Nonprofit Matters: Nation’s largest food drive to benefit local families

Letter carriers in the Fort Worth/Tarrant County area and across the nation will collect donations of food during the 23rd annual Stamp Out Hunger! Food drive on May 9.

Residents can simply place nonperishable food in non-breakable containers by their mailbox and the letter carrier will do the rest. Nonperishable foods most needed are canned meats and fish, canned soups and stews, canned vegetables, canned fruit, boxed or canned juice, cereals, peanut butter, boxed pasta, boxed rice and dried beans.

Food collected in Tarrant and surrounding counties will go to the Tarrant Area Food Bank or other local charities that provide emergency groceries and meals, especially for children who are at risk of going hungry when school closes for the summer.

Stamp Out Hunger!, organized by the National Association of Letter Carriers, is the nation’s largest food drive. For information, visit www.nalc.org/community-service/food-drive.

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FWISD receives grant

to aid homeless students

The Texas Education Agency selected the Fort Worth Independent School District to be a site for a three-year Texas Support for Homeless Education Program (TEXSHEP) and will contribute $132,525 to the district during the first year of the grant, which begins in September.

TEXSHEP distributes funds under the federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Improvement Act of 2001 to Texas school districts to help reduce the impact of homelessness on students’ academic success.

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FWISD’s Homeless Students Office, led by June Davis, helps students with school clothing, academic supplies, medical needs, meal programs and transportation.

Giving was down across the school district for the 2014 United Way Campaign. The district reported a total of $204,614.75 donated. District staff pledged $167,410.96, while students gave $37,203.79 and retirees helped with $1,100.

BRIT publishes plant guide

for Mexico’s Baja region

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A new 217-page wildflower guide for the northwest region of the Mexican state of Baja California has been published by the Botanical Research Institute of Texas, located in Fort Worth.

More than 210 wildflowers in 44 families are described in bilingual text and are accompanied by hundreds of color photographs in the just released Plant Guide: Maritime Succulent Scrub Region, Northwest Baja California, Mexico. The book is the first publication of its kind to document the flora of the region and is a tool for botanical and ecological research, education and conservation.

The guidebook sells for $35 and was conceived, written and principally photographed by Jim Riley of Terra Peninsular, with key editing and photographs contributed by Jon Rebman of the San Diego Natural History Museum and Sula Vanderplank of BRIT.

Greatest Gift Catalog sets

record for donations

The National Leadership Foundation celebrated another record-breaking year of donations and participation for The Greatest Gift Catalog Ever at its annual Reader’s Choice Awards luncheon – photos – on April 21 in Fort Worth.

In 2014, the catalog helped raise more than $400,000 in contributions to 17 Tarrant County-area nonprofits. Since its inception in 2007, the catalog has made a total charitable impact of more than $6.75 million in Tarrant County.

The nonprofits who receive the most donations via the 2014 catalog include Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Fort Worth, Gill Children’s Services, Ronald McDonald House of Fort Worth and The Women’s Center.

The 2015 issue of the catalog will feature 15 area nonprofits, including two new to the catalog: The First Tee of Fort Worth, which instills values and promotes wellness through the game of golf to young people, and The Airpower Foundation, which supports active duty, reserve and National Guard families.

Mayor’s dinner a winner,

Sister Cities honors Granger

More than $100,000 was raised at the annual Mayor’s International Dinner hosted by Fort Worth Sister Cities International.

Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price and dinner chairman Jeff King led the crowd of nearly 500 at the April 16 event as Sister Cities recognized the inaugural Global Awards recipients. U.S. Rep. Kay Granger (R-Fort Worth) received the Global Impact Award in recognition of her efforts to support and promote Fort Worth abroad. The Global Citizens Award was given to the Black Ecumenical Leadership Alliance, and the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport received the Global Nexus Award.

Junior Achievement looking

to recruit new volunteers

Because of the population growth in Tarrant County, Junior Achievement of the Chisholm Trail Inc. has started a campaign to recruit new volunteers.

The local JA chapter needs at least 2,000 volunteers each year to meet the demand for its programs. The Inspire Campaign, which began April 23, is designed to increase the number of volunteers. To help achieve its objectives, JA announced these initiatives: JA Rookie/Mentor Program, Volunteer Provider Recognition Program, The NEW JA Company Program, the JA Finance Park VIRTUAL Program and Reverse JA In-A-Day.

For information or to get involved with any of these programs, contact Priscilla Miller at pmiller@jafortworth.org.

Camp Fire honors

child care professionals

Camp Fire First Texas Council recognized North Texas’ top early childhood professionals during the annual Celebration of Child Care Champions awards dinner on March 26 in Fort Worth.

This year’s recipients of the Excellence in Child Care awards were: Shelly Sender, Administrator of the Year; Tonia Edwards, Family Child Care Provider of the Year; Teresa Spiller, Teacher of the Year; Dionna Rucker, Young Professional of the Year; and Stacy Benge, Phyllis Jack Moore Professional Development Award.

Youth leadership program

taking summer applications

The Rising Stars Youth Leadership Academy, a summer program for 40 youth ages 13 to 18, is now taking applications.

Created three years ago through the city of Fort Worth Community Action Partners, the academy is a 10-week program that helps youth to become future leaders. Its activities and experiences are designed to help young people develop academically, socially, ethically, emotionally and physically. The Rising Stars takes tours to major employers, colleges and universities and meets with community leaders.

Recently, the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs featured the Rising Stars Leadership Academy in a national survey as an example of innovative programming.

The deadline for applications is May 22. For information, contact Daphne Brookins, 817-392-5784 or visit www.fwrisingstars.org.

Wells Fargo banks on

Habitat for Humanity

Trinity Habitat for Humanity received a $200,000 investment from Wells Fargo & Co. to support its housing revitalization program in Fort Worth’s Como neighborhood. The grant, from the Wells Fargo Housing Foundation, is part of the financial services company’s Leading the Way Home initiative, which helps stabilize and revitalize neighborhoods affected by the struggling economy.

Trinity Habitat for Humanity has built more than 540 new homes and preserved more than 855 existing homes in Tarrant, Johnson, Parker and Wise counties since 1989.

CBS fundraiser aids

Wipe Out Kids’ Cancer

Viewers donated a total of $240,030 during a 13-hour “CBS 11 Cares” fundraiser for Wipe Out Kids’ Cancer, a Dallas-based nonprofit that raises awareness and funding for pediatric cancer research.

The donations were received between 6 a.m. and 7 p.m. on April 7 as CBS 11 and TXA 21 aired special segments highlighting the research funded by Wipe Out Kids’ Cancer and introducing viewers to some of the organization’s ambassador families who are battling childhood cancer.

Send nonprofit news to Betty Dillard at bdillard@bizpress.net