Hill Country Veterans Center fights flood’s second hit to fixed-income veterans with no federal funding

The 2025 flood packed the Hill Country Veterans Center floor to ceiling with emergency donations. The center placed displaced veterans in RVs and served as one of the region’s most active relief hubs.

The 2026 flood was different.

“The 2026 flood received almost no incoming donations due to a lack of national publicity,” said Executive Director Sarah Kocurek, who appeared Monday on Lead Live. “That presents a massive financial challenge.”

The center operates entirely on private donations — no state or federal funding of any kind. The veterans it serves most often are older, on fixed incomes, and among the most financially vulnerable in any disaster. Both floods hit them hard.

Kocurek took over as executive director after the death of her father, Alan Hill, the center’s founder, in 2022. Hill was a Vietnam veteran who survived three tours as a military nurse, later served in local law enforcement, and spent the final chapter of his life building a one-stop shop for local veterans. He co-founded the center in 2012 with Richard Ferris, owner of the Cowboy Steakhouse, who purchased a decommissioned military armory for the facility. Kocurek earned her Veteran Service Officer certification to continue his legacy.

The center’s highest daily volume needs are veteran food and housing insecurity. It also runs a military history museum spanning from the Revolutionary War through Operation Iraqi Freedom, hosts quarterly gun shows, participates in the Rotary Veterans Appreciation Breakfast, and holds its Annual Veterans Thanksgiving — now in its 11th year — each fall.

The center’s most pressing capital need is paying off its remaining $55,000 mortgage. It also needs restroom upgrades for ADA compliance and driveway repairs.

“We are so veteran-forward and focused,” Kocurek said. “There’s no questions asked. There’s no strings attached. It’s just jump in and let’s do it.”