutual supports programs like Mission of Mercy to help keep communities — and businesses — strong.
Mission of Mercy is a nonprofit organization providing free health care to uninsured Texans in the Coastal Bend region. For many of their patients, the treatment they receive is a life-changing experience because in many cases, this is their only option for health care.
“I had a miserable life, being sick, didn’t want to do anything. I was weighing over 350 pounds,” said Jesse Villarreal, a former patient who turned to Mission of Mercy 12 years ago for help controlling his diabetes. “Now I’ve lost 150 pounds. I started running and exercising. And I feel so much better.”
“My favorite aspect about the clinic is talking to the patients, telling them my story,” he said. “That helps them to know there’s people that can do it, and they can do it also.”
Jesse’s successful return to the workforce illustrates how Mission of Mercy benefits both the patient and the community. With medical, vision and dental clinics, as well as mental health care and wellness classes, they serve the public in a variety of ways.
“What makes this program so successful is the passion,” Executive Director Sherry Bowers said. “We have an amazing medical team. Our staff is so dedicated. Patients know that we’re not here to judge, and when they come to us, we’re going to do everything we can to assist them.”
The Coastal Bend region, she explained, has a tremendous need for the kinds of services Mission of Mercy provides. In most cases, their patients are the working poor, many of whom have nowhere else to go.
“We couldn’t do it without Texas Mutual and our other funders,” she said. “Texas Mutual has been an amazing partner for us for the past three years. They’re literally changing lives in our community.”
In 2023, Texas Mutual awarded more than $4.1 million to 62 organizations that provide health and wellness services, childhood education and other assistance for working Texas families. Our generational learning grant program helps:
- Improve the health and wellness of Texas workers and their families by providing access to quality care and health education
- Strengthen the early childhood education system by ensuring child care providers have the resources they need to deliver affordable, quality education for Texas families
- Provide holistic wraparound support for clients in addition to case management to ensure families have the resources they need to seize opportunities
"Working Texans are the backbone of our state,” said Jackie Sekiguchi, community affairs manager at Texas Mutual. “Our generational learning grants allow us to partner with organizations that are doing remarkable work to help families thrive and create meaningful change.”
As the state’s leading workers’ compensation provider, Texas Mutual is committed to being a stable force for good. By donating more than $8 million to community programs this year alone, we’re helping ensure our state will have a strong, healthy reliable workforce for generations to come. Learn more about Texas Mutual's work in the community.