Crockett Walmart® Grant Helps Survivors Meet Medical Needs After Leaving Abuse
By Greg Ritchie
Messenger Reporter
CROCKETT — Leaving an abusive home does not always leave time to gather prescriptions, insurance information or money. For a parent trying to get children to safety, replacing even a basic medication can become another obstacle.
A $2,000 grant presented by Crockett Walmart® to the Family Crisis Center of East Texas Friday, Oct. 23, will help address that need, providing medical supplies for the center’s shelter and assistance with prescription costs for survivors and their children.
Whitney Burran, the center’s executive director, said those expenses can be easy to overlook when considering what someone needs after leaving a violent situation.
“When they leave a situation, they don’t always have the opportunity to gather their belongings, medication, insurance information, maybe some financial resources, or maybe even have any finances at all,” Burran said.
The illnesses and medical needs a family was managing before leaving still require attention afterward.
“For someone who has to leave everything behind, even the cost of a basic prescription can be a significant barrier,” she said.
The grant comes through Walmart®’s Spark Good local grant program and coincides with Domestic Violence Awareness Month, which Houston County commissioners recently recognized with a proclamation.
Stuart Wells, People Lead at Crockett Walmart®, said the program gives individual stores a role in deciding which local organizations receive support. That allows employees familiar with their communities to help direct funding where they believe it can do the most good.
“We’re very appreciative of the community and their business,” Wells said. “And so this is a way that we can give back to the community, build a stronger community.”
For this grant, the request was specific: help keep medical supplies available at the shelter and help residents obtain prescriptions.
Wells said a conversation with the center’s staff the previous day illustrated how practical those needs can be. With colder weather approaching, the shelter needs supplies such as children’s Tylenol and ibuprofen, along with assistance paying for prescription medications.
“We know the organization it’s going to. We know what those funds are going to be used for,” Wells said. “We look for opportunities where we think those limited funds will have the most impact.”
For Wells, that decision also carries a personal connection. He grew up in Crockett and graduated from high school here. Helping direct support to an organization serving people in his hometown gives the work added meaning.
“Unfortunately, a lot of us know people that have either used services through the Family Crisis Center or could have used services,” Wells said. “It means a lot to me to be able to have that kind of impact and give them that kind of aid.”
That observation echoes the center’s 2026 awareness campaign: “Everyone Knows Someone.”
Burran said the campaign encourages people to recognize that domestic violence can affect someone they know, even when it has not touched their own household directly.
“No one wants to think that this is happening in their community,” she said. “But it is.”
Throughout October, the center has been working in its outreach counties to honor victims, raise awareness and help residents understand what assistance is available. Partnerships with local government, businesses and community members help carry that information to people who may need it.
Burran said the first message she wants survivors to hear is that help is available locally, and that the center’s survivor services are free and confidential.
Someone does not have to arrive with every decision already made. An individual considering leaving an abusive relationship can talk with an advocate and work through a safety plan. Others may need counseling or assistance seeking a protective order.
“We just want survivors to know that our agency is here for them,” Burran said.
The nonprofit serves people affected by domestic violence and sexual assault, including those whose experiences happened years earlier.
“It does not have to be a current situation,” Burran said. “It can be any time in your life.”
The center’s services include a 24-hour crisis hotline and text line, counseling, medical advocacy, transitional housing and assistance with economic stability. Its work also includes helping people affected by human trafficking and teen dating violence.
Burran said awareness involves recognizing abuse that may not leave visible injuries. Financial control and verbal abuse can also be part of a violent or controlling relationship.
“Many people think that domestic violence is only physical,” she said.
For young people learning to navigate relationships, jealousy and controlling behavior can be mistaken for signs of affection. Burran said education can help them recognize unhealthy patterns.
Children also need attention in discussions that often focus primarily on the adults involved.
“Sometimes children are the silent victims in domestic violence,” Burran said.
The center also operates a 24-week Batterers Intervention and Prevention Program, with a class offered in Houston County. Burran described it as a structured educational program for intimate partner violence offenders, accredited through the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.
Together, the center’s services address needs that extend beyond the immediate moment of leaving an abusive situation. Friday’s grant will help with one specific part of that work: keeping survivors and their children supplied with medications and medical necessities while they seek safety and stability.
Burran thanked Crockett Walmart® for recognizing that need and supporting the center’s request.
For Wells, the presentation was another opportunity to put the store’s community ties to work.
“I’d just like to thank the community for everything that they do,” he said. “We will continue to find ways to give back and make a meaningful impact in the community.”
Greg Ritchie can be reached at [email protected]
