WINDCREST, Texas – A drive down Midcrown Drive paints the picture of how deep the holiday spirit runs in Windcrest.
“I’ve been coming to see the lights since I was five years old,” Wes Madere, a Canyon Lake resident, said. “It hasn’t changed much since I was a young kid.”
Thousands of lights, inflatables and animatronics line the city leading up to Christmas. December is not the only month of the year when Windcrest comes together.
“It’s very close-knit,” Windcrest resident Marlene Pappon said. “It’s growing… but I still think it has that hometown charm.”
Pappon is a woman of many clubs. She is the club administrator for the local Lions Club chapter.
Pappon is also involved in the Garden Club, Women’s Club and Roosevelt High School’s LEO Club.
“We have parades. We have the firefighter’s picnic. We have the chili dinner,” Pappon said.
She works with dozens of others to make this possible. Pappon said she wants to preserve the small-town feel of Windcrest for as long as she can.
“It’s difficult,” Pappon said when asked how to get younger Windcrest families involved. “We try to have something for the kids to do.”
This is where the Windcrest Volunteer Group steps in to help.
Over the last year, a handful of volunteers have helped pick up neighborhood projects.
They’ve built multiple community libraries, helped mow lawns, installed flag poles and fixed broken fences.
Anita Luna-Caulk heads this operation.
“We do this because we want to,” Luna-Caulk said.
Completely free and community-driven — that’s how Luna-Caulk describes this volunteer initiative. She does it with the help of others, like Kevin Compton.
“It really makes me feel good just to be able to help,” Compton said.
What may sound like small projects can mean the world to the neighbors receiving the help.
Last month, KSAT reported that Windcrest’s Little League team had its maintenance gator stolen. Several residents helped tow the field in the aftermath.
During our reporting for this Know My Neighborhood episode, KSAT learned one of those volunteers was Compton.
“I came down here and saw,” Compton said. “I used my tractor and let him use it and we cleaned it up and got it level again.”
Compton described it as a “lean-on” mentality, which means looking out for neighbors in need of a helping hand.
As the city grows, one priority is top of mind for most residents: preserving its close-community feel.
Also in this edition of ‘Know My Neighborhood’: