Introducing our Founders…even though they will openly give ALL the glory to God…he has been working diligently through them……Krystal and Huery Lewis are the incredible couple that have created the foundation known as Jerrin’s Hope. They have invested so much time and energy into this and have let God guide their every decision. Huery and Krystal are the parents of Jerrin Hernandez. They lost this beautiful boy to an accidental fentanyl overdose in December of 2023 and his tragic, life changing death is what has sparked this family into starting a local movement against drugs and the Fentanyl crisis.

When choosing the President of Jerrin’s Hope Krystal took her time and prayed ever so diligently on it. She prayed for quite a while and one day a fire came through her that was the Holy Spirit and told her that Jesse Rosales was indeed the man for this position. She said she had never felt anything like this before and knew that God was speaking to her. Jesse has grown up in Abilene and has seen the changes both good and bad in our community. He is also an uncle to Krystal’s children( he was very close to Jerrin and was one of the role models that Jerrin looked up to). Since he has so much love for this family and our community, it has fueled his drive and made him so very passionate about what Jerrin’s Hope represents in turn making him the perfect leader for us. We so are lucky to have such a great man to be the President of Jerrin’s Hope!

We would like to Introduce our Vice President Sheli Garza! Sheli has worked for over a decade with the youth in Abilene. God called her to this ministry years ago to mentor our youth and follow a life long mission to plant seeds of hope in our rising generations. Through this journey and her own life experiences within her family, addiction ran deep due to untreated trauma, mental health, poverty, and generational cycles. Although she has witnessed addiction ,the fentanyl crisis is a level like she has never seen before that is killing our youth and future daily. Jerrin's tragic passing and God leading Krystal's heart to ask Sheli to join Jerrin's Hope in the fight against fentanyl as Vice President of the board was God's will for her to step up to help lead and protect our youth. She is beyond proud and honored to be a part of this strong and faith driven team of people.

We would like to introduce Teresa Quiroz, our Secretary! She was born and raised in Sonora, TX.  She moved to Abilene in 2023.  Since then she has quickly gotten involved in many things that benefit our community including Jerrin’s Hope. She has such a love for this family as she is also a part of it..so she has deeply felt the tragic effect from the Fentanyl/Drug crisis. She wanted to help Krystal and Huery with 💜Jerrin’s Hope💜. Teresa said, “if one child is reached through 💜Jerrin’s Hope💜 so no other mom or dad has to mourn, then I want to be a part of it.”Teresa has impeccable organizing skills and being the secretary is how she felt that she could dutifully contribute to 💜Jerrin’s Hope💜.

We would like to introduce one of our incredible board members…Teresa Fudge-Utter! Teresa has 10 years of experience working with individuals who struggle with substance use. Not only has she worked as a TTOR coach (Texas Targeted Opiate Recovery) which helps individuals with Opiate use disorders, but for the last 7 years, Teresa has worked as an LCDC (Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor) for a non-profit residential treatment facility. Teresa is currently employed as a counselor for a MAT (Medication Assisted Treatment) facility working specifically with those who are addicted to opioids. She is extremely passionate about her line of work and therefore continues to further her education to broaden her scope of practice so that she can better assist those struggling with substance use at a much deeper level. Teresa has dedicated her life and career to educating individuals about the dangers of opiate use, as well as providing the MUCH needed resources for those who choose to seek help with addiction….which makes her the perfect addition to our Board!

And now for our final and newest board member introduction…..Shannon Baird! Shannon was born and raised primarily here in Abilene and which means he has seen several changes in our city both good bad alike. As a father he helped coach kids in a softball league for several years and he has sat on boards in the past to help the youth of our community. Shannon is a father, grandfather, business manager, and minister in a local church. He has a heart for not only our youth but for those who many in society deem less than. Shannon is very passionate about what he believes in….one of them being Jerrin’s Hope. Which makes him heavily devoted to this organization and a wonderful addition to our board!