Charity Ball delivers a welcome renovation for K’Star

Melody Lowman and Sergio Menella weren’t afraid to show their dust and mess on Thursday, and there was a significant reason for their enthusiasm. 

Lowman, the executive director at K’Star, and Menella, the nonprofit’s operations director, led a tour of the Hill Country Charity Ball’s leadership team to show off the ongoing renovations to the Kerrville-based children’s shelter that K’Star wants to transition from a facility to a home. 

In any given year, K’Star will accommodate about 200 children from around the area, often sibling groups, who have been removed from abusive or neglectful situations. 

“It has always been our mission to make this over as home and not a facility,” Menella said. “This is allowing us to continue that. We want this to be a home, not a shelter. It’s not a hospital. It’s a home for these kids. They live here.” 

In May, the Charity Ball raised a record $200,000 in one gala-filled night, with most of the funding going toward the K’Star effort. 

“We are just so excited to have been able to be a part of this and are thankful to our community for helping us raise the funds,” said Amber Bond, a longtime member of the Charity Ball. “We want to help support them and take care of these kids.” 

Lowman and Menella led a group of Charity Ball officers on a tour of the various projects to renovate and improve the shelter. Across the facility, work is ongoing, from painting to installing new flooring. It a significant effort but Lowman and Menella are anxious for the positive outcome. 

“The renovations are from floor to ceiling and it’s a little torn up,” Menella said. “We’ve got new flooring, new trim, new paint, new lighting, new furniture for the children and new TVs. We have a new camera system and security, which is awesome. And that’s all from the Charity Ball’s efforts.”