Angel Tree: Helping Children and Disabled Adults in Need!

The Salvation Army’s Angel Tree program helps children receive Christmas gifts during the holiday season. By adopting an Angel off an Angel Tree, you help a family provide a joyful Christmas day for their children.

The Angel Tree program plans on helping almost 55,000 children and disabled adults in the Metroplex. Last year, more than 253,000 Christmas gifts were given to children disabled adults in need.

Just select an angel from an Angel Tree, shop for the gifts, and bring them back to the same location by December 10.

You can find an Angel Tree at the following malls:

NorthPark Center

North East Mall

Collin Creek Mall

Grapevine Mills Mall         

Galleria Dallas

Hulen Mall                                                           

Ridgmar Mall

Golden Triangle Mall

Town East Mall

Parks at Arlington 

This year, you also have the option to adopt an angel online! Just go to http://dfwangeltree.org/ to adopt, starting November 12!

Hear Lupe tell her experience with the Angel Tree program: 

Online Red Kettle: Be A Bell Ringer, Even At Home!

 

This year, thanks to Online Red Kettle, you can be a Salvation Army bell ringer, from the comfort of your home!

The Salvation Army DFW is hosting its own Online Kettle Page at Onlineredkettle.org/SalvationArmyDFW This allows you to make a donation to The Salvation Army.

You also can create your own Online Red Kettle page! Go to Onlineredkettle.com, create your account, and notify your family and friends of your fundraising goal.

Remember that 86 cents of every dollar donated locally to The Salvation Army goes straight to programs serving people in need!

We invite you to put your compassion into action and help the less fortunate through The Salvation Army. Just go to Onlineredkettle.com/SalvationArmyDFW

today!

Leadership Blog: Fall in Review!

Dear Friends,

THANK YOU!

With your support The Salvation Army raised more than $555,000 on North Texas Giving Day, more than twice the amount we raised last year.

We’re thankful of your trust, time, and resources as we continue helping North Texans in their time of need.

Amy Grant headlines the
2012 Annual Doing The Most
Good Luncheon!

2012 ANNUAL DOING THE MOST GOOD LUNCHEON IN DALLAS

The 2012 Annual Doing The Most Good Luncheon in Dallas is coming soon!

This year’s luncheon will be held on November 15, starting at noon, at the Hilton Anatole. Six-time Grammy award winner Amy Grant will be our keynote speaker. Amy will also perform a couple of her songs at the event!

Learn more about the luncheon on our website.  

PAST EVENTS

From left: Arlington Mayor Robert Cluck,
Charlotte Jones Anderson,
Captain Michele Matthews,
Emmitt Smith, and Mark Schortman.

"SMASH THE WALL EVENT"

In September, Former Dallas Cowboys running back, Dancing With The Stars competitor, and Youth Education Town Council Chair Emmitt Smith joined Charlotte Jones Anderson of the Dallas Cowboys, Arlington Mayor Robert Cluck, and Mark Schortman of Coca-Cola, in announcing the construction of the North Texas Youth Education Town in Arlington.

A Super Bowl XLV legacy project, the Youth Education Town will serve underprivileged youth in the Arlington area.

Adam Young of Owl City serving meals
at the Carr P. Collins Center in Dallas.

OWL CITY VISITS THE SALVATION ARMY

Residents at our Carr P. Collins Center received a visit from pop music sensation Owl City. Led by Adam Young, members of   Owl City stepped away from their tour to serve meals and build awareness for The Salvation Army.

Scott O'Grady addresses the audience
at the Garland Annual Banquet.

GARLAND ANNUAL BANQUET

We celebrated the work of The Salvation Army in Garland at our recent 2012 Annual Doing The Most Good Banquet at the Garland Arts Center. Scott O’Grady, keynote speaker and former Air Force pilot, described his six trying days of survival in Bosnia after his plane was shot down.

Dinner guests also heard the story of Sandra Silva. A native of Laredo who moved to Dallas after high school, Sandra endured the death of her disabled child, homelessness, drug abuse, and incarceration. Following her release from jail, she turned her life around, with help from The Salvation Army.

The Salvation Army participated in a field day at Southwest Airlines. There, Southwest Airlines employees signed up as volunteers for disaster relief operations and our upcoming Christmas season. We appreciate those who signed up and their willingness to participate when called.

The Christmas season is coming soon!
Updates on the Angel Tree program
and the Online Red Kettle campaign
are on our website, at SalvationArmyDFW.org.

COMING UP!

We’re quickly approaching the Christmas season! For information about this year’s Online Red Kettle campaign and Angel Tree program, visit our website, at SalvationArmyDFW.org. News and events can also be found on our Facebook and Twitter pages.

 Warm Regards,

Captain Michele and Major Ward Matthews

DFW Metroplex Command Leadership

2012 Annual Doing The Most Good Luncheon Comes November 15!

The Salvation Army will be hosting its Annual “Doing The Most Good” Luncheon at the Hilton Anatole on November 15.

Six-time Grammy Award winner Amy Grant will be this year’s guest speaker. Referred by many as the “Queen of Christian Pop,” Amy began her music career as a teenager, where she released her first album in 1972. Her music career continued and, along the way, became the first singer in contemporary Christian pop music to have a #1 single for four consecutive decades.

Learn more about the upcoming luncheon at SalvationarmyDFW.org.

A Season in Review!

School Time!

Dear Friends,

We hope you had a wonderful summer with your loved ones. As this season comes to a close, we’re looking back at this summer’s many events and activities!

SUMMER ACTIVITIES

Pat and Emmitt Smith at
the Women's Auxiliary
Annual Fashion Show
this year!

We have wonderful news about the Women’s Auxiliary Annual Fashion Show: the show raised $600,000, supporting Salvation Army programs across the Metroplex. We’re grateful for the participation of the Women’s Auxiliary, Pat and Emmitt Smith, Jan Strimple, and all who contributed and attended this year’s event.

Speaking of participation, many companies and organizations stepped up to help North Texans served by our community centers. Local Sam’s Clubs donated 19 pallets of bottled water, benefitting our 15 Cooling Stations across the Metroplex.

Sheleigh Skipsey of
The Salvation Army - Lewisville
(fifth from left) and
Lieutenant Jeremiah Romack of
The Salvation Army - Waxahachie
(far right) standing with
Caliber Collision Center employees

Our centers in Lewisville and Waxahachie received a donation of food collected by Caliber Collisions. The two-week food drive raised more than 4,800 food items for both centers, which will be distributed to local families struggling to get by.

Bank of America employees hosted a mini Field Day for the children served by our Oak Cliff community center's summer day camp program. The field day consisted of activities for the children, including face painting, arts and crafts, a soccer scrimmage, and bag races.

Our Lewisville community center was privileged to be nominated for the “Nonprofit of the Year Award” at the 2012 Unity Luncheon in Highland Village. This center provides emergency financial assistance, free meals each weekday, a food pantry, and many more programs to serve those in need in the Lewisville area.

NBA Power Forward Kenyon Martin
(back row, fourth from left) with
Sgt. Rodney Hinkle of the
Cedar Crest Community Center
(back row, second from right),
Deputy Mayor Pro tem Tennell Atkins
(back row, second from left) and children
and staff of the Cedar Crest Community Center

Children from our community center in the Cedar Crest area of Oak Cliff enjoyed two basketball camps courtesy of NBA players Kenyon Martin, who grew up playing basketball at the center, and Josh Howard. There, the children learned basketball basics of dribbling, defense, and ball handling, as well as advanced moves.

Remember the Dallas Cowboys Play 60 Fitness Zone that was in the works? The project officially opened its doors on July 23 at our social service center in Fort Worth! The Fitness Zone is geared towards adolescents and includes youth-sized exercise machines and interactive gaming systems geared at motivating younger generations to get up and moving.

Children served by the Northside Community
Center pick up backpacks donated by
the Tarrant County Women's Auxiliary.

We also received help aiding families for the back-to-school season. The Tarrant County Women’s Auxiliary donated 100 backpacks to children served by our Northside Community Center and Mabee Social Serve Center in in Fort Worth.


Meanwhile, the Office Depot Foundation donated 400 sackpacks that included school supplies, such as pencils, pens, rulers, and erasers, for children served by our Dallas-Temple Community Center.

 NORTH TEXAS GIVING DAY

Save the date and spread the word!

North Texas Giving Day is this
Thursday, September 14, from
7 a.m. to midnight. A great
opportunity to make a
difference!

The Salvation Army will once again participate in this year’s “North Texas Giving Day,” this Thursday, September 13 from 7 a.m. to midnight. This special giving opportunity offers a partial match for online donations made to The Salvation Army that day. Through “North Texas Giving Day,” you’ll have the opportunity to show your support while making a difference for people in need in the Metroplex.

Learn more about North Texas Giving Day at SalvationarmyDFW.org.

We have much more on the way in the coming weeks. Be sure to stay informed on the latest news and events on our Facebook and Twitter pages:

 

Warm Regards,

Captain Michele and Major Ward Matthews

DFW Metroplex Command Leadership

SAVE THE DATE: North Texas Giving Day!

 

The Salvation Army DFW is participating in this year’s North Texas Giving Day on Thursday, September 13 (next Thursday), from 7 a.m. to midnight!

                

This isn’t your typical event, however. For every contribution of $25 or more, a portion of your gift will be matched. More bang for your buck!

The donation page for The Salvation Army Metroplex Command will be made available on Thursday, September 13^th, from 7 a.m. to midnight! Be sure to check our North Texas Giving Day page on our website for more information!

For over 100 years, The Salvation Army has helped individuals fight hunger, homelessness and substance abuse. We also provide after-school programs for children across the DFW Metroplex. Learn more about The Salvation Army and its programs and activities at SalvationarmyDFW.org.

Here’s a quick video of two individuals The Salvation Army have helped in their time of need:

 Let’s do the most good together. Give on Thursday, September 13!

An Active Summer!

Summer's going by so fast!

Dear Friends,

Despite the scorching heat—we’ll get to that in a minute—the summer has been a pretty cool season for The Salvation Army.

NATIONAL DONUT DAY

Salvation Army employees serving
donuts and coffee during this year's
National Donut Day!

Many in the DFW Metroplex joined us in celebrating National Donut Day on June 1. A long-time tradition dating back to 1938, the celebration reminds us of the service of the Doughnut Ladies during World War I, and the soldiers they served during the conflict.

This year, we collaborated with Dunkin Donuts, DART in Dallas, and the “T” in Fort Worth to celebrate this event. We distributed tasty Dunkin Donuts —for free— at DART's Mockingbird Station in Dallas and at the “T” Intermodal Transportation Center in Fort Worth.

We’re grateful for Dunkin Donuts, DART and the “T” for joining us in the National Donut Day celebration.

DALLAS COWBOYS ROOKIE CLUB

Recently, the Dallas Cowboys Rookie Club traded their football pads for our volunteer aprons. During National Salvation Army Week, the 2012 rookies came to our homeless shelter in Dallas to serve meals to residents.

Members of the Dallas Cowboys
Rookie Club painting the ceiling tiles
of the women's wing with a child
served by our homeless shelter
in Fort Worth.

Later in mid-June, the players were at it again, this time at our homeless shelter in Fort Worth. There, members of the Rookie Club refreshed several rooms in the women’s wing, providing a fresh paint job on the walls and decorating the ceiling tiles. The effort was part of the Dallas Cowboys’ “New Play Fitness Zone” project, which is part of the Dallas Cowboys and National Football League’s Play 60 initiative designed to tackle childhood obesity and inspire kids to play well and eat better.

The Dallas Cowboys Rookie Club did a marvelous job helping out those we serve. We are appreciative of their efforts!

HEAT RELIEF

It is dangerously hot out there!

Our cooling station across the DFW
Metroplex are open.
Find heat relief at a cooling station near you.

As you no doubt have noticed, we've been experiencing temperatures as high as 100+ degrees on several days. Such temperatures can be harmful to people's health, especially vulnerable groups like the homeless and the elderly.

Such high heat requires precautionary measures such as staying cool and keeping hydrated. However, there are many who do not have the means to do so. Last year in Dallas County, 31 people died due to heat-related issues. Many more suffered through the excessive heat due to a lack of resources.

The Salvation Army understands that many people need heat relief during the summer. And we're doing our part to help. We've set up Cooling Stations at 15 of our centers. Each Cooling Station provides cold beverages and a cool environment where people can stay during the day. Thirteen of the Cooling Stations are open Monday through Friday, while the remaining two -- one in Dallas and one in Fort Worth -- are open seven days a week.

Here’s a short video of Gerald’s experience at our Salvation Army Mabee Center Cooling Station in Fort Worth:

We hope you’re having a wonderful summer! Be sure to stay informed on the latest Salvation Army News through our Facebook and Twitter pages.

Warm Regards,

Captain Michele and Major Ward Matthews

DFW Metroplex Command Leadership

Leadership Blog: A New Season!

Almost (officially) Summertime!

Dear friends,

It’s been an exciting couple of months. Let us share a glimpse of some of the recent activities:

From left: Gene Jones, Jerry Jones,
Charlotte Jones Anderson,
and Jennifer Sampson during
the DFW Executive Leadership Breakfast.

DFW EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP BREAKFAST

Late April, we held our first-ever DFW Executive Leadership Breakfast at the Hilton Anatole in Dallas. The occasion was a meeting in the Metroplex of our National Advisory Board. The board meets three times a year in different cities around the country.

The breakfast event was attended by some of DFW's top business, civic, and government leaders, including Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings, Former First Lady Laura Bush, and Dallas Cowboys Owner and General Manager Jerry Jones, who was keynote speaker.

With more than 300 guests on hand, Jones delivered a passionate speech about the benefits of a corporate partnership with our organization. The Cowboys and The Salvation Army have been partners for 15 years. You can view a video of Jones' speech below, complete with an introduction by Former First Lady Laura Bush.

A model walks the runway
during this year’s
Women’s Auxiliary Fashion Show.

20^th ANNUAL WOMEN’S AUXILIARY FASHION SHOW

Later in the month, the Annual Fashion Show conducted by The Salvation Army Women's Auxiliary in Dallaswas held—and boy what a show it was!

The event began with shopping in the Chic Boutique, where guests purchased designer items at great prices. Then came the fabulous runway-style fashion show produced by Jan Strimple Productions. Pat and Emmitt Smith emceed the event where more than 600 attendees had the opportunity to bid on gently worn clothing donated by some of the   best-dressed women in Dallas.

Following the event, donated clothing items that were not featured at the fashion show were sold at a special WEARhouse sale at The Salvation Army's Christmas and Disaster Center in Dallas. For two days, the general public had the chance to purchase name-brand designer items at super-discounted prices.

This year, the fashion show event and related sales raised $660,000.   

Charlotte Jones Anderson delivers her keynote speech
during this year’s Annual Doing The Most Good Luncheon
in Fort Worth

2012 ANNUAL DOING THE MOST GOOD LUNCHEON IN FORT WORTH

The very next day, we hosted our 2012 Annual Doing The Most Good Luncheon in Fort Worth. Approximately 200 people were on hand at Ridglea Country Club to hear keynote speaker Charlotte Jones Anderson, Executive Vice-President of Brand Management for the Dallas Cowboys. Anderson spoke about the strong relationship between the Dallas Cowboys and The Salvation Army and how the relationship originated.

Anderson shared how she and her father, Jerry Jones, sat in Dick Ebersol's office at NBC television in New York and secured his agreement to broadcast The Salvation Army's National Red Kettle Kickoff during halftime at the Cowboys Thanksgiving Day game in 1996. Now, 15 years later, the kickoff has become an annual tradition.

Luncheon guests also heard a testimonial by John Corker, a former linebacker with the former Houston Oilers who lost his football career because of substance abuse. After football, Corker became an over-the-road truck driver. One night while rolling through Fort Worth, he stopped to party. The next morning he couldn't remember where he left his truck. When his boss found out, Corker was fired. With no place to go he came to The Salvation Army. His life has not been the same since.

Bill Lively address the audience of this year’s
Denton Luncheon at the
Oakmont Country Club in Corinth.

ANNUAL LUNCHEON IN DENTON                  `

In mid-may, we hosted a luncheon at the Oakmont Country Club in Corinth to raise funds for our shelter and services in Denton. The event was attended by donors, community leaders, elected officials and supports. The keynote speech was delivered by Bill Lively, the former President and CEO of the North Texas Super Bowl XLV Host Committee.

Lively talked about how Super Bowl XLV not only brought significant revenue into the Metroplex but also created programs to help North Texans after the big game was over. Two signature programs -- SLANT-45 and the Youth Education Town -- focus on the needs of children and young adults. We might mention that the ownership of the Youth Education Town was awarded by the NFL to The Salvation Army. We plan to an official opening of the new program in early 2013 after major renovations at our center in Arlington.

IN CLOSING

As we move into the summer, the lowest time of the year for donations, it’s important to remember that with your continued support we will remain true to our commitment of doing the most good.

We're in this together. With your help we can continue to serve men, women, boys, and girls here in our local community. We’ll continue to ensure that we are worthy of your trust.

Be on the lookout for the latest news and events on our Facebook and Twitter pages! 

Warm Regards,

Captain Michele and Major Ward Matthews

"2012 Annual Doing The Most Good Luncheon" Comes to Fort Worth on May 1st!

The Salvation Army will hold its Annual Doing The Most Good Luncheon on May 1 at the Ridglea Country Club in Fort Worth. The luncheon will raise funds for The Salvation Army’s programs that serve the community, including free community meals, food pantry assistance, after-school programs for children, a transitional-housing program, substance abuse rehab and more.

Charlotte Jones Anderson, joined by
parents Jerry and Gene Jones (left), receives
her gavel as official NAB Chairperson
from Salvation Army Commissioners
William and Nancy Roberts (right).

Charlotte Jones Anderson, Executive Vice President of Brand Management for the  Dallas Cowboys, will be the keynote speaker at the event. For 21 years, Charlotte has demonstrated a knack for innovation, versatility, and a strong willingness to make a difference in the lives of others. In January of 2011, she was named the National Advisory Board (NAB) Chairperson of The Salvation Army, due in part to her many years of support for the organization. 

Here’s a video clip of Charlotte speaking about The Salvation Army and its vision of doing the most good:

For additional information, visit our Annual Luncheon page. You also may call 817.344.1818 or email us at dfwmc_events@uss.salvationarmy.org.

Leadership Blog: Angel Tree Report, Fighting Hunger Together, and More!

It's almost Springtime!

Dear Friends,

Wow…March certainly blew in fast. We hope you had a wonderful February. So many things have happened this past month.  We have so much to share!

ANGEL TREE REPORT: THE NUMBERS ARE IN!

Volunteers at last year's Angel Tree
distribution at our Christmas Center
in Dallas.

This past Christmas season, we served more than 16,000 families in the DFW Metroplex. More than 54,000 children and special-needs adults received gifts through the Angel Tree program.  In all, about $3.7 million worth of gifts were donated.

Of course, we could not have done it without our more than 6,000 volunteers, who contributed more than 32,500 hours to help make all this possible.

A Salvation Army volunteer
serving food to a recipient.

FIGHTING HUNGER TOGETHER

Thousands of North Texans will experience hunger this year. With your help, we can continue to provide food assistance to those in crisis situations.

In 2011, our centers served 947,520 meals to families and individuals in need across the Metroplex. This happened, in large part, thanks to donations and food drives from companies, organizations, and individuals like you.

Through these donations, our food assistance program remains strong and ready in case families and individuals face food shortages.

Food donations for The Salvation Army may be dropped off at your nearest Salvation Army Center. You can find a list of Salvation Army locations in the Metroplex here.

RECENT EVENTS

Charlotte Jones Anderson, National Advisory
Board Chair of The Salvation Army and
Executive Vice-President of Brand Management
for the Dallas Cowboys, serves a meal to residents
of the Carr P. Collins Center in Dallas.

On February 8^th, DRG Concepts, the Dallas Cowboys, and Downtown Dallas business leaders served lunch to 275 men and women at our Carr P. Collins Social Service Center. The lunch was part of a partnership between DRG Concepts and the Dallas Cowboys. During the Christmas season, DRG's downtown restaurants—Dallas Chop House, Wild Salsa, and Dallas Fish Market—collected donations from their patrons. The combined value of the lunch and the donations collected was $12,000!

Meanwhile, the Hockaday School’s soccer team hosted a soccer clinic at our Pleasant Grove location in southeast Dallas. The children learned the basics of the game by participating in passing, scoring, and defensive drills. The clinic concluded with an exhibition game, in which the children split up into several teams that included members of Hockaday’s soccer team.

Members of the Fort Worth Women's Auxiliary
serve sandwiches and heart-shaped cookies
to residentsof the Catherine and Evangeline Booth
Friendship Houses in Fort Worth

Two of our auxiliary groups made sure those we serve had a great Valentine’s Day! The Junior Auxiliary worked with women and children from our women's shelter in Dallas to decorate Valentine's Day cookies. Our Fort Worth Women’s Auxiliary hosted a Valentine's Day party for residents of our Catherine and Evangeline Booth residences for senior citizens. The residents enjoyed great food and drinks, as well as entertainment.

We invite you to stay in touch with us through our Facebook and Twitter pages for upcoming news, events, and opportunities to make a difference.

Warmly,

Captain Michele and Major Ward Matthews

DFW Metroplex Command Leadership