A community run can be more than a race. It’s a chance to spend a Saturday morning with your family, catch up with neighbors, and support an organization doing meaningful work close to home.
On Saturday, September 26, 2026, Sunny Glen Children’s Home is hosting the 12th Annual Incredible Kidz 5K and 1 Mile Color Run at McKelvey Park in Harlingen, Texas, from 8:00 AM to 11:00 AM. Families, runners, walkers, and neighbors from across the Rio Grande Valley will be there, along with members of the Sunny Glen team ready to share more about the organization’s work.
For a lot of families, the run is simply a fun way to support Sunny Glen and get everyone out of the house on a Saturday morning. But it’s also a chance to learn about the programs behind the organization, including: the Poenisch Counseling Center.
Stop by the Counseling Center booth during the event, say hello to the team, ask questions, and learn more about counseling for children, adults, couples, and families throughout the Rio Grande Valley.
Join Sunny Glen for the Incredible Kidz Run
Over the years, the Incredible Kidz 5K and Color Run has become a familiar way for families and supporters to come together around Sunny Glen’s mission while enjoying a morning that still feels relaxed and fun.
This year’s race will take place at McKelvey Park, 1325 S. 77 Sunshine Strip, Harlingen, TX 78550. Participants can choose between the 5K and the 1 Mile Color Run, so whether you enjoy running or would rather walk with the family, there’s a way to take part.
Some people show up ready to race. Others walk with the kids, cheer from the sidelines, or simply enjoy being part of the morning. However you participate, you’re helping support the children and families Sunny Glen serves.
The run itself is the headline, but it’s not the whole story. Community events like this are also where people meet Sunny Glen staff, hear about programs they may not have known existed, and discover resources they might remember when they need them later.
One of those resources is the Poenisch Counseling Center.
Meet the Poenisch Counseling Center at the Run
Think of the Counseling Center booth as a relaxed, no-pressure place to stop for a few minutes.
You can meet members of the Sunny Glen Counseling Services team and ask whatever you’re curious about, whether that’s support for your child or counseling for yourself, your relationship, or your family.
You don’t need a specific reason to stop by. You don’t even need to be looking for counseling right now.
Sometimes it simply helps to know what’s available in your community. If things become more difficult later, for you or someone you care about, you already have an idea of where to start.
There’s also something different about meeting the people behind a counseling center at a community event rather than trying to find help for the first time during a stressful week. It’s a lower-pressure way to learn what Sunny Glen Counseling Services offers and who the center serves.
And the pairing makes sense. The run is about movement, family time, and community connection. The Counseling Center focuses on the quieter side of well-being: emotional health, relationships, coping, and getting through difficult seasons. Different kinds of support, but both rooted in the same community.
What Is the Poenisch Counseling Center?
The Poenisch Counseling Center is part of Sunny Glen Children’s Home and offers professional counseling services to people across the Rio Grande Valley.
Sunny Glen added counseling services in 2017, extending its work beyond the children living on campus and into the surrounding community.
One thing that may surprise people is that you do not have to be a Sunny Glen resident to utilize the center.
A parent concerned about their child, an adult going through a difficult season, a couple working through relationship challenges, or a family adjusting to a major change may all be able to explore counseling through the center.
The Poenisch Counseling Center includes private counseling rooms and a dedicated play therapy space designed with younger clients in mind. It’s another way Sunny Glen’s work reaches beyond residential care and into the wider community.
Counseling for Kids, Adults, and Families Across the Rio Grande Valley
People come to counseling for all kinds of reasons. It might be grief, stress, trauma, relationship concerns, parenting challenges, or a major change at home. Sometimes it isn’t one big event at all. A person may simply want a private space to talk through what they’ve been carrying.
Sunny Glen Counseling Services works with children, adolescents, adults, couples, families, and groups. Counseling can give people space to understand what they’re experiencing, improve communication, and develop healthier ways of responding to difficult situations.
Children, though, may need a different approach than adults.
Young children do not always have the words to explain complicated emotions. They may struggle to describe what happened, how something made them feel, or why they are reacting differently than usual.
That’s one reason the Poenisch Counseling Center includes a dedicated play therapy space. Through play therapy, children can express feelings and experiences in ways that may come more naturally than putting everything into words.
For families in San Benito, Harlingen, and communities throughout the Rio Grande Valley, having a local place to learn about this kind of support can make the first step feel more manageable.
Understanding Trauma-Informed Counseling
Sunny Glen Counseling Services also uses a trauma-informed approach.
Trauma can affect the way someone handles stress, processes emotions, communicates, or builds relationships. In children especially, difficult experiences may show up through changes in behavior, strong emotional reactions, trouble trusting others, or difficulty explaining how they feel.
A trauma-informed approach looks beyond the behavior itself and considers what may be underneath it.
That doesn’t mean jumping to conclusions or assuming every behavior is connected to trauma. It means recognizing that past experiences can influence how someone responds in the present and that feeling safe, heard, and supported can be an important part of moving forward.
It’s a natural extension of the work Sunny Glen has done for decades with children who may have experienced difficult circumstances. Through the Counseling Center, that same thoughtful approach is also available to adults and families in the wider community.
You Don’t Have to Wait for a Crisis
There’s a common idea that something has to be seriously wrong before someone can consider counseling.
That isn’t always the case.
People may reach out during stressful seasons, after a loss, during changes at home, when relationships feel strained, or when parenting starts to feel heavier than expected. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) also provides information and resources for people looking for mental health support and treatment options.
Sometimes there’s one clear reason someone decides to seek counseling. More often, it may be a combination of smaller concerns that have been building over time.
That’s part of the value of the Counseling Center booth at the Incredible Kidz Run. Nobody has to show up with a fully formed problem or a decision already made. You can stop by, ask a question, meet the team, and find out what’s available.
Sometimes that’s enough for a first step.
A Local Resource for the Rio Grande Valley
When you’re already stretched thin, searching for help can feel like one more thing added to an already full plate.
That’s why knowing about local resources before you need them can matter.
The Poenisch Counseling Center gives individuals and families across the Rio Grande Valley another place to learn about counseling and emotional support. The Incredible Kidz Run is a natural way to make that introduction because families are already gathered in one place, connecting with Sunny Glen and the wider community.
A quick conversation at a booth may not seem like much at the moment. But it can be the resource someone remembers later when they or someone they care about needs support.
Visit the Counseling Center After the Run
The booth might be someone’s first introduction to Sunny Glen Counseling Services, but it doesn’t have to be the last.
The Poenisch Counseling Center is located at 2385 W. Expressway 83 in San Benito, Texas 78586. Regular hours are Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM, with additional appointment times available by request.
Community members can reach out to learn more about services, ask about appointment availability, or find out what type of counseling may fit their situation. Spanish-language assistance is also available.
If you meet the team at the run, remember that the center is still there after race day. Knowing where to go and how to reconnect can make that next conversation a little easier.
More Than a Finish Line
The Incredible Kidz Run lasts one morning. What people take away from it can last much longer.
Some people will come for the 5K. Some families will come for the Color Run. Others simply want to support Sunny Glen and spend a Saturday morning with people in their community.
Along the way, they may discover a program or resource they didn’t know was available.
The Poenisch Counseling Center is one of those resources.
Sometimes support starts with something small: meeting the right person, asking one question, or simply finding out where to go next.
Join Sunny Glen on September 26
Join Sunny Glen Children’s Home for the 12th Annual Incredible Kidz 5K and 1 Mile Color Run on Saturday, September 26, 2026, from 8:00 AM to 11:00 AM at McKelvey Park in Harlingen.
Run it, walk it, bring the family, support Sunny Glen’s mission, and spend the morning with people from across the Rio Grande Valley. While you’re there, stop by the Poenisch Counseling Center booth to meet the team, ask questions, and learn more about counseling services for children, adults, couples, and families.
Ready to be part of the day? Learn more about Sunny Glen events and save the date. If you’re interested in the Poenisch Counseling Center, connect with Sunny Glen to learn more about counseling services and how to reach the team.
When is the Sunny Glen Incredible Kidz Run?
The 12th Annual Incredible Kidz 5K and 1 Mile Color Run will take place on Saturday, September 26, 2026, from 8:00 AM to 11:00 AM.
Where does the run take place?
The event will be held at McKelvey Park, 1325 S. 77 Sunshine Strip, Harlingen, TX 78550.
How can I learn more about the run?
Visit Sunny Glen’s official events page for additional event information and updates.
Can I meet the Counseling Center team there?
Yes. Attendees can stop by the Poenisch Counseling Center booth to meet the team, ask general questions, and learn more about available services.
Is the Poenisch Counseling Center only for Sunny Glen residents?
No. The center also serves individuals and families throughout the wider Rio Grande Valley community.
What kinds of counseling are available?
Sunny Glen Counseling Services works with children, adolescents, adults, couples, families, and groups. The center also uses trauma-informed approaches and play therapy techniques.
Where is the Poenisch Counseling Center located?
The center is located at 2385 W. Expressway 83, San Benito, Texas 78586.