Austin, TX — After a lifetime of loss, including three brothers and both parents, Roland Jimenez discovered peace in an unexpected place: the outdoors.
At Brushy Creek Park, CBS Austin’s Allison Miller surprised Jimenez with a $500 “Cash for Kindness” award from Air & Plumbing Today, honoring his nonprofit Come and Hike It, which helps those grieving the loss of a loved one find healing through nature and community.
“I myself have experienced a lot of loss I found peace in the outdoors — specifically hiking in Colorado, New Mexico, and West Texas,” Jimenez said. “How dare I keep that to myself? Why not share that with others?”
Launched in 2024, Come and Hike It now offers programs like Hike to Honor, guiding participants through reflective outdoor retreats in West Texas. The nonprofit recently achieved 501(c)(3) status in July and hosted a successful fundraising gala this fall.
As far as what he wants to do with the $500, he told Allison, “I think it should go back to the organization,” said Jimenez. “It’s important to continue supporting the nonprofit as much as I can.”
His wife Heather, who nominated him, says the mission is growing faster than they ever imagined. “It’s spreading like wildfire,” she said. She added that these trips are transformative, “I feel like everyone comes out on the other side just a different person every time we go out there.”
Board member Tara, who lost her daughter, says the organization’s retreats offer a rare kind of solace. “Grieving never really comes to an end, but to experience the power of nature in an atmosphere with people yearning to heal, is something you can’t put a price on.”
Learn more or get involved at ComeAndHikeIt.org