Who we are

The Widow’s Mite Initiative is a San Marcos-rooted nonprofit organization dedicated to delivering justice-centered support for the most vulnerable in our communities. Our mission is to provide legal aid, transitional housing, and emergency relief to individuals facing some of life’s most difficult circumstances—including widows, orphans, victims of domestic violence, veterans, and more.

Our story begins with an act of generosity. Sharon K. Jacobs, a nurse, Texas State University alumna and longtime San Marcos resident of over 60 years, purchased a piece of land in 1997 with the hope that it might one day serve a greater purpose. Nearly three decades later, she entrusted the 7.5 acre estate to Rebecca Iglesias-Flores and the Flores family with a shared vision: to create something that would uplift and serve the local community.

Today, that vision is becoming a reality.

The Widow’s Mite Initiative is currently in its development phase, with land surveying, clearing, and construction planned over the next three years. Our flagship San Marcos location is expected to open its doors in 2030, at which point we will begin offering direct services including legal aid, emergency assistance, and transitional housing support.

The organization is led by President Rebecca Iglesias-Flores, a Texas State University alumna, University of Pennsylania alumna, and aspiring attorney currently preparing for law school. Her long-term vision is to lead a network of legal services that advocate for and defend the most vulnerable members of society. She is joined by Treasurer Leo Flores Sr., retiree from the Health and Human Services Commission for 27 years of service in the Office of Inspector General, and Secretary Tina Flores, retiree from the Health and Human Services Commission for 30 years of service in Food Stamp/Children’s Medicaid/CHIP program, whose backgrounds also include seminary education at Rio Grande Bible Institute, Directors of the Child Evangelism Fellowship Program in the Rio Grande Valley, and serving as missionaries in Canada and Mexico for 11 years, before their careers with the State of Texas. Together, their shared experiences of faith and social service have shaped the foundation’s mission.

While our flagship campus is being developed in San Marcos, the Widow’s Mite Initiative is designed as a multi-site organization. Additional properties have already been secured, with plans to expand into satellite locations that will extend our reach and services by 2035 to other communities in need. These future sites will allow us to scale our legal aid programs, housing initiatives, and emergency relief efforts beyond a single location, creating a broader, lasting impact that we might, as Rebecca likes to say, “Bring a little piece of Heaven on Earth.”

In addition to our core mission, the organization will develop complementary programs such as housing for missionaries on furlough or in retirement, partnership with foster foundations (Rebecca was trained and licensed as a Foster Parent with Bear Foundation in 2017), and wildlife rehabilitation and conservation initiatives that support both ecosystem restoration and persons healing from trauma-based experiences, further strengthening our commitment to service, restoration, and community care.

At its core, the Widow’s Mite Initiative is a long-term investment in people—rooted in faith, justice, and the belief that even the smallest offering, when given with purpose, can create lasting change.