First Chance Foundation

06/19/2026

We’re honored to share that First Chance Foundation has been nominated for the Bulverde Spring Branch Area Chamber of Commerce 𝟚𝟘𝟚𝟞 𝔹𝕖𝕤𝕥 𝕠𝕗 𝔹𝕦𝕝𝕧𝕖𝕣𝕕𝕖 𝕊𝕡𝕣𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝔹𝕣𝕒𝕟𝕔𝕙 – 𝔹𝕖𝕤𝕥 ℕ𝕠𝕟‑ℙ𝕣𝕠𝕗𝕚𝕥 - Children/Youth/and Education!

This recognition shines a light on the work being done for children who have been abandoned, abused, or neglected, and it reflects the heart of our community that continues to stand with us.

Voting runs June 15 – July 15, and we’d be grateful for your support.

Cast your vote using the link: Best Non‑Profit https://www.bestofbsb.com/category/13430/best-nonprofit---children-youth-education

Every vote helps amplify the mission of giving vulnerable children a safe place, a warm bed, and a true first chance at hope.

Thank you for believing in this work and for helping us change lives.

Cast your vote for the finest in town!

05/24/2026

When we think about child abuse, we tend to picture older children. The reality is far more heartbreaking. The most vulnerable victims of child abuse and neglect in America are babies.

According to federal data, children under the age of one have the highest rate of abuse fatalities of any age group. In fact, 44 percent of all child fatalities from abuse or neglect involve children under one year old.

These are not children who can speak up. They cannot tell a teacher what is happening at home. They cannot call for help. They cannot run. They are entirely, completely, and absolutely dependent on the adults around them. And for some of them, those adults are the very source of the danger.

Here in Texas, our own state data shows that more than 60 percent of confirmed child abuse fatalities involved children too young for school, too young for anyone outside the home to see them regularly. Too young to be found in time.

We believe that every child is knit together by God, known before they are born, precious and purposed. The same God who said "Let the little children come to me" sees every one of these babies, and we believe He needs us to be the hands and feet to care for them.

While some are called to work in home visiting programs or infant welfare organizations, others are called to share their treasure so these programs can be funded. That’s what we do. We raise money at Ribs & 'Ritas each year so we can financially support organizations that help those who can’t help themselves. That is who we fight for.

We’re gathering at the Knibbe Ranch in Spring Branch, Texas on June 13th. We’ll be asking people to care about children they will never meet, whose names they will never know. Because God knows their names, and that is enough.

Heather and Clint Swindall

05/16/2026

The horror an abused child experiences doesn’t stay in childhood. Things like abuse, neglect, hunger, witnessing violence at home, and losing a parent. The traumatic events that happen during the years when a child's brain is still forming, still learning how to make sense of the world.

And the research is staggering. According to research, Adverse Childhood Experiences are linked to chronic health problems, mental illness, and substance abuse in adulthood. It’s not that they might be linked. They are linked.

A child who grows up in an environment of abuse or neglect doesn't just carry emotional scars. They carry physical ones too. Studies show that these Adverse Childhood Experiences contribute to five of the ten leading causes of death in the United States.

Here is the part that keeps us going. These Adverse Childhood Experiences can be prevented. When the right people intervene, the trajectory of that child's entire life can change.

There is a reason the Bible returns again and again to the theme of healing and restoration, of broken things being made whole. We don't believe that promise is only for the next life. We believe we are called to be instruments of it in this one.

These children can heal. With the right support, at the right time, from the right people, they can heal.

That is what the First Chance Foundation is all about. We are funding organizations in the business of healing. Check it out at firstchancefoundation.org.

Heather and Clint Swindall

05/11/2026

It’s not easy to think about children in need. Kids going hungry. Kids growing up in homes where no one is keeping them safe. Kids aging out of the foster care system at 18 with nowhere to go.

My wife and I started the First Chance Foundation twenty-one years ago because we believe every one of these kids is known and loved by God. We believe that He calls people like us, people who have been blessed with an incredible community of generous hearts, to do something about it.

We are not heroes. We are just people who said yes. On June 13th, we’re inviting this incredible community of generous hearts to step into the gap to help these kids. The event is called Ribs & ‘Ritas. It is our one fundraiser of the year.

No rubber chicken dinner. No black tie. Just flip-flops, cold beverages, world-class BBQ cooked by competition teams who donated their time and talent, silent and live auctions, and a room full of people who actually want to change something.

Last year, we raised $400,000 in a single night for kids who had no one fighting for them. Since the inception of Ribs & ‘Ritas, we have raised over $2.2 million. Let’s add to that total. Sponsorship opportunities are open right now.

These kids don't have a lobby. They don't have a PR team. But they have a God who sees them. And on June 13th, they have us. Let’s pack the Knibbe Ranch.

Clint and Heather Swindall

05/08/2026

We are proud to support StandUp for Kids - San Antonio, a partner who shows up with heart, purpose, and unwavering commitment to kids in need.

05/01/2026

When a child who has been neglected or abused gets connected to a trauma-informed counselor, a stable mentor, a food pantry that doesn't ask questions, or an after-school program that makes them feel like they belong, things change. Not overnight. But they change.

Research shows that Adverse Childhood Experiences (the clinical term for what happens to kids who grow up in chaos and trauma) dramatically increase the risk of depression, addiction, chronic illness, and early death in adulthood. A bad childhood doesn't stay in childhood.

But the science is equally clear that intervention works. When the right nonprofit enters a community and wraps support around a vulnerable child, the trajectory of that child's life can shift. That is a documented fact.

We think of the parable of the lost sheep. The shepherd who left the ninety-nine to go find the one. Not because the one was more valuable, but because that is what love does. It goes after the one who is lost. It doesn't wait for them to find their way home.

That's the “why” behind the First Chance Foundation. We find the organizations on the front lines doing the work to go after the one, and we fund them to do more of it. We’re able to do that because of generous donors who have provided $2.2 million over the past decade. We’re able to do that because of incredible volunteers who give their time and talent. We’re able to do that because of people who show up and care.

We have one event a year. This year, it’s June 13th. It’s on a ranch in Texas, with the best BBQ you've ever eaten. That's how we do it. We are making a difference. If you want to be a part of it, check us out at firstchancefoundation.org, and be a part of Ribs & 'Ritas!

04/29/2026

Spotlighting Child Advocates San Antonio (CASA), a group whose dedication helps children discover their strengths and believe in their future.

04/22/2026

Maine Children's Home continues to show what compassionate, community‑driven support can do for kids in foster care.

04/16/2026

Imagine turning 18 and having the rug pulled out from under you.

No family to call. No safety net. No one to co-sign your first car or let you crash on the couch when things don’t go as planned. Just a milestone birthday and a system that says, "You're on your own now."

That's the reality for thousands of kids in the American foster care system every single year.

At the end of 2024, there were roughly 329,000 children in foster care in the United States. Most of them didn't choose to be there. They were removed from homes where they were being hurt, neglected, or abandoned. The system steps in. And for a lot of these kids, the system is the closest thing to family they've ever had.

Then they turn 18.

In 2024, more than 15,000 young people "aged out" of foster care. They didn't get adopted, didn't get reunited with a stable family, and they didn't have anywhere to go. They just left.

Within a few years of aging out, research shows that up to 46% of former foster youth will experience homelessness. Nearly half.

We believe every child is created by God and loved by God, and we believe He calls those of us who have been blessed to see the ones the world overlooks. These children are not overlooked by Him. They should not be overlooked by us.

They just need someone in their corner. They need us. They need you. It starts with making people aware of the problem, and then taking real steps to solve it.

That's what the work of the First Chance Foundation is all about.

Heather and Clint Swindall

04/15/2026

We’re grateful for Children's Restoration Network, a partner who champions every child’s right to feel safe, supported, and encouraged.