Carol Brown is a native of the Como community who left briefly to attend college in Arkansas where she majored in nursing. Two years later, she transferred to the University of Texas at Arlington (UTA) and quickly returned to the community she loved. While attending college, she got a part time job at Como Community Center and fell in love with helping the community she had grown up in. She changed her major to sociology and never looked back, having learned the lessons taught by her mother and her innate need to serve, Brown discovered her calling.
After graduating, Brown became an employee for the city of Fort Worth and for all but 6 months of her 35 years of employment, was the director of Como Community Center. During her tenure with the city, Brown fought on behalf of her beloved community, doing everything possible to get funding for the myriad of programs intended to help the citizens of Lake Como. With funding still lacking, Brown decided her talents would best be utilized by spending her time and talents raising funds for the community. She retired from the city in 2015 and began Como Lions Heart, a nonprofit organization which supports families, youth and seniors through community-based programs and educational programs. They also offer programs to prepare college students for the future. After 35 years of service Brown could have retired, but when asked why she began Como Lions Heart, she responded, “The city has a lousy budget and there are no other social services available in Como.”
In her role as Executive Director of Como Lions Heart, Brown is an integral part of the community and oversees fundraising efforts vital to keeping various programs running in the Como community. “Our focus is on programs that support youth and seniors, because those are the groups most often overlooked,” says Brown.
To read the full story, click on the cover of the June 2023 issue
