Kody Followill had only been with Park Place Mercedes-Benz a few months, but as if he had Ken Schnitzer by his side, he cared for the gleaming white car at the entrance of Caren and Pete Kline’s residence on Wednesday, March 23.

Park Place Mercedes–Benz GLC300W

With guests arriving, Kody made sure that the flawless white mid-size SUV with steel gray interior and all the 21^st century gadgets stayed absolutely perfect. If so much as a leaf dared to land on the vehicle, Kody made sure the stay didn’t last more than a second. His one regret was that he hadn’t brought a cloth to keep polishing the Mercedes. Good thing, he didn’t because Kody would have probably rubbed the finish off.

The reason for Kody and his wheels being parked for guests to check out was this sweetheart of the Mercedes lineup will be the raffle prize at the Dallas Children’s Advocacy Center luncheon on Tuesday, April 26.

Paula Richmond, Caren Kline and Megan Steinbach

Inside, Caren was greeting one and all after attending the J. Erik Jonsson Luncheon earlier in the day. It was a memorable lunch according to Caren, who recalled honoree Terry Flowers describing his daughters as “pieces of my heart that walk outside my body.”

Pete Kline and Lynn Davis

But on this night the occasion was focused on thanking those who had been so supportive of DCAC and another luncheon — Appetite for Advocacy. In the living room, Pete talked with Dallas Children’s Advocacy Center’s Lynn Davis, who, when asked about the raffle, said he could cut a deal. Instead of the $100 per ticket, Lynn could sell 100 tickets for $1000. Well, yeah!

Event Co-Chairs Paula Richmond and Megan Steinbach have arranged for TED standout Brené Brown to be the speaker at the luncheon that has changed locations, sorta. It’s still at the Sheraton Dallas, but it will be take place on the upper level opposed to the ground floor.

Piece of trivia: Brené will be flying in that morning and heading out after the luncheon. The reason for the quick visit is a promise she made her family. She would only stay one night a month away from home. Now, that’s a lady who has her priorities in place.

Jennifer Staubach Gates*

A Staubach is going to be honored at the Mosaic Family Services’ 7^th Annual Gala. No, it’s not Rog or Marianne. It’s their oldest daughter/Dallas City Councilmember Jennifer Staubach Gates, who has carried on the Staubach legacy of community involvement and leadership. Come Thursday, October 20, at The Empire Room, Jennifer will be presented the Champion of Human Rights Award at a dinner co-chaired by Melissa Green and Elizabeth Weathersby with Lana Byrne serving as honorary chair.

The honor is annually given to “individuals and/or groups who strive to ensure the protection of the basic human rights and fundamental freedoms to which all human beings are entitled.”

Jennifer’s efforts with the Domestic Violence Task Force and Public safety Committee have been just a part of her “dedication to making a difference in the lives of Dallas residents, particularly survivors of domestic violence.”

According to Melissa, “Councilmember Jennifer Staubach Gates has been at the forefront of leading efforts in Dallas to raise awareness about family violence. As she continues her work combating this all too prevalent issue, we are pleased to honor her as a Champion of Human Rights. Our work would not be possible without her.”

Melissa Green*

Elizabeth Weathersby*

Lana Byrne*

Jennifer will join a heady group of past recipients including director/filmmaker Libby Spears, fashion designer Abi Ferrin, Judge Robert Canas Jr., Genesis Women’s Shelter Executive Director Jan Langbein, The Family Place Executive Director Paige Flink, Ambassador-At-Large Luis CdeBaca and philanthropist Lauren Embrey.

Tickets are $150 and sponsorships start at $500 for the evening of cocktails, dinner by Stock & Barrel, silent auction, raffle, casino games and live entertainment.

* Photos provided by Mosaic Family Services

Christie Carter was event juggling on Tuesday, April 5. At 11 a.m. She was part of the 2016 Celebrating Women Luncheon announcement at Neiman Marcus Downtown. But before the right official reveal was made, Christie was headed over to the Omni for the Dallas CASA Cherish the Children luncheon.

Dallas CASA chair

Dallas CASA chair

Whew! That gal must have broken some record. She got there in time to check out the Deborah Gaspar Jewelry and the adorable kids’ chairs in the silent auction along with Lydia Novakov, Sarah Losinger, Connie O’Neill, Joyce Lacerte and Lyda Hill, before the doors opened to the Trinity Ballroom just before 11:30.

Lydia Novokov, Sarah Losinger and Connie ONeill

Charlene Howell and Caroline Rose Hunt

Honorary Chair Caroline Rose Hunt was already at her front row table chatting with Charlene Howell, Barbara Womble and Lynne Sheldon, who was still amazed that on this day husband Roy Sheldon was playing tennis after suffering a life-threatening illness just a couple of years before.

Across the way was a table of SMU Kappa Alpha Theta alumna (Jenni Scoggins, Barbara Cervin, Maury Cunningham, Sara Lytle, Francie Johnsen, Lynn Van Amburgh, Amy Dugan, Taylor Teague, Cori Bray and Anne Besser), who have been so supportive of Dallas CASA over the year. When asked about the construction status of the sorority’s new digs, all were delighted to claim that it would be the best one on the campus.

From the left: (Back row) Jenni Scoggins, Barbara Cervin, Maury Cunningham, Sara Lytle, Francie Johnsen and Lynn Van Amburgh; (Front row) Amy Dugan, Taylor Teague, Cori Bray and Anne Besser

Luncheon Chair Erin Pope welcomed the group pointing out the dignitaries in the crowd and introduced Dallas CASA Children’s Council President Jenny Reynolds, who told of two of her CASA encounters. One had been Desi, who had be rescued from a neglectful and abusive situation, only to find herself trapped in the foster care maze. Yes, she loved her mother, but it was not a healthy relationship. Thanks to Jenny’s efforts and those social workers, Desi’s mother allowed her daughter to be adopted by her foster family. Jenny still keeps up with Desi’s progress which is flourishing.

Erin Pope and Jenny Reynolds

With tears welling up in her eyes, she described “J,” her current foster child, who reflected years of neglect. Now, 13-years old, she ended up in foster care because her mother is in prison for harming a child — “J.” Her grandmother died months ago and her grandfather dropped “J” off on the doorstep of CPS because she was too difficult. Bouncing from foster home to foster home in the past six months, she had more than reflects wrong choices, she was charging into a life of self-destructive decisions — selling and using drugs, sex tapes, etc. A turning point recently took place when “J” was moved to a residential treatment center in Houston. Jenny drove to Houston the previous Friday to deliver a suitcase of “J’s” belongings. There at the front door was “J” waiting for Jenny. “She looked at me and said, ‘Jenny, you actually came. Jenny, I miss you.”

Kathleen LaValle

Dallas CASA Executive Director/President Kathleen LaValle recognized Honoree Caroline with former Dallas CASA Executive Director/President Beverly Levy at her side and then told of the organization’s goal to make Dallas the first city in the nation to have a CASA for each child in protective care. Of course, there is a need for funding to provide support for the advocates, but the need for volunteers is just as great. Without these adults volunteering their time, minds and hearts, there would be hundreds of vulnerable youngsters.

Erin then introduced guest speaker/author Laura McBride. Living in Las Vegas, she told about a time when her daughter was young and played soccer on a field across the highway from strip clubs and bordellos. Remember Laura and her family live in Las Vegas. In one of her classes, her 13-year-old daughter was asked to write her motto for living. She told her parents that her motto was a neon sign she had seen so often that had inspired her to live life fully and boldly. When Laura asked what her motto was, she replied, “Live Nude.”

Laura McBride

Laura recalled that she had wanted to live in a college town or a place that was safe. Instead she lived in a city filled with people so very different from herself. It was a boomtown of all types of people and has established an automatic acceptance of newbies. The city’s economy is also one based on service, where people are nice and watch what others might need.

All of this helped prepared her daughter in 2012 to head to the East Coast for college and to open to accepting differences. This development changed Laura’s view of how things might go. She said that instead of turning inward which is typical of humans, she realized that it was wrong. “Perhaps we are progressing by not joining groups that are necessarily like us.”

As a former advocate, she championed the idea that people need “a little more love, a little more care, a little less hate, a little less fear.”

Before adjourning Dallas CASA Board of Directors Chair John Gibson reinforced the message that had been provided earlier — the need for volunteers and, of course, funds.

Suggestion: You do not need a law degree to be a Dallas CASA. You just have to have compassion, determination and time. If you can spare those three things, you just might find a “J” on a front door waiting for you.

It’s not every day that guests get to visit the palatial home of Amy and Kelcy Warren in Preston Hollow, or enjoy an intimate concert there in the Warrens’ private music room. But that’s just what about 60 people did on Tuesday, April 5, when the Warrens hosted a thank-you event for generous supporters of the Dallas Children’s Advocacy Center, which serves abused children in Dallas County.

Among the guests welcomed by Amy and Kelcy and Lynn Davis, DCAC’s president and CEO, were Barbara and Steve Durham, Imad Anbouba, and Jan and Trevor Rees-Jones. Imad and Trevor work in the same industry as Kelcy, the billionaire founder of pipeline powerhouse Energy Transfer. Imad is on the board of one of Kelcy’s companies, and Trevor—another energy billionaire—shares an office building with Warren. The Warrens and the Rees-Joneses also share membership in DCAC’s Circle of Hope for major givers.

The busy Warrens were just back from a trip to Washington D.C., where Sheila and Jody Grant helped them celebrate Kelcy’s induction into the Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans. The evening’s hosts were also getting ready for their annual Cherokee Creek Music Festival on their ranch just outside Cherokee, Texas, northwest of Austin. One of the performers at the festival, David Barnes, was also the featured attraction for the DCAC supporters this evening.

After enjoying drinks and hors d’oeuvres on the first floor of the Warrens’ 8,000-square-foot mansion (it formerly belonged to software magnate Larry Lacerte and his wife, Joyce), the guests moved upstairs to the mini concert hall to listen to Barnes, whom Amy and Kelcy had not heard in person before. The Nashville-based, Grammy-nominated rock/country/Christian singer-songwriter has released eight albums, including his most recent, “Carry On, San Vicente.” In 2011 Blake Shelton recorded David’s song “God Gave Me You,” which became Blake’s fifth No. 1 country hit.

While most folks would be crying their eyes out if they were a million dollars poorer today, tis not the case for Nancy and Richard Rogers. Sure, they’re out $1M, but they aren’t boo-hoo-ing one bit.

The reason is that they challenged folks to raise money for Genesis Women’s Shelter and Support. The challenge was a million-buckaroo match for the Genesis Luncheon that Nancy was co-chairing with her legal eagle buddy Gina Betts today at the Hilton Anatole.

Nancy and Richard Rogers

Ron Corning and Tyler Perry

Last night at the underwriter party, Nancy was fretting a bit on whether the match was gonna happen.

Word just arrived that thanks to 1,500+ luncheon guests, sponsors, underwriters and friends, the challenge was indeed met. The Rogers are thrilled that they’ll be writing a million-dollar check to support Genesis’ battle against domestic violence.

BTW, Tyler Perry’s talk and conversation with WFAA’s Ron Corning on stage at the luncheon knocked it out of the park. But more about that later.

Lynn McBee (File photo)

Great news! Just as The Family Place is preparing for the groundbreaking of the 40,000-square-foot Ann Moody Place, a very nice gift arrived all wrapped up in dollar bills. According to The Family Place Foundation Board President Lynn McBee, the Perot Foundation has provided $1M to The Family Place’s capital campaign.

That sweetheart contribution brings the campaign to $13,594,000 with $3M still to go.

With domestic violence making headlines way too often, people and organizations are digging into their budgets and backing their support of those in need. There are still opportunities to be part of the team bringing The Family Place campaign to the finish line.

Carolyn Miller

David Miller

Blessed by Mother Nature, the Genesis Luncheon underwriters party had the most perfect spot to celebrate on Wednesday, April 20. It was Carolyn and David Miller’s home that many have driven by but few had visited.

Too bad that everyone stayed in the main house because the let-me-settle-backyard was enhanced by the fragrance of the honeysuckle in full bloom.

Carolyn and David Miller’s backyard

Janice Provost and her crew were in the garage cooking up the most delish yummies including itty-bitty sliders served in red gift boxes.

Just before Genesis Executive Director Jan Langbein told the group including Ken Betts, Michael Flores, Ashlee Kleinert, Gail and Gerald Turner, Emilynn and Claude Wilson, Claire and Dwight Emanuelson, Michael Meadows, Jan Baldwin and Mimi Sterling of things to come, Co-Chair Nancy Rogers arrived to join her Co-Chair Gina Betts.

Gina Betts and Nancy Rogers

In the dining room, the raffle items were lined up on the dining room table. They looked ripe for the grabbing. Sorry, but the raffle results wouldn’t be announced until the Friday, May 6, luncheon at the Hilton Anatole featuring Tyler Perry.

In addition to Tyler, there’s that challenge that Nancy and her husband Richard Rogers have issued — they’ll match up dollar-for-dollar up to a million dollars in funds raised for the luncheon.

On Tuesday, April 26, two leading organizations that are solely focused on protecting children had fundraising lunches in different parts of the city. While Dallas Children’s Advocacy Center gathered folks at the Sheraton Dallas, Jonathan’s Place’s “A Place to Soar” celebrated its 25th anniversary at the Dallas Country Club.  Priscilla Garcia filed this report from the DCC:

For 25 years Jonathan’s Place has been “protecting and caring for the previous children of North Texas, who have suffered from abuse, abandonment and neglect.” Just this past year they added to their services the Girls Transitional Living Program for young women ages 18-23 who have aged out of the foster system. Through the program these young women learn to be responsible and how to care for themselves.

On Tuesday, April 26, Jonathan’s Place celebrated its 25^th anniversary at its annual “A Chance To Soar” luncheon at the Dallas Country Club. Luncheon Co-Chairs Allison Carlisle and Rachel Stephens arranged to have Caren and Peter Kline serve as honorary co-chairs and for NBC’s Meredith Land to have a sit-down conversation with Dr. Lara Johnson. Through her heartfelt story, Lara revealed that she had a very rough childhood. Her mother was a heroin addict. Her father was an alcoholic. Lara focused on school and was a very good student. Luckily, her Woodrow Wilson High School teacher, Pat Faherty, encouraged her to fill out college application forms even though it was passed the deadline. Pat saw something in Lara. Through Pat’s help, Lara was able to go to college.

Meredith Land, Allicia Graham Frye and Lara Johnson*

As Pat sat in the audience, Lara told how their efforts paid off. Lara became a doctor. The reason? After going to various doctor appointments with her parents, she felt if she became a doctor, she might be able to help them in some way. Later in life her dad was diagnosed with HIV and passed away. Her mother recently died and wanted forgiveness before she passed. Lara said she had already forgiven her.

It was a very touching story, one that she wasn’t really planning on sharing because she is so private. But she changed her mind when an article was written about her in D Magazine after a chance conversation with a friend. Today she volunteers her medical services for the kids at JP and loves the organization. She is married with two children and likes for them to give back as well. Great Q&A!

Another highlight of the luncheon was the recognition of JP Board Chair Jennifer Norris and Meredith and Jason Cockburn, who have fostered over 50 kids through JP, and the presentation of the awards to the following:

Tonya Bailey, Rachel Stephens, Chad Dorman, Allicia Graham Frye, Beverly Childs, Al Sicard, Allison Carlisle, Mark Dehning and Mark Wilson*

• Award of Compassion — Christina and Michael Benge
• Award of Service — Nationwide Insurance
• Award of Excellence — Dallas Association of Health Underwriters

CEO Allicia Graham Frye spoke about the children at the cottages and gave a very genuine speech about her experiences there and how the donors are helping daily at the facility. She was very appreciative of all the support the donors give. She had a picture on the screen showing the where the teenage girls spend their free time. This space had recently been renovated by donors and she wanted to share a piece of the facility with the crowd.  Currently, there are 77 children at the campus.

To celebrate this landmark year for Jonathan’s Place, the following sponsors were on board:

• Presenting Hero Sponsor ($25,000) — ORIX Foundation
• Platinum Champion Sponsor ($15,000) — Al G. Hill Jr.
• Gold Protector Sponsors ($10,000) — Mohr Partners and Scopus Asset Management
• Silver Guardian Sponsors ($5,000) — Macy’s, Allison and John Carlisle, Marianne and Roger Staubach, Rachel and Brad Stephens, Stacey and Reid Walker and Kay Sim
• Bronze Defender Sponsors — Akin Gump Strauss Hauer and Feld LLP, Beth Maultsby and Goranson Bain LLC, The Stacy and Tyler Burke Fund, Freeman Group LLC, Kline Family Foundation, The Rosewood Corporation, Wick Phillips Gould & Martin LLP, Mr. and Mrs. Scott Bagley, Barbie and Bill Borlaug, Kim Cocotos, Marcellene Malouf and the Honorable Royal Furgeson, Dr. Greta Kerwin-Kopp, Wes Lambard, Amy and Tom Mahoney, Jennifer and Bradley Norris, Mr. and Mrs. Todd Phillips, Julie and Eliot Raffkind, Katherine and Eric Reeves, Randa Roach, Nan S. White and April and John Willingham.

* Photos provided by Jonathan's Place

With way more than 1,000…okay, it was nearly 2,000…in attendance, there was no doubt that at the Dallas Children’s Advocacy Center’s Appetite for Advocacy Luncheon at the Sheraton Dallas on Tuesday, April 26, something was up. Perhaps it was the speaker/best-selling author Brené Brown? Perhaps it was the occasion of DCAC’s 25^th anniversary? Perhaps it was the recent and dramatic incidents of child abuse? It didn’t matter why the place was filled; it was just the fact that people were coming in droves to support DCAC’s efforts to help abused children and “provide them with an opportunity to heal.”

Long before the clock ticked down, the Sheraton parking lot was already filled as a fire truck and an ambulance took care of needs across the street at the main hotel.

Ruth Altshuler and Susan Sharp

Andy Stern and Irving Groves

Katy Blakey, Randall and Kara Goss

Unlike years past, when the event took place on the Sheraton’s ground level, this year’s sell-out fundraiser was on the hotel’s second floor with folks like Janie McGarr, Isabell Novakov, Susan Sharp, Mary Blake, Randall and Kara Goss, Andy Stern, Irving Groves and Jen and Brad Adams.

As guests spent their time in the lobby, keynote speaker/TED wunderkind Brené Brown tested her mic in the ballroom. No problem. Everything was running right on schedule.

Another “instead of” situation was the meet-and-greet.” In years past, the speaker du jour would pose for photos and get to know the VIP types in a reception prior to the main event. But this year it was a reversal. Brené was gonna meet with them after the luncheon and then hit the airport to head home. Why the need to change things around? Well, Brené had made a promise to her family that she would only stay one night a month away from home. Since Dallas is just a quickie flight away from Brené’s hometown of Houston, she had to make it home in time for dinner. And then there were those weather threats that had been pounding the kiss-cuzzin cities of Dallas and Houston.

Susan Nichol, Ruth Altshuler, Bill Walsh and Irish Burch

The only frowny situation was that, when DCAC grand dame Ruth Altshuler and grand papa Bill Walsh presented the Ruth Sharp Altshuler Award and Lt. Bill Walsh Award to Capitals for Kids and Irish Burch, respectively, Brené was still nowhere in sight. As organizers smiled and said that she was being fitted for her mic, there was a chair at the numero uno table going empty.

DCAC President/CEO Lynn Davis got things rolling by telling the crowd that despite the recent deaths of Leiliana Wright and Gabe Flores and criticism of the Children’s Protection Services department, it was important to remember, “We are all in this together.”

Lynn Davis, Paula Richmond and Megan Steinbach

Joining Lynn on stage were Luncheon Co-Chairs Paula Richmond and Megan Steinbach, who said that if everyone at the event donated $100, then each table would provide therapy for a child. They asked that people fill the envelopes at their tables and hold them up to be collected. As the music played, hands raised with envelopes.

Then NBC5 anchor/reporter/emcee Katy Blakey introduced Brené, whose 2010 Tedx Houston Talk went crazy viral. In preparing for the Talk, she’d told her husband, Steve, that she was going to try an experiment at the Talk. She decided to be vulnerable and talk about “The Power of Vulnerability.” She revealed how one variable that both men and women share is to be vulnerable. Brené didn’t realize her Talk was being taped. But when TED curator Chris Anderson called to say they wanted to post it online, she thought perhaps a handful of friends and associates would see it. However, the Talk was so successful that it scored more than 24M views. It was then that Steve and her therapist recommended that she not read the comments online. She read all of them.

As a result, she decided “the only people who don’t experience shame are those who have no capacity for empathy and compassion.” Brené went on to say that she had “engineered her life to be small.” In other words, she had always wanted to stay under the radar, and now she was out there being vulnerable to commenters writing “Less research, more Botox;” “She should shed ten pounds before she talks about worthiness;” “So sorry for her husband and kids;” “It’s people like that that are ruining America;” etc.

In those comments were “everything I head feared all my life…As a trained social worker, I knew how to handle this — peanut butter and eight hours of ‘Downton Abbey’.” At the conclusion of her ‘Downton’ viewing, she got caught up with the era and Googled Theodore Roosevelt, who had been the U.S. president at the time. One of the first items to appear was Roosevelt’s “The Man in the Arena,” from his “Citizenship in a Republic” speech that he gave in 1910 at the Sorbonne.

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”

That inspired her to

• be in the arena. She was making a choice between courage and comfort “because you can’t choose both. There is nothing comfortable about courage.”
• realize that “vulnerability is not weakness. Vulnerability is actually our most accurate measure of courage — to have the willingness to show up when you cannot control the outcome.”
• not accept all feedback. “If you’re not in the arena getting your ass kicked on occasion, then I’m not open or interested in your feedback. The personal attacks, the name calling…There are a million cheap seats in the world today filled with people who will never enter the arena and take a chance with their thoughts. They will spend their entire lives hanging back and hurling judgment and criticism. And if you’re taking it and if you’re open to it, it will get in the way with your being brave and your life.”

She then gave an assignment to the audience — “Take a one-inch by one-inch piece of paper and write down the names of the people who really matter. There are the people whose opinions matter…I have seven. I had eight but one fell off…We need feedback. There is no mastery without it…But you’ve got to be careful whom we take it from.”

Brené Brown*

Brené then recalled the young man who told her how his parents had sent her TED talk to him and encouraged him to tell the girl he’d been dating that he loved her. When he did, the girl’s response was, “I think you’re awesome…and I think we should date other people.” On the way home, all the young man could think was, “Screw Brené Brown. Screw Brené Brown.” When he got back to his apartment and told his roommates what had happened, one roomie said, “Girls only like you when you’re running in the other direction. If you want them, you’ve got to run away.” The young man said he didn’t want to be that man. He wanted to be brave. His roommates burst out: “Right on!”

But that situation led to another question for Brené: How do you get up after a fall [in the arena of life]? She researched two years for the answers, with her results being “The Reckoning, The Rumble, The Revolution” that she described in her latest book, “Rising Strong.”

She told of how last year she had decided to write and launch a new book, start a company and train 1,000 people. That idea came to her in February with it all taking place by the fall. But by August everything was “falling apart.” She hadn’t slept soundly in weeks, her team was being pushed to the end and she was being overwhelmed. It all came to a head when Steve came home and opened the refrigerator. As she worked at her dining room table with papers and plans, she heard him say, “We don’t have lunch meat.” That comment was met with Brené suggesting he could go to the grocery. The conversation was not going well when she finally said that she knew everything was falling apart, that she was a terrible mother, etc., but she didn’t need him to “announce it so I know you know.”

This exchange resulted in her “story telling.” Brené was at that moment telling herself a story of failure. After calming down and talking it over, she sought his advice: Why had he said they had no lunch meat? Was he judging her? Steve’s answer: “I’m so hungry.”

The upshot was that our brains are wired for stories. If something difficult happens, our brains immediately search for a story to explain what’s happening. “If we give our brain a story, we are chemically rewarded for that story. The problem is that we have rewarded the story regardless of the accuracy of the story. The stories we make up and the one our brains love the most and give us the most reward for are stories of good guys, bad guys, safe people, unsafe people. The brain does not like uncertainty, ambiguity. My brain was saying, ‘Steve is a jerk. The last 30 years have been a lie’.”

Tying it back to DCAC’s work with children living in abusive and neglectful situations, Brené explained that the “greatest casualty of trauma is vulnerability. Because someone didn’t love us, we are unlovable.”

DCAC’s mission is to provide the services for traumatized children to heal and learn that they are loved and can embrace vulnerability.

* Photo credit: Kristina Bowman

In the past the featured speaker of the Genesis Annual Luncheon has attended The Jane Doe Award Dinner the night before for a small gathering of major supporters. This year’s speaker, Tyler Perry, was upfront and regretted that he wasn’t gonna make it for the event scheduled for Thursday, May 5. Now, such a development might send some fundraising chairs into a tizzy. Ah, but Genesis Annual Luncheon Co-Chairs Gina Betts and Nancy Rogers are far from your everyday co-chairs.

Nancy Rogers, Gina Betts and Molly Barnes

They rolled up their silk sleeves and made a couple of calls to folks who make big things bigger. The result was a no-sit-down, napkin-in-your-lap and ever-so-proper affair. No, siree. The reception took place in the entertainment center at Molly and Doug Barnes’ estate. Just making it past the security chap with the clipboard at the front gate gave a whole new layer to the expression, “You have arrived.”

Once inside the doors, there was the reception room that’s bigger than some condos. Just behind the check-in table was a marvelous view of the outdoor patio that looked so inviting with pool and umbrella-shaded tables. Still, most everybody stayed indoors with Cassandra and her staff passing all types of yummies and libations in addition to a side buffet of goodies. And then there was talk about a surprise that had been making the rounds. Nobody was supposed to know that Betts-Rogers had arranged for “special entertainment” to follow the presentation of the awards, but it seemed that everyone knew. Only they weren’t admitting it.

Nancy and Richard Rogers

T.D Jakes

Marianne Staubach and Nancy Ann Hunt

S.M. Wright II

Ron Corning and Tanya Foster

Genesis Executive Director Jan Langbein greeted all at the front door…At times it appeared to be a Mary Kay Ash family reunion as Richard Rogers walked in and directly headed to Nancy for a hug…Mary Kay great granddaughter Jessica Blair was on the scene, as well as MK’s granddaughter Gena Tadewald, who came into town from her place in Lucas, where she has horses, cows, dogs, sheep and all types of critters…Driving in from Fort Worth were Olivia and Jeff Kearney. Olivia recalled how Doug had told her, “It took me longer to build this house than it took Jerry Jones to build ‘The Star’ in Frisco.”…Genesis Raffle Co-Chairs Katy Bock and Tanya Foster were on hand with their fellas Lawrence Bock and Pete Foster, respectively…Others filling the room and spilling into the adjoining theater’s lobby were Ken Betts, Nancy Ann Hunt, Ashlee and Chris Kleinert, Kathleen Hutchinson, Michael Flores, Dallas Snadon, Doug Carney, Tracy and Ben Lange, Mary Crosland, Cara French, Lisa Ogle, Beth and Charles Thoele, S.M. Wright II, Genesis Annual Luncheon Emcee/WFAA anchor Ron Corning, Shane Allen, Jane Doe Awardee Serita Jakes with her husband T.D. Jakes, HeRO Award recipient Roger Staubach and wife Marianne Staubach. Roger, who has four daughters, admitted to Jan that “When I was growing up, I would have said it was one [case of domestic violence] in 10 million.” Jan said, “No, it’s one in three.” BTW, it was just a couple of years ago that Staubach daughter Jennifer Staubach Gates received the Jane Doe Award.

Kathleen Hutchinson

Michael Flores and Doug Carney

Ben and Tracy Lange

Ken Betts

Running a little behind schedule, the group finally moved into the cabaret-style theater with tables and chairs. Due to the SRO crowd, more chairs were assembled, but even then the SRO status remained.

On stage, Jan told about the Rogers’ $1M challenge and if it was met, Genesis Women’s Shelter would receive $2M. She introduced Mary Kay VP Crayton Webb, who heads up Genesis’ HeROs Men’s Auxiliary. Admitting to a definite case of “hero worship,” he did a great job introducing and presenting the award to Roger. Crayton recalled that when he asked Roger about former Dallas Cowboy Greg Hardy, who had made headlines regarding “an incident” of domestic violence with his then-girlfriend Nicole Holder, Roger responded, “We don’t root for him. I’ll root for the Cowboys, but I won’t root for him.”

Crayton Webb

Roger Staubach

Upon receiving the award, Roger added, “If I ever run into Greg, I hope Randy White is with me… Don’t we believe in second chances? Yes, but I’d rather give a second chance to a bank robber than a domestic violence person.” He then thanked Jan for bringing the issue to his attention.

Then Jan presented Serita with the Jane Doe Award for her “Starting Over Ministry,” an 8-week course which offers a curriculum with hands-on practical applications” for women “who are transitioning through some of life’s greatest challenges.” The award is presented to “individuals or groups who display extraordinary commitment to standing alongside those seeking safety, shelter and support.”

Serita Jakes

LeAnn Rimes*

Following the presentation of the awards, Jan sprung the surprise entertainment — LeAnn Rimes, who sang much longer than her arranged schedule. It was hard to imagine that it’s been 20 years since a 13-year-old Rimes made history with the release of “Blue.” The voice and delivery still amaze.

* Photo credit: Dana Driensky

Tyler Perry

With all the hype about Tyler Perry being the keynote speaker at the Genesis Annual Luncheon at the Hilton Anatole on Friday, May 6, it was daunting to think anyone could rise to the occasion. Sure, he was buds with the likes of Oprah and Will Smith and had risen from a dismal childhood to an entertainment powerhouse. But could he be bigger-than-life throughout the meet-and-greet, a luncheon and then a conversation about domestic abuse?

Perhaps the answer will be found in the post that is being prepared. In the meantime, checkout the numerous photos from the grip-and-grin and the luncheon on MySweetCharity Photo Gallery.

Twas the Friday before Mother’s Day and more than 1,500 gathered in the Hilton Anatole’s Chantilly Ballroom to learn about Maxine Perry at the Genesis Annual Luncheon.

Her 46-year-old son towered on stage recalling how at the age of 17, she had married a man, who had built their relationship on lies. The Cadillac he had when visiting her family on the weekends “from his ranch” was a loaner. And there was no ranch. She didn’t discover the truth until the newlyweds were in New Orleans.

Tyler Perry

The man-boy told of years of love for his mother, his witnessing her being the recipient of abuse and her children’s suffering emotional and physical cruelty.

There were the beatings by this “husband” upon his wife, the sexual abuse of the boy’s pre-teen girlfriend and his own abuse by the “man of the family.” Maxine had tried to escape, but was helpless and returned to a lifetime of domestic violence.

Tyler Perry

As much as he reflected on the love for his mother, the young man never mentioned the name of the abuser. In fact at the age of 16, the young man, whose birth name was the abuser’s with “Junior” tacked on, had legally changed his name to Tyler Perry.

But Tyler did not follow either of his parents’ footsteps. He was not to be a victim nor a tormentor. The billionaire entrepreneur told how he had emerged from the years of degradation thanks to his own will and a discussion on “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” in which it was suggested that the act of writing was cathartic. He did just that with the result being a musical that had less than great reception. However, he persisted and developed a following that turned into an entertainment empire.

Guests comforting each other

Men and women in the audience were truly moved hearing of the childhood that Tyler had suffered, as they wiped away tears, comforted each other by holding hands and were amazed at the delivery and story. Maxine would have loved this ode. But Maxine died on December 8, 2009 at the age of 64.

Following Tyler’s testimonial and a standing ovation, he was joined on stage by WFAA’s Ron Corning for a conversation.

Ron had the tricky job of transitioning from Tyler’s very moving talk to an informal chat. He did that by asking, “Let’s lighten the mood for a moment. Can we talk about how much money you have?” That brought a smile to Tyler and laughter from the group.

The two then talked about how Tyler’s original goal of taking care of Maxine had been expanded to motivating and inspiring others. He told how his first theatrical production with only 30 people in attendance had cost him his life savings ($12,000). Still there were people who told him that they understood and related to the performance. In considering the two-decade journey from that first effort to his present situation, he described it as “staggering, staggering.”

Tyler Perry and Ron Corning

Ron asked about Tyler’s 18-month-old son, Aman Tyler Perry, whom Tyler described as his “hero.” He told how when he looked at Aman, he saw himself as a child and “an opportunity to give all the love that I ever had to myself.” Instead of beatings, he shares butterfly kisses with his less-than-two-year-old son.

Ron then raised the question of how Tyler would raise Aman to appreciate having a life with little wants unlike Tyler’s. Tyler’s response: “Well, he [Aman] was born broke.” That brought laughter from the ballroom of guests. After the laughter died down, Tyler went on to say, “I will not give him everything… I will be there to support him to win his goals, but he has to earn.”

Then Tyler told how Aman’s mother, model/activist Gelila Bekele, is the coach of the family. He gave an example: At Christmas he gave her a yellow diamond earrings. Upon receiving the jewelry, she said they were beautiful, but Tyler sensed something was up and asked if there was a problem. She said while they were beautiful, could they be returned and the money used to help others. A bit dumbstruck, Tyler said, “It doesn’t have to be a choice. We can do both.”

Ron shifted gears and asked about his relationship with Oprah on their project “The Haves and The Have Nots” on her OWN network. When she first received his script, she said, “This is too much.” Then she went on to say, “I brought you here to do what you do, so I wanted you to know what I feel.” He stayed the course and the ratings went through the roof.

Returning to the subject of inspiring others, Ron brought up John Schneider, who had starred in the 1980s’ TV series “The Dukes of Hazzard.” Both Tyler and Ron had talked backstage about watching “The Dukes” on Friday nights as young men. Fast-forward to present day, Tyler not only had cast John in “The Haves and The Have Nots,” the Louisiana native’s Atlanta-based film production company had inspired the former Atlanta-resident John to build his own studio in Louisiana.

Tyler Perry

Touching a recent death, Ron asked him about his relationship with Prince, who attended one of Tyler’s performances in 2004 at the Kodak Theater. On his way to the theater, Tyler got a call from Prince, who said, “I hear you’re doing a bit of ‘Purple Rain’ in your show. Do it again and I’m going to sue you… and I need 10 tickets and I’ll be there tonight.” Looking out in the audience, Tyler spotted Prince, who was enjoying the show. Struck by a brainstorm, Tyler had a mic taken to Prince, who started singing “Purple Rain.” As Tyler put it, “Worst mistake I ever made. He started singing ‘Purple Rain’ I the middle of MY show. I couldn’t get the audience back. He taught me a royal lesson — never give your microphone to a super star.”

In closing Ron asked about Tyler’s future plans. His response was embracing his fears or stepping out of his comfort zone. His next frontier is a recently purchased former Army base [Fort McPherson] in Atlanta. The 33 acres will be the site of the new Tyler Perry Studios with more people being employed. Ron wondered whether the responsibility of so many people was worrisome. Tyler told how “on a prayer table outside one of my rooms are photos of all the children whose parents work for me. Some are newborns, some are in college. So every day when I walk past that table I am reminded that you can’t be selfish at this moment… It is important to me that all those people and all those faces are supported in their dreams of support. Given this responsibility and given this level of success, there comes this tremendous sense of responsibility that I didn’t necessarily ask for, but for some reason I’ve been chosen to carry and what I won’t do is not carry selfishly.”

With that Tyler was whisked out the room, but his inspiration of supporting abused women in search of their dreams remained. Maxine would have been proud.

For photos of the meet-and-greet and luncheon, check out MySweetCharity Photo Gallery.

The floodgates have stayed wide open with news flowing through. First is news about the 2016 Texas Trailblazer Luncheon benefiting The Family Place. It was already reported that Lisa and Marvin Singleton were co-chairing the Tuesday, October 4^th event at the Hilton Anatole with Charlotte Jones Anderson receiving the Texas Trailblazer Award.

Emmitt and Pat Smith (File photo)

Since that announcement, the Singletons have been very, very busy arranging for a passel of VIP types to join their efforts, like Pat and Emmitt Smith serving as honorary co-chairs. Lisa admitted, “We are also excited to announce that Pat and Emmitt Smith have joined this year’s luncheon as honorary co-chairs and we are extremely grateful to have their support. As author of ‘Second Chances: Finding Healing for Your Pain, Regaining Your Strength, Celebrating Your New Life’ and founder of her non-profit, Treasure You, which inspires women to pursue their second chance in life despite of circumstances or setbacks, Pat brings her own past experiences and passions to the luncheon to help draw attention to a cause that plagues over 30 percent of Texas women.”

Carol Seay (File photo)

Kristi Hoyl (File photo)

Other additions to the Singletons’ team are former Trailblazer Luncheon Co-Chair Carol Seay and former Cattle Baron’s Ball Chair Kristi Hoyl, who will handle the underwriting duties.

Making Carol’s and Kristi’s jobs a heck of a lot easier is the big news of the keynote speaker — Ronan Farrow.

Ronan Farrow*

Yes, you know the People fodder about Ronan being Mia Farrow’s son and the question of whom his father is. But what you might not know is that the 28-year-old is “an influential voice in government and media, helping traditional institutions address the frustrations — and tap the promise of a new generation.” The Yale Law School graduate has been named “Activist of the Year” by New York Magazine and twice named as one of the “30 Under 30” by Forbes Magazine.

One topic that is especially a priority for the Rhodes Scholar is human rights.

According to Lisa, “As a celebrated human rights activist and vocal advocate for changing the conversation around domestic violence, Mr. Farrow is a perfect fit as speaker for this year’s luncheon. The perspective he brings to the domestic violence discussion is paramount to continuing the important and ongoing dialogue about ending domestic violence. We are thrilled to have him join us in North Texas to share his thoughts.”

Sponsorships and tickets are available now.

* Photo provided by The Family Place

Know that suit in the closet that you’ll never wear again? It’s not getting better with age. Perhaps it’s not as up-to-date as your fashion reputation? Or, maybe it’s just not fitting the way it used to. Regardless, why keep it? There’s someone else who would not only appreciate it, but it just might help them land a job or score a promotion.

Tootsies fashions (File photo)

Just think. Not only can you help someone else and make room for a new addition to your wardrobe, you can even be gifted with a Tootsies $25 giftcard.

It’s simple. Just take that outfit to Tootsies starting tomorrow for the annual Suits For Shelters sponsored by The Mary Kay Foundation. The staff will greet your clothing with welcome arms and present you with your gift card that you’ll probably put to good use ASAP.

And what will happen to your donation? It will be provided to a shelter working with victims of domestic violence like Kimberley.

What’s that? You’re out of town. Don’t let that little issue worry your pretty head of split-end-less hair. You’ve got until Saturday, August 6, to hand over your pretties.

Remember your not-gonna-wear-it-again outfit could help a woman, whom you’ll never know, take a totally new direction in her life and the lives of her children.

Donna Karan*

Since stepping down as head of her very fashionable company last June, Donna Karan has not retired to her home in Turks and Caicos Islands and watched the waves. Just last month she was presented the prestigious Founder’s Award at the Council of Fashion Designers of America Awards dinner by her designing buddy Calvin Klein. Despite having been in the rag business more than 40 years, she still manages to get younger and be more vibrant over the years.

Faisal Halum and Brian Bolke (File photo)

Michael and Shelle Sills (File photo)

And she’ll be bringing that zest to Big Old D on Thursday, November 10, for The Family’s Place’s Fourth Annual ReuNight thanks to Event Co-Chairs Brian Bolke and Faisal Halum and Shelle and Michael Sills and Honorary Chair Mary Clare Finney.

Mary Clare Finney (File photo)

And to do it up right, the evening will start with cocktails at the spanking new, can’t-wait-to-see-it Forty Five Ten in downtown Dallas. For dinner the guests will “be escorted” across the street for dinner at The Joule Terrace.

Topping off the evening will be a “small luxury live auction.” And the emphasis is on “small” as in limited and “luxury” like rarefied finds.

The fundraiser is the rebirth of the legendary Palm Night that raised millions of dollars from 1994 to 2008. After going into hibernation, it rose with a new name, ReuNight, and longtime supporters. In fact this host committee is made up of a lot of those vets including Moll and Charlie Anderson, Gonzalo Bueno and Michael McCray, Nancy and Clint Carlson, Brenda and Clay Cockerell, Tina and David Craig, Leah and John Davis, Suzanne and David Droese, Claire and Dwight Emanuelson, Heather and Billy Esping, Todd Fiscus and Ceron, Meg and Doug Florence, Joyce Goss, Kenny Goss, Sue and Jim Gragg, Karen and Stephen Jones, Olivia and Jeff Kearney, Liz and Scott Kimple, Jenny and John Kirtland, DeeDee and Jim Lee, Muffin and John Lemak, Lynn and Allan McBee, Jan Miller and Jeff Rich, Niven Morgan and Shelby Wagner, Allane O’Neil, Rajan Patel, Pam and Vin Perella, Michal and Loyd Powell, Cindy and Howard Rachofsky, Katherine and Eric Reeves, Nancy and Richard Rogers, Kayla and Brian Roughton, Connie and Mark Sigel, Laurie-Jo ad Steve Straty, Leisa Street, Joanne and Charles Teichman, Debbie and John Tolleson, Ben and Max Trowbridge, Robert Weatherly, Kim and Justin Whitman, Kathy and Rodney Woods, Lucy and Steve Wrubel, Piper and Mike Wyatt and Sharon and Michael Young.

Sponsorships and tickets are available here! So, dig through your wardrobe and find that Karan bodysuit. Now’s the time to diet for a reunight with that classic Karan design.

Marvin and Lisa Singleton (File photo)

There is absolutely no grass growing under the feet of Texas Trailblazers Luncheon Co-Chairs Lisa and Marvin Singleton. As if they didn’t already have an all-star lineup for The Family Place fundraiser on Tuesday, October 4.

How about some name-dropping? Keynote Speaker Ronan Farrow, Trailblazer Awardee Charlotte Jones Anderson, Honorary Co-Chairs Pat and Emmitt Smith and Underwriting Co-Chairs Kristi Hoyl and Carol Seay.

Ronan Farrow*

Emmitt and Pat Smith (File photo)

Kristi Hoyl (File photo)

Carol Seay (File photo)

Charlotte Jones Anderson (File photo)

But you already knew about those folks. Now Lisa just sent word that they’ve added still another stellar couple to the event — Julie and Jim Turner, who will be the Distinguished C-Chairs for the 21^st Annual Trailblazer Luncheon at the Hilton Anatole. Between the two of them, they’ve held leadership roles in countless nonprofit and corporate organizations.

Jim and Julie Turner (File photo)

How about a for instance? Julie has served on such boards and committees as Baylor University Women’s Council, Texas Sports Hall of Fame, Baylor Health Care System Foundation, The Senior Source, Dallas Historical Society, Dallas Baptist University, Dallas Woman’s Club, Dallas Garden Club, Cattle Baron’s Ball, Children’s Cancer Fund, The Crystal Charity Ball committee and The Salvation Army. Among her collection of accolades, there is the Baylor University Woman of Distinction Award and the Dallas Baptist University Ruth Award, plus she is a Philanthropy in Texas honoree and a Lifetime Member of the Texas PTA.

As for Jim, his professional life has included being the “principal stockholder and chairman of JLT Beverages LP and a minority owner of the Texas Rangers. His out-of-office duties have included being on the boards of Crown Holdings, Comstock Resources and Dean Foods, where he was named chairman this past August. Having served on the board of Baylor Health Care System for 14 years, Jim was “instrumental in the merger of the Baylor Health Care System and Scott and White out of Temple, Texas, and is chair of the newly formed entity, Baylor Scott & White Health.

According to Julie, “Jim and I are incredibly grateful to serve as Distinguished Chairs for the 21^st Annual Texas Trailblazer Luncheon. We are honored to be in such good company with a motivated and extremely philanthropic group of chairs supporting the event. The Family Place is instrumental in providing domestic violence victims in our community with the services and support they need and we are pleased to help them achieve their goals through the funds raised by the luncheon and beyond.”

Tickets and sponsorships are available, but you’d better get going before they’re gone.

The news was just official, but word had been making the rounds that Hope’s Door and New Beginning Center were combining their efforts. The first obvious clue was the “Save The Date” postcard that arrived in the mail mid-July. It was for Friday, September 16 fashion show featuring Abi Ferrin clothes at the Hilton Dallas/Plano Granite Park.

Abi Ferrin (File photo)

Florence Shapiro (File photo)

As impressive as it was that Luncheon Chair Janet Dorsett had arranged for Florence Shapiro to be the honorary chair, it was curious that both Hope’s Door’s and New Beginning Center’s logo were on the card as beneficiaries.

Evidently the rumors proved to be true with the announcement of the pending merger of the two organizations that have been helping those in domestic abuse situations since the 1980s. It all becomes official on Thursday, September 1.

According to Hope’s Door CEO Jim Malatich, “This unification will allow us to gain financial efficiencies in our administration allowing us to shift those resources to serve our clients more effectively. Hope’s Door will be able to offer an increased capacity for emergency shelter, additional services including counseling programs and intervention and prevention classes at seven locations in both Dallas and Collin counties.”

Hope’s Door and New Beginning Center*

While combining the two staffs and boards, it is interesting to note that both organizations will keep their names.

For the official word, follow the jump for the press release.

Hope’s Door and New Beginning Center Merge

The larger organization will provide services to a greater number of clients at seven locations in Collin and Dallas Counties

As of September 1, 2106, Hope’s Door and New Beginning Center will be fully merged. Both agencies have provided services to individuals overcoming intimate partner and family violence for over 30 years.

Jim Malatich, CEO of Hope’s Door said, “This unification will allow us to gain financial efficiencies in our administration allowing us to shift those resources to serve our clients more effectively. Hope’s Door will be able to offer an increased capacity for emergency shelter, additional services including counseling programs and intervention and prevention classes at seven locations in both Dallas and Collin counties.”

Hope’s Door and New Beginning Center provide free services to more than 13,000 individuals in the North Texas region. Most of the clients reside in Collin, Dallas, Denton, and Rockwall Counties.

North Texas is experiencing a population boom and the agencies are facing an increase in demand for their services. The shelters in Garland and Plano currently house 55 people at any given time. Together, they provide shelter to approximately 750 individuals annually.

Hope’s Door initially began as a 24-hour crisis hotline and was incorporated in 1986. Since then, Hope’s Door has expanded its programs to include individual and group counseling for adults and children, case management, legal advocacy, community education programs, rapid rehousing, and specialized children’s care. Two Battering Intervention and Prevention Programs (BIPP) are conducted by the agency.
In 1997, Hope’s Door opened a resale store available to the public and clients. With the merger, there are now two store locations, one each in Plano and Garland. All proceeds from the sale of items at the stores go directly to support the programs and services offered at Hope’s Door and New Beginning Center.

New Beginning Center opened it nonprofit doors in 1983. In addition to shelter and counseling, New Beginning Center provides an extensive number of Community Educators to work with more than 8,000 middle school and high school students and more than 1,000 community leaders. These engaging programs teach respect and boundaries and heighten awareness of intimate partner and family violence. The agency looks forward to maximizing its resources to provide an optimal level of care for the families served.

“Our goal is to expand our many active partnerships with both community and government organizations to end the cycle of violence,” said Colleen Jamieson, Chief Financial Officer.

Board members from both New Beginning Center and Hope’s Door will continue to serve on the board and the agency will have a significantly larger budget. During the transition, grant applications will include information from both New Beginning Center and Hope’s Door, allowing for grantors to clearly understand future expectations for the agency.

Locations: Hope’s Door at 860 F Avenue, Suite 100, Plano, TX 75074. Admin: 972.422.2911. Crisis Hotline: 972.422.7233. https://hopesdoorinc.org, and New Beginning Center at 218 N. 10^th St., Garland, TX 75040. Admin: 972.276.0423. Crisis Hotline: 972.276.0057. https://newbeginningcenter.org.

###

As so many have realized recently, domestic violence doesn’t take a second off. Whether it’s in the low-income community or the highfalutin neighborhoods, anger and physical abuse are not limited to one ZIP code.

But on Wednesday, July 20, the Suits for Shelters program celebrated the hope for many suffering from domestic violence. It was the annual fashion show at Tootsies benefiting the Mary Kay Foundation‘s effort to collect clothes for victims trying to find new lives of independence. And pink was definitely the color the day!

It was a great turnout of frontliners in the battle against abuse. The Family Place’s VP of Development Melissa Sherrill was standing in for The Family Place Executive Director Paige Flink , who was MIA. It seems that after 25 years of working at The Family Place, Paige was on a sabbatical that had coincided with the Suits for Shelters get-together.

On the other hand, Genesis Women’s Shelter’s Jan Langbein in her most adorable explosion of pink sundress said that she was already on the search for the Genesis Luncheon 2017 speaker. OK, so she admitted that to outdo 2016 speaker Tyler Perry was going take some doing, but Jan enjoys a good challenge, don’t you know.

Jan Langbein

Maleiah and Ryan Rogers

But the true-blue standouts of the evening were Maleiah and Ryan Rogers. Gee, were these two made by Mattel? They greeted one and all with graciousness and dang! They looked so fabulous. Ryan’s grandmother, the late Mary Kay Ash, would have been so proud to have seen her mission to help those overcoming domestic violence being carried on by Maleiah and Ryan.

Mary Kay Foundation that is the driving force of the event also had Mary Kay Corporate Communications and Corporate Social Responsibility VP Crayton Webb, who had missed last year’s event due to a trip to China. Now, the father of three sons and a brand new daughter was looking over the crowd for his wife Nikki Webb, who was on her way.

It’s hard to imagine a more dedicated advocate in the battle against domestic violence than HeROs President Crayton, but the March birth of a daughter has made his mission even more personal.

Crayton Webb

Cynthia Izaguirre and Alexa Conomos

Melissa Cameron

Nancy Gopez and Kris Jonhson

All too soon the capacity crowd including Nancy Gopez, Kris Johnson, Melissa Cameron and Michaela Dyer, moved upstairs for the fashion show. After the welcomes by Emcee WFAA’s Cynthia “Izzy” Izaguirre, Ryan, Crayton and Tootsies Store Director Nerissa von Helpenstill, the fashions were on parade worn by WFAA’s Alexa Conomos and Charlotte Huffman, The Kidd Kraddick Morning Show’s Kellie Rasberry, Attitudes and Attire’s Evelyn Earl, Battered Women’s Foundation’s Roze Kluttz, Brighter Tomorrows’ Tina Strand, Denton County Friends of the Family’s Alicia Froidl, Dress for Success’ Karis Renee, Genesis Women’s Shelter’s Tamika Jackson, Hope’s Door’s Megan Rutherford, Mosaic Family Services’ McKenzie Hoopfer, New Beginning Center’s Rhonda Aicklen, Safe Haven of Tarrant County’s Dakota Hart, The Salvation Army’s Vicki Wheaton, The Family Place’s Ericka Johnson and Mary Kay’s Marci Burns, Morgan Calhoun and Lisa Petty.

Nerissa von Helpenstill

Suits for Shelters fashion show

Then the raffle took place with the highlight being the announcement of the winner of the $5,000 donation in the name of the winner to a domestic violence group.  Provided by Maleiah and Ryan, this item is the most-sought-after of the raffle packages for the nonprofit representatives. The moment Esmerelda Rodriquez’s name was called was electric. Irving-based Brighter Tomorrows’ CEO Diana Franzetti was truly beside herself. It seemed pretty obvious which organization Brighter Tomorrows’ Board Member Esmerelda was going to pick.

On a sidenote: Tootsies’ Sales Manager Dustin Holcomb admitted that the entire Tootsies’ family was still adjusting to life without Tootsies’ founder Mickey Rosmarin. Still Dustin assured that the Dallas operation was not only carrying on, it was going to celebrate its 25^th anniversary this fall.

“Recovery First Community Development Center Inc. (RFCDC) started serving others with the motto ‘we don’t develop the community, we develop the people in the community.’

“Failure is not an option if you have the necessary resources. But the funds can only be distributed until they disappear. If you reach the end of your rope, we have the tendency to make hasty and often unhealthy decisions.

Recovery First Community Development Center Inc.*

“Our domestic violence advocacy aftercare program ‘Hiding Behind The Make-up’ is designed to help survivors become and hopefully maintain an independent living status once they leave a shelter. Because of the strain on the local shelters for lack of space (Dallas Domestic Violence Taskforce Annual Report 2014-2015), we do not want the victims to fail and become homeless or return to their abuser out of desperation and no options for help.

“Our program offers, personal hygiene kits, burner phones, apartment deposits and a one-year P.O. Box rental, personal safety plans and additional counseling and case management (for up to six months). The distribution services for independent living are part one of this four part program.

Recovery First*

“Educating the community with a yearly conference and/or luncheon to recognize outstanding volunteers.  Our commit to serve does not end with our program. We have outreach during the Christmas holiday with our afternoon Brown Bag lunch.  This year we received personal hygiene items from the Eta Phi Beta Sorority Inc. The ladies flooded the office with shampoo, deodorant and other items for our clients. Because of their generosity if has given us an opportunity to have a little more to offer.

Recovery First*

“On North Texas Giving Day, your donations will help us maintain all of the items we offer and increase our client base when someone reaches out to our organization. It will help us to continue to educate the community with updated information and printed materials; as we keep spreading the word about the overwhelming statistics on domestic violence and how each person can help to stop this act of violence on others. Help us to help others live free from abuse and have a healthy and happy life.”

-By Deborah A. Davis, Recovery First Community Development Center Inc. Program Director/Co-Founder

* Photos provided by Recovery First Community Development Center Inc.
______

In seven years, North Texas Giving Day has pumped more than $119 million into the North Texas community. In 2015, $33 million was raised through more than 118,000 gifts benefiting over 2,000 nonprofits.

On Thursday, September 22, support Recovery First Community Development Center Inc. by linking here and spreading the word. #NTxGivingDay

According to Partners Card Co-Chairs Elizabeth Dacus, Jane Rozelle and Samantha Wortley and Honorary Chair Lisa Cooley,

Jane Rozelle, Lisa Cooley, Elizabeth Dacus and Samantha Wortley*

“Shop Like a Hero by saving money and a life during Partners Card, presented by Bank of Texas. With the purchase of a $70 card, cardholders will receive a 20-percent discount at some of their favorite stores and restaurants while supporting The Family Place, Dallas’ longest-serving family violence agency. The annual 10-day shopping extravaganza is set for Thursday, October 28, through Sunday, November 6, and 100% of the proceeds from card sales directly benefit The Family Place and its programs.

“With more than 750 participating retailers and restaurants in Dallas, Arlington, Grapevine, McKinney, Plano, Southlake, Richardson, Frisco, Flower Mound, Addison, Garland, Rockwall and Lewisville, Partners Card is one of the most highly anticipated shopping events in the Dallas Metroplex.

“The money raised through the Partners Card program is crucial to providing support for the women, men and children who are victims of family violence. Partners Card has become the largest fundraiser for The Family Place, and in its history, has helped raise more than $16 million.

“Partners Cards go on sale in September. New this year, individuals can download the Partners Card app from the App Store or Google Play to purchase the card and view available stores to shop. You can also purchase a Partners Card from any participating retailer or restaurant, card-selling individual, through direct mail or by visiting www.partnerscard.org. For more information, contact the Partners Card Hotline at 214.443.7754 or email partnerscard@familyplace.org.

“Our goal this year is to sell 16,000 cards. We hope you will help us reach this goal and Shop Like a Hero during the 24th Annual Partners Card fundraiser!”

* Photo provided by The Family Place