Denton County Friends of the Family (DCFOF) joins in with the City of Denton for the 48th Annual Celebration of Juneteenth. The celebration will be held Friday, June 15, and Saturday, June 16, at the Fred Moore Park.
DCFOF will have a booth, and we welcome you to come by and say “hello”. We are providing vital information about our services and our commitment to supporting our African American communities! We will have a spin-to-win game for some really cool prizes, and we will have a box to receive donations. Specifically, we are asking for donations of Black hair care products and toiletry items for our African American clients in shelter. Currently, 49% of our shelter residents are African American.
Why does DCFOF join in with the celebration? Juneteenth symbolizes and celebrates the end of slavery. It represents and means freedom. So in the same way Juneteenth symbolizes the end of slavery, DCFOF works compassionately and comprehensively to be the symbol of what it looks like to work toward the end of domestic violence and sexual assault. And as Juneteenth’s meaning is freedom, we want our clients/survivors to live in freedom away from the harsh realities of DV and SA. DCFOF promotes safety, hope, healing, justice, and prevention for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault.
Look for us at the parade which will be at 12:00 noon on Saturday, June 16, and drop by our booth on Friday and Saturday.
While the kids are out of school, DCFOF stays busy! Summer is one of our busiest times, and we tend to see a shelter full of little ones. Living in a group home can be tough, especially for a child, so we do what we can to give them an amazing summer break!
Throughout the summer we will offer a variety of fun and exciting field trips for the kiddos to enjoy. These field trips will provide educational experiences that will help them learn life skills while exploring the world around them. Some of the field trips include:
Nash Farm- Located in Grapevine, this is a historical site where kids can learn about farming, nature, and the history of Texas. Each month Nash Farm presents a different theme centered around heritage skills visitors will be able to use in their daily lives.
Sharkarosa Wildlife Ranch- Unlike regular zoos, Sharkarosa Wildlife Ranch lets their animals roam freely on the grounds. The kids will have the opportunity to experience wildlife up close while driving through this unique zoo.
Texas Discovery Gardens- There is no better place for kids to learn about snakes, spiders, and other native Texas wildlife! The kids will be treated to animal encounters, talks, crafts, and a picnic in the garden.
Along with these field trips, the shelter has other fun activities planned such as weekly park days, water play time, and movies under the stars. The kids at the DCFOF shelter will always have something exciting to do while their parent utilizes DCFOF services to get back on their feet!
In order to make these events happen and give the kiddos the best summer possible, we still need donations to cover the prices of tickets, gas, food, and water for the kids and volunteers. Your donations will allow each child to have a summer to remember. We thank you for your contributions!
Taste for a Cause
September 22nd, 6pm-10pm
Monroe Pearson
Taste for a Cause supports Friends of the Family on our mission to serve victims of sexual and domestic violence in our community. By having a great time at Taste for a Cause, your support enables us to protect the women and children of Denton County who need it most, and guide them on a path of safety, hope, healing, justice, and prevention.
Be the first to know about tickets, updates and more by joining the Taste update newsletter below....
Taste for a Cause will feature live music, food tastings from chefs and restaurants across the County, tastings of spirits and wines in a speakeasy-style venue, and a little auction fun along the way. Come get passionate about a great cause while enjoying a stellar cocktail. You're Invited!
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Sponsors are an integral part of this event, and enable us to raise the most funds possible to go back into our programs. Every penny counts! To learn more about sponsorship opportunities, click the button below.
Shout out to a few of our sponsors:
Village Designs & Remodeling
DATCU
Title Resources
Last month at Denton County Friends of the Family we served 810 clients through counseling, play therapy, shelter, advocacy and legal services. Below is a snapshot of how your support continues to help make an impact for victims of sexual and domestic violence in Denton County. Thank you for investing in safety, hope, healing, justice, and prevention.
Join DCFOF TOMORROW, May 17th at the Sip & Stroll event at the Shops of Highland Village. A complimentary wine tasting is available for the first 300 guests.
Come join us for a night of wine, food, fun, and giving! A $10.00 donation to Denton County Friends of Family will get you an exclusive goodie bag, commemorative wine glass, access to entertainment, and food pairings around the property. The first 300 guests will be guaranteed a goodie bag from The Shops. Entertainment will include a handwriting analyst, chair masseuse, and strolling guitarist.
Be sure to get a selfie with the "living grapevine" stilt walker! Plus, all wine sampled will be available at Whole Foods Market for purchase.
We are so grateful to the Shops of Highland Village for putting this fun evening together to benefit DCFOF! We hope that all of our supporters in the area can make it out. Sip and shop with an impact!
In almost the two years that I have served on the Board of Directors for the Denton Animal Support Foundation, I have witnessed truly amazing acts of the heart. As an impassioned animal lover and rescue avantgarde, it’s easy to fall deeply in love with the actions and goals of the Animal Support Foundation. I have seen capital campaigns and fundraisers large and small to fund low cost vaccine clinics, emergency medical support for unfortunate animals and their owners in need, outreach education to local schools all in the name of helping our community furry friends.
Quite early on, I found myself falling into what I quickly realized was not only a unique program for our Shelter Foundation, but for the entire North Texas area. I have never heard of a program like this one here in Denton, though Denton natives won’t necessarily be surprised. In true Denton form, the compassionate minds of the Board of Directors saw a niche problem and sought out to fix it. Niche may be misleading, because while it may not be something even thought of on a larger scale, it is still of the greatest importance to it’s recipients.
The Safe Haven Program funded by The Denton Animal Support Foundation, is aimed specifically towards helping the women (and children) of domestic violence and their pets. It’s an overlooked yet alarming fact, that 60% of victims experiencing domestic abuse will not leave their dangerous circumstances out of concern about what will happen to their pets if they do. Domestic abusers are well known manipulators and what better chess piece than a family pet? It sounds like an unbelievable statistic, but any animal lover fortunate enough to not find themselves in such an unimaginable situation, could probably relate to the drastic lengths we would go on a normal day, to ensure the safety and survival of our beloved pets. I know I would. Unfortunately, most outreach shelters do not allow for women and children to bring along their animals. Which leaves a victim with two choices. To stay or to forsake. In addition to the seemingly insurmountable amount of emotional and physical strength it takes a victim to finally leave their oppressor, having to leave your animal behind should, at least, not have to be the abhorrent “cherry on top.”
So here is what we did. DASF reached out to Denton County Friends of the Family and together they set up a program that provides funds for the transportation, safe boarding (at an undisclosed location) and any grooming or medical needs for any pet a woman brings to the doors of DCFOF upon check-in, for the duration of her stay. The pets are then reunited with their family safely and discreetly when they are ready to start their new life, free from their abuser. Since the program has been in action, we have safely cared for, vaccinated, groomed and released 27 pets owned by women and children who have taken shelter at Denton County Friends of the Family. It’s the very least we could do for these brave women, their children and their beloved pets and we are overjoyed to provide for these families of domestic violence in this way.
This program is primarily funded through grants sought out and applied for by the Denton Animal Support Foundation. The constant nuisance is maintaining the influx of money as grants do have a shelf-life and run out. We are always accepting donations to the Safe Haven Program to keep providing this sometimes life-changing comfort to women and children of domestic abuse. If you have any questions, would like to make a donation to this program or see other ways you can help The Denton Animal Support Foundation, please do not hesitate to contact the Denton Animal Support Foundation at (940) 765-1550, by email at info@dentonasf.com or you can visit our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/DentonASF/
