Coffee house Neon Belly opened in mid-November in North Austin. 

On the menu: The shop serves a variety of coffee drinks such as the baklava latte, horchata latte and iced orange macchiato, along with classic options such as cold brew, drip coffee and espressos. The shop also serves matcha lattes and a variety of teas, while its pastry menu includes sourdough bites, cookies, muffins, scones and gluten-free desserts. 

Did you know? Owner Kathleen Wainwright says the entire coffee house is designed to glow and create a vibrant space that lights up North Austin’s coffee scene. 

• 8312 Burnet Road, Ste. 101, Austin

Based in the West Austin area, Memory Caregiver Academy of Austin has spent four years training local high school students how to care for people with dementia. With an average of 30 students a year, the nonprofit has offered services across various campuses in the Austin area and nearby cities.

The impact: Throughout the training, students are shown videos created by Wilder and her team. The videos express tips on how to be empathetic and patient with people experiencing memory loss including simplifying daily routines. After students watch the two video series, an instructor visits the class to work with the students before the class begins taking trips to nearby memory care facilities.

Get involved: The nonprofit also operates a mentoring program where individuals with experience caring for people with memory loss can guide students through resume building, figure out additional training and more.

Community members can also find volunteer opportunities at the organization’s events. Volunteer activities may include setting up, handing out supplies, cleaning and more.

Here are the top Community Impact stories in the Austin area from Dec. 22-25.

1. Tunnels complete for Lake Travis deep-water intake project

2. Check out these 9 Austin-area restaurants open on Christmas Day

3. Check out these new and coming soon Georgetown-area businesses

4. Billboard on Bee Caves Road set for January court case

5. Cinemark Stone Hill Town Center upgrade coming soon

6. Austin sees 46% drop in pedestrian crashes after left-turn safety pilot

David Boren, vice president of Chisholm Trail Financial Group providing financial services in Central Texas, spoke with Community Impact about best practices for estate planning. He has 40 years of experience as a certified financial planner.

What are the most common mistakes people make when estate planning?
The state intestate laws say that if you don't have a will, then if you have a spouse, significant other or someone that you are in a legal relationship with, 50% goes to them. And for any children, 50% goes to the children whether you want it to or not. So it's important that someone take the steps necessary to start this process.

What are some things that people should know when starting their estate planning?
How do you want your assets distributed?
And, what's the most efficient way to distribute them without leaving a lump sum to the IRS?

How can families help each other during the estate planning process?
Ask the question. Don't be afraid to say, “What have you done?”