FIT Fall Festival Report from NTX

It was Fall Festival party-time at the Richardson Foster In Texasfoster care office this past Friday. Our foster families, children, FIT staff, and a few dozen volunteers all gathered in the parking lot of the office to celebrate the coming of fall with music, games, fellowship, and FUN!

The festivities included pumpkin painting, face painting, balloon-animal artistry, pizza-eating, dozens of cookies, carnival games, and some live music.

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Each game gave out tickets to the kids, which were then traded for a prize from our amazing prize table.

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The kids were also able to either come in costume or select a costume from a pile that was donated. Everyone enjoyed eating, playing games, throwing around a football, and spending time with the volunteers. The really awesome thing, besides the fact that the kids and families were able to have a great time? The entire event cost the office zero dollars. Everything was donated!

To give credit to where it is due:

· Pizza and drinks were donated by FoodTronix and Napoli’s

· Prizes and costumes were donated by lots of amazing volunteers! Special thanks to FoodTronix, Michael’s craft store in Denton, Bethany Hodgson, Cathy Zwernemann, and Lisa Mowry.

· Desserts and candy were from Rejoice Lutheran in Frisco, our foster care staff, and Cathy Zwernemann.

· Games were donated by Immanuel Lutheran in Dallas.

· Pumpkins and face paint were donated by Lisa Mowry and friends, FoodTronix, Cathy Zwernemann, and others.

· Tents were donated by Cross Timbers Community Church.

Volunteers included:

· Friends of FoodTronix and employees

· Friends of Hope for North Texas

· Mu Phi Epsilon music fraternity from UNT

· Friends and family of Foster In Texas staff

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Why does this Fall Festival mean so much to us? It supports our selfless foster families by offering them something wonderful to do with the children and providing candy, prizes, pumpkins, and costumes to offset some holiday costs. It offers a fun, enriching, “normal” childhood experience to our children. It bonds together our caseworkers and their children and families. It blesses our community through giving and serving, offering a real, tangible way to care for the underserved, abused, and orphaned children in our local communities. It sets us apart as a foster care program to demonstrate our care and concern for our children and families. And … It shows the kids how very important they are to us!

It’s a BootParade for New Life Children’s Center!

Austin artists and residents all went a little crazy over the CowParade last fall, as a herd of fabulous bovine creations graced streets and sidewalks all over town. CowParade Austin included moosterpieces by more than 60 local artists. Happily, the cows all found new homes and raised a lot of money for Dell Children’s Medical Center.

Another colorful, much more portable, fundraising art project is currently underway in Austin: COWBOY BOOTS are being painted, collaged, blinged, and covered with feathers, all to be auctioned off at “Boots & Boas,” the 13^th Annual Make a Difference Gala benefitting the girls at New Life Children’s Center in Canyon Lake*.

Following an open call to artists, a whole kit-and-kabootle of original boots have been created, and the results are stunning! These boots are made for much more than walkin’ – they are to be displayed as original sculpture. There are some wearable boots, but if they’re not in your size they make striking bookends. Add some fresh flowers, and they become unique table centerpieces or vases. One hoot-of-a-boot, the “Bootflop,” would enhance the décor of a beach or lake house, and the “Bridezilla” will add pizzazz to any  wedding shower or bachelorette party.

Preview the Bootfolio on our online auction site (make sure to click View All) and get a head start with a bid on your favorite. The boots will be on display and winners notified at the Gala, with 100% of the proceeds going to help the girls at New Life.

NOW is the time to make your reservations online to attend “Boots & Boas,” February 18^th at the Austin Music Hall. And make sure to keep checking back for the steady influx of bootiful new boots to the auction, as they appear on the website and FACEBOOTK.

*New Life is a residential treatment facility and safe haven where abused, neglected, and troubled young girls literally get a chance for a New Life. More than 2,000 young women, ages 11-17, have been cared for since New Life opened almost two decades ago. Home-like dormitories, and a balance of specialized trauma therapy sessions, academic classes, exercise, and socialization help the girls overcome their emotional burdens and restore a sense of hope.

Make A Difference Gala: The 2011 British Invasion of the Austin Music Hall

Sergeant Pepper and Yoko put in an appearance. The Eggmen proved why they’ve earned the Austin Chronicle’s “Best Cover Band” award seven times. There were more go-go boots, mini-skirts, peace symbols, and bell-bottoms than you could count. And almost 400 revelers came out to boogie like it was 1960-something.

The Make A Difference “All You Need is Love” gala, benefiting the New Life Children’s Center in Canyon Lake, might have taken place on February 26^th 2011, but it was definitely a trip back in time. The Austin Music Hall was decked out in a flurry of flowers, rainbow colors, and all things John, Paul, George and Ringo. The committee behind this grooviest of galas included Jane Belanger, Melanie Daude, Kerrin Gaenzle, Cheri Grant, Betty Meyer, Cathy Reynolds, Alanna Frater-Cote, and Committee Chair Laurel Reed. The girls at New Life Children’s Center and all of us at LSS are feeling the LOVE for this dedicated and creative crew.

Lending their three-part harmony to the night, the Kyle Sisters (Mary Margaret, Bodie, and Frances Ann) lead off with a song, then got down to business as auctioneers for the live auction.

 

Dr. Kurt Senske, chief executive officer of LSS, told the audience a little about Trauma-Informed Care, the revolutionary trauma-focused therapy that is being implemented at New Life. The entire staff will receive extensive Trauma-Informed Care training with funds raised at the event.  Kevin Benz joined him in a special plea to help treat the “mind, body, and soul” of the New Life girls. A generous, and anonymous, donor offered to match ALL donations to New Life for the next 60 days, up to $100,000! Everyone, please help us take advantage of this enormous blessing and DONATE TODAY.

Most importantly, the night belonged to the young girls residing at New Life, where they are placed, some after as many as 15 different placements, to heal their wounds and souls.   Honored guest and former New Life resident, Branda Miller, shared her story, crediting her time and the staff at New Life with turning her life around. “New Life literally saved my life,” says Branda, who now attends Lubbock Christian University on a scholarship. As the song says: “There’s nothing you can do that can’t be done …”

All Branda Needed Was Love

Those who missed Make A Difference 2011, and those who want to relive the event, can see photos online and read Michael Barnes’s Out and About blog in the Austin American-Statesman.

Report on the Appleseed Challenge: The kids had fun, Deion lobbied, and Krause came in second

When the new Appleseed Express Carwash in Katy kicked off with its first “Appleseed Challenge” last month, the Krause Children’s Center was privileged to be one of the first three nonprofits selected to participate. [See the original Appleseed Carwash story, which explains how this philanthropic business venture benefits the children in the area as it puts a quick shine on the vehicles of busy professionals and families on-the-go.]

Alas, when the number of carwashes/votes were tallied on October 31, the Langham Creek YMCA nipped Krause Children’s Center for the first place spot, taking home $7,000 to help fund their new computer lab. Krause received a much-needed $2,000 in “seed money” for its afterschool programs, but in fact, received so much more in the realm of public awareness. The Challenge brought many new supporters and donors who have never given to the facility, along with producing a raft of phone calls from people wanting to learn more about the Center and offering to volunteer their services. 

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During the days of the challenge, Karma the Flying Frisbee Dog, the National Charity League, FBLA Cinco Ranch High School, Seven Lakes High School, and Tea Cakes the Clown all came out in support of Krause Children’s Center.

But perhaps our biggest fan and drawing card was Deion, an irresistibly cute little guy whose mom brought him to the carwash to support the Krause kids. Deion, who has been a kidney patient since birth, stood out in the heat for three hours stumping for the kids at Krause.  Many of the drivers passing by stopped to get their cars washed because he walked right up and asked them to! He was so cute they couldn’t turn him down.  Others stopped by and gave donations because he was there.  Tawana Goodwin, Krause’s director of volunteers, said “It really brought tears to my eyes to see Deion, who struggles with kidney and liver trouble, take the time out to help children he never knew. Every day he is on a dialysis machine for eight hours, and for him to have the strength to do this really blessed all of us! It made our cause small. DEION WAS A HUGE HIT!”

Goodwin also reported that the excitement at the carwash was contagious, and the Krause kids themselves got involved and had fun with the customers. “Many of the supporters who arrived at the carwash had no idea they were talking to the very children who have endured such pain in their lives,” she said.

Appleseed Express Carwashes are expanding to many new locations in Texas―as ongoing fundraisers for kids’ causes. Their motto is “Where every wash helps local kids.” The Krause kids are living proof of that!

Celebrating New Buildings, New Beginnings, and New Life! October 23rd was Dorm Dedication Day

Saturday, October 23^rd was a very good day in Central Texas. The October weather cooperated (although the UT Longhorns didn’t). Saturday, October 23^rd was “New Dorm Dedication Day” at New Life Children’s Center. So the donors, volunteers, and staff who love New Life and the girls who live there, came together in Canyon Lake, Texas, to celebrate. The Lieder Family Dormitory II and a new wing of classrooms were built “on time and under budget” so that the residential treatment center could house an additional 20 abused, neglected, and traumatized girls, ages 11-17. Now New Life can serve a total number of 80 young women. The girls with the most intense behaviors will live in the new dorm, giving them a safe haven in which to heal and a private room to call their own while undergoing treatment.Dr. Kurt Senske, chief executive officer of Lutheran Social Services, welcomed a packed house of visitors and gave special thanks to some of New Life’s key donors, including Mildred and Lawrence Lieder, who have been New Life’s gracious angels and tireless supporters over many years.

Lawrence & Mildred Lieder

Dr. Senske also expressed gratitude for the generosity of the Meadows Foundation, the Kronkosky Charitable Foundation, J. E. and L. E. Mabee Foundation, Lola Wright Foundation, O’Kelley-Hemminghaus Foundation, and St. Lukes’ Lutheran Health Ministries.Three annual events also helped make New Life’s recent expansion a financial reality: the “Make a Difference” benefit gala, and the San Antonio and Austin “Tomorrow’s Child” golf tournaments. Together, these three fundraisers have contributed close to 2 million dollars for New Life! Volunteers and committee members have given their time, talents, and sweat equity to beautifying and building the campus as needs arise. The “Make A Difference Courtyard” which sits in between the two new wings of the Lieder II Dorm was also dedicated on Saturday and will permanently pay homage to the efforts of our indefatigable volunteers.At the dedication, Dr. Senske also introduced Pastor Don Adickes, who gave the invocation, and Rev. Mike Newman, who led the right of dedication. New Life’s chief executive officer Dr. Gary Henry closed the ceremony with a benediction.The New Life Hand Chime Choir played “Amazing Grace” under the tutelage of Laurie Iten, spiritual care director at New Life. Refreshments were served, and the crowd dispersed for campus tours. Guests exited the scenic Hill Country campus along the winding path that passes the Serenity Barn and New Life’s animal residents – three horses, two donkeys, soon to be five bunnies, a variety of chickens, and ‘Ricky,’ one of the few happy Longhorns in Texas that day.

Check out more photos on our Facebook Page! (See “New Dorm Dedication”)

Bokenkamp: Journeys of Life or Death

The children who come to live in our residential centers in Texas – New Life, Krause, and the Nelson Center – often bring with them pasts and stories of unbearable hardship and emotional pain. Miracles do happen, and sometimes seemingly insurmountable odds are overcome, and we witness a child’s life turn around from the brink of despair in front of our eyes. Perhaps the most gripping stories come from the “unaccompanied refugee minors” living at the Bokenkamp Children’s Shelter. Bokenkamp serves undocumented children under the age of 18, most from Central and South America, traveling alone in search of a better life in the United States.

As the administrators and our volunteer committee serving the Bokenkamp Children’s Shelter busily gear up for the 19th Annual Fashion Show this Saturday in Corpus Christi, we’re reminded of our purpose and our mission to help, heal, and provide hope for those most in need.

Bokenkamp children are often survivors of journeys they’ve been forced to take. Some travel thousands of miles alone, and many pay large sums of money to human traffickers to cross the border and find jobs. Undocumented and often unable to understand even rudimentary English, they risk falling victim to sweatshop labor, gangs, and even sexual slavery. The following is just a glimpse of what three young boys experienced.

Somewhere In America
Jose (not his real name) was kicked out of his house in Honduras by his abusive parents, and had been living on the streets for four years before deciding to make the journey to America. Motivated to reach his biological sister, living “somewhere in America,” he was determined to create a better life for himself. He was kidnapped by gang members while on a train traveling through Mexico, escaped, and made it across the border on his own. Jose is now safely settled at Bokenkamp, where we are working with the Honduran Consulate to locate his sister. He said no one had taken him or his dreams seriously before this.

A Belt, An Asthma Inhaler, and a Heavy Glove
Alberto (not his real name) said he went days without sleeping as he traveled to the U.S. on the roof of a train, because if you fall asleep, you may fall off. Stopping to rest is not an option because of the gang violence and general hostility toward fleeing refugees. Alberto saw a woman with her baby fall asleep and fall off the roof of the train. He traveled with three essentials: a belt, an asthma inhaler, and a heavy glove. The belt was to tie himself to the rail, in case out of pure exhaustion he fell asleep; the asthma inhaler was necessary because when the train goes through a long tunnel and the fumes from the train are overwhelming, it causes shortness of breath; and the glove is for holding on, literally for dear life.

Hiding in a Boxcar
Fausto (not his real name) was one of six children born to an impoverished family in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. Abandoned by their father, they were forced to move in with an abusive grandmother. When Fausto’s little brother was raped and beaten by an older cousin, the grandmother took the cousin’s side. Because Fausto stood up to his grandmother, she broke his arm and banished him to live alone on the dangerous streets of Tegucigalpa. Fausto was determined to make the journey to the United States, in search of a more hopeful future. He travelled by bus and train, hiding in box cars and surrounded by the tragedy and violence his fellow passengers endured. Upon crossing the border into the U.S., the train was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The guards pulled a frightened Fausto out from his hiding place. He was not sent back to Honduras as he feared, but was taken to a shelter for lost and homeless children like himself. That shelter was Bokenkamp.

“Fundraising is an Extreme Sport!”

That phrase was poached from Marc Pitman, founder of FundraisingCoach.com, a website dedicated to practical ideas for fundraising more effectively. He has a point! Fundraising is not for the faint of heart. Asking for money is kind of scary. It means regular exposure to the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat. While there can be triumphs of the human spirit, there are also a few crash landings along the way.

The consistently high quality services LSS strives to provide to children, the elderly, and others in need would not be possible if we weren’t able to conduct successful, ongoing fundraisers.

At LSS, the extreme fundraising athletes are called the Agency Advancement Team*. Led by senior vp David Kahle and vp for community/church relations Dan Zieschang, this group covers the territory of Texas meeting with donors and choreographing a series of annual events and benefits: “Make a Difference” in Austin, “Celebre La Buena Vida” in El Paso, “Caring for Kids” in Denton, “Spring Fling” in Lubbock, and “Change a Life at Bokenkamp” in Corpus Christi. Plus “Tomorrow’s Child” golf benefits in Austin, San Antonio, Houston, and Denton.

What drives these risk-takers? A great cause … the ministries of Lutheran Social Services, providing help, healing, and hope to seniors, those in financial need, and children in foster care and residential treatment centers.Please say a little prayer for David, Dan, and their team … for many safe and successful landings in the future!

*David and Dan are ably assisted by Kristy McKinney, Karen Bernstein, Delores Neutzler, Diane Covert, Susan Rang, Karen Kracht, Nicole Griesse, and grant writers Cecelia Blanford and Flo Shaw.

It’s a fact … the Metroplex Cares for Kids!

The first “Caring for Kids” fundraiser to benefit the Nelson Children’s Center in Denton was held on , May 1^st , as friends and supporters of the Nelson Center gathered at Delaney Vineyards & Winery in Grapevine for music, food, silent and live auctions, and to celebrate the 15 years the center has made a difference in the lives of its young residents.

For the uninitiated, Nelson Children’s Center is a residential treatment facility for children who have suffered the pain of severe abuse and neglect.  The benefit raised about $114,000,far exceeding our goal for this event.

Powerful highlight of the evening: Former Nelson Center resident Kai Adams told her story, and how the care she experienced at the Nelson Center turned her life around.

In a special appeal, LSS CEO Dr. Kurt Senske presented the need for a new educational resource building at Nelson, where school counselors, diagnosticians, mentors, and tutors can work one-on-one with children to help them achieve their personal and academic goals. Because of “Caring for Kids” the new building is now partially funded and on the drawing board.