Formed as the Fort Worth Cancer Society in 1946 by a group of local physicians, advocates and community leaders to assist low-income, underserved cancer patients, Cancer Care Services will commemorate its 70th anniversary through the Heroes of Hope Luncheon on Nov. 10 at Ridglea Country Club in Fort Worth.
“Throughout the last 70 years, we estimate that Cancer Care Services has provided financial, emotional, spiritual and social support to more than 100,000 cancer patients and families throughout our community,” said Melanie Wilson, president and CEO of Cancer Care Services since 2010 and a cancer survivor herself as well as a caregiver to family members with cancer.
In 2015, Cancer Care Services provided benefits to 4,600 people in Tarrant, Parker and Hood counties through 11 licensed social workers, two registered oncology dieticians and a client activities manager. Those services included health insurance, emotional and social support, transportation, medication, medical equipment and supplies, and nutrition.
Erika Young is a Hero of Hope. Young, a breast cancer survivor, was 36 when she was diagnosed, and she went through 18 months of treatment.
“My favorite thing is that Cancer Care Services loved on my kids and helped them. It was heartbreaking to watch them suffer, but having a community to surround them made them feel part of something bigger,” Young said. “Cancer Care Services addresses the whole person as well as the whole journey of cancer. They have been vital for us to not only survive cancer but to move forward and thrive after it.”
Thanks to support from Texas Oncology, there is no cost to attend the Heroes of Hope Luncheon; however, a donation will be requested.
For information about the luncheon or a Heroes of Hope Tour – a one-hour overview of the agency that is offered several times a month at no charge – contact Deanna Stuart at Deanna@cancercareservices.org, 817-921-0653.
GIVING DAY’S $37M BREAKS
ANOTHER NATIONAL RECORD
The eighth annual North Texas Giving Day surpassed its own national record on Sept. 22 by raising $37 million in donations in 18 hours.
It was the fifth year in a row that donations set a record and the amount raised this year was the largest for a single online Giving Day in the nation.
This year, 2,518 nonprofits received gifts from 142,700 donors from all 50 states and 39 countries at a rate of nearly 34,500 gifts per minute. This is the first time in the event’s eight-year history that all participating nonprofits received a gift.
Last year’s total of 118,000 donations generated $33.1 million. To date, the worldwide event has raised $156 million for area nonprofits.
Nonprofit organizations and supporters celebrated Giving Day with Donation Station events in Fort Worth, Arlington, Dallas, Denton and McKinney.
The full list of results (searchable by organization name, total gifts or total dollars) and prizes is available at www.northtexasgivingday.org/-leaderboard. A by-county breakdown is available upon request.
Updated totals will be available Nov. 7.
NIGHT SHELTER DEBUTS EVENT
TO SALUTE LOCAL VETERANS
Local military veterans will be recognized for their commitment during Presbyterian Night Shelter’s inaugural Worth Honoring Luncheon on Nov. 10 at the Hilton Fort Worth Hotel.
“The Worth Honoring Luncheon will publicly honor dozens of local veterans, while highlighting our first Community Champion Award to a deserving veteran that will be selected by exceptional veterans along with community leaders,” said Toby Owen, CEO of Presbyterian Night Shelter.
According to Owen, 144,000 veterans throughout the United States are homeless on any given night. Last year, the night shelter served more than 400 homeless veterans through its transitional housing program.
The Community Champion Award will recognize veterans who, through their works and lives during or after military service, have made substantial contributions to the city of Fort Worth. Five finalists will be selected by a panel of judges who are veterans.
Tickets for the Worth Honoring Luncheon are available at www.journeyhome.org.
AMERICAN AIRLINES COMMITS
$1M FOR ALS RESEARCH
American Airlines will continue to raise awareness of rare diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and support its employees with a commitment of $1 million to the Answer ALS research project through the Answer ALS Foundation.
ALS is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord. ALS is commonly referred to as Lou Gehrig’s disease after the famous baseball player who died from it.
Through this partnership, the more than 100,000 employees at American and their families will be able to participate in the Answer ALS research project and meet with top ALS researchers and clinicians.
American also is partnering with the Answer ALS Foundation to help employees and their dependents deal with the disease, clinic referrals, resources for Medicare benefit information and new assistive technologies such as voice banking.
In addition, Warlick is launching a fundraising effort called Warlick’s Warriors to help support the Answer ALS research efforts. Donations made through Warlick’s Warriors (www.warlickswarriors.org) will be matched by American Airlines up to $250,000. One hundred percent of the funds donated will go directly to the Answer ALS research project.
AISD OFFERS FIRST IN TEXAS
MENTORING MUSIC PROGRAM
High school students with special needs in the Arlington Independent School District will have the chance to learn to play musical instruments thanks to a partnership between the district and United Sound.
The peer-mentoring program, the first of its kind in Texas, will be offered at Arlington High School. Eight students with special needs – dubbed New Musicians – and 24 orchestra peers will meet once a week in an after-school club setting to learn how to play musical instruments. The students will perform in a concert at the end of the program.
United Sound is a two-year-old nonprofit whose mission is to provide musical performance experiences for students with special needs through peer mentorship.
AMAZON SURPRISES FOOD BANK
Amazon logistics employees from the North Texas fulfillment centers visited the Tarrant Area Food Bank on Sept. 15 to provide their expertise to help streamline operations and maximize resources.
In addition to their logistics assistance, nearly 30 Amazon associates volunteered to sort, inspect and pack food to kick off the new partnership. Amazon also surprised the Food Bank with a $10,000 donation to support its work in the community.
THE PARENTING CENTER
RETURNS TO ARLINGTON
The Parenting Center, a Fort Worth-based nonprofit that provides services to families and people in need to prevent child abuse and neglect, recently expanded programs and services to Arlington, thanks to a new partnership with the Junior League of Arlington through its Center for Community Service.
The Parenting Center has provided parenting education and skills-based training throughout Fort Worth since 1974, but the agency has not served Arlington since 2009.
“The Center for Community Service is our new community impact initiative centering around abuse prevention,” said Julie Reinhardt, president of the Junior League of Arlington. “The Parenting Center has a team of trained volunteers available, along with the use of meeting, event and office space to help change the city of Arlington and its surrounding areas.”
AISD, MORTIZ TO OFFER
AUTO TECH PROGRAM
The Arlington Independent School District has formed a partnership with Mortiz Dealerships to design the curriculum and fund all the equipment for the new Mortiz Automotive Technology Program at the AISD Career and Technical Center, which is set to open next fall.
The two-year program will prepare 100 students each year to enter the workforce as entry-level service technicians through certification and dual-credit courses, according to AISD Superintendent Marcelo Cavazos.
Students will get training in brake systems, electrical systems, engine performance, and steering and suspensions systems. They will also have the opportunity to earn OSHA and Automotive Service Excellence certifications.
BBB OF FORT WORTH MERGES,
EXPANDS ACROSS TEXAS
BBB is expanding its reach. The better business agency now serves Erath, Hood, Johnson, Palo Pinto, Parker, Somervell, Tarrant and Wise counties and is merging with BBB serving central, coastal and southwest Texas and the Permian Basin.
The partnership increases the BBB service area to 105 counties, offering enhanced services to about 9 million people. The merger also boosts membership to more than 17,000 accredited businesses, which represents the largest accredited business base among all BBBs in North America.
“With the merger, we will build on each other’s strengths, combine resources and initiate new programs to meet the needs of today’s businesses and consumers,” said BBB President and CEO Carrie A. Hurt.
BBB will maintain a local presence throughout the Fort Worth area, led by a regional director and featuring an official BBB vehicle. Consumers in Fort Worth and surrounding areas will see increased community outreach, higher social media engagement and regular alerts on scams and consumer issues affecting their area. They also will have real-time access to BBB authorities and access to marketing services, joint advertising campaigns and BBB’s corporate partnership program.
Send nonprofit news to Betty Dillard at bdillard@bizpress.net