As many residents know, living in rural areas within San Diego County comes with its challenges. The biggest of those is the distance away from large grocery stores, shopping centers and resources. These last two years have demonstrated the vital importance of helping others in need. A new nonprofit organization, Backcountry Communities Thriving, is focused on doing just that; supporting those within Julian and the surrounding rural areas.

Hilary Ward, former executive director of Julian Pathways, Inc., was instrumental in expanding Pathways' services to the Julian community. In the past, Pathways had only supported the students and families of the Julian Union Elementary School District (JUESD). In 2020, services were expanded to include the Julian community. After successfully supporting the community for a year and a half, the Pathways Board of Directors decided to once again limit their services to the JUESD students. In an effort to continue the community support, Ward created Backcountry Communities Thriving with the hopes of taking over the local thrift store and opening the resource center with the grants and donations that had already been received through Pathways. Unfortunately, the negotiations for the transition were unsuccessful.

Ward is eager to move forward with establishing Backcountry Communities Thriving (BCT) as a resource for the community. Some of the plans for the organization include educational support to the Julian High School students, operating a food pantry, assistance for senior citizens and homeless outreach. Ward's passion for serving others and her love of the Julian community is greatly appreciated. She's confident that BCT will prove to be a wonderful resource for Julian and the backcountry.

The organization is in need of support through donations and volunteers. Visit bc-ct.org for contact information and how you can support BCT.