Our Daily Bread serves a noon meal Monday through Friday to the homeless and those in need. No questions, paperwork or sign-in. Just a desire to provide a daily meal in a safe environment for all who are hungry, as well as physical and emotional support for the needy people of Denton County. Our Daily bread located in the kitchen and fellowship hall of St. Andrew Presbyterian Church at 300 W. Oak Street in downtown Denton. A professional chef, assisted by volunteers from more than 26 local churches and other community organizations, prepares and serves an average of 175 meals a day, Monday-Friday (12:00 noon until 1:15 pm daily, except Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day). Also, snack packs are being offered to patrons for the weekend, when Our Daily Bread is not open.

The program is dependent on the gifts of time, talent and treasures generously given by a large community of volunteers and donors. Individuals, church partners, local business and community groups support the program through volunteer hours, money, grants, goods and prayer.  These folks participate in a wide variety of activities in support of Our Daily Bread, including meal preparation, serving and clean-up, produce and commodity pick-up, agency coordination, special holiday distributions, and fund-raising.  Our Daily Bread receives no local or national funding.

Clients also have other programs available to meet their needs. A volunteer Program Director works closely with clients, referring them to appropriate agencies such as HOPE Inc., Interfaith Ministries, Family Resource Center and area Clinics.  Bus tokens and gasoline vouchers are made available for necessary transportation needs.  Hygiene products are distributed as needed and a nurse is available once a week for blood pressure checks.

The food is good, nourishing and filling.  The hearts of those who serve and those who are served at Our Daily Bread are filled too, with gratitude. There are many types of volunteer opportunities, as well as supplies and food items that Our Daily Bread always needs. Or, just come and visit.  Homelessness is isolating, and you can help by starting a game of chess or checkers, or discuss the latest book you read. Come be a part of something that makes a difference in Denton County.

For more information, contact Helen at 940 262 0871
or Billie at 940 271 4712, www.ourdailybreaddenton.org

The colorful sign will display First State Bank’s traditional logo along with the slogan, “We hang it. You bang it.”  Ryan High School Baseball Coach, Bret Warnack said, “First State Bank has been  a mainstay in the Denton Community. The Raider Baseball program is proud and appreciative to have their support for our student-athletes.”  The new sign is just one example of the commitment First State Bank has in giving back to the local communities it serves.

“We support our community in a variety of ways, and this is just another example of how we can help,” said Marty Rivers, Executive Vice President and Chief Lending Officer of First State Bank. “The bank is excited to help Ryan High School’s baseball program. They rely on the booster club for a lot of their funding. The money will be a big help for them,” Rivers concluded.

Chartered in 1905, First State Bank is the oldest state bank in Texas. Combining the friendly customer service of hometown banking with innovative, state-of-the-art technology, First State Bank brings you a legacy of banking experience. First State Bank has 8 locations throughout North Texas, and a new branch is currently under construction in Rayzor Ranch and opening this summer.

For more information about First State Bank, please visit www.F-S-B.com.

By Stacey Duncan

As an eighteen-year-old college freshman, she had it all: a new red Mustang for graduation, the latest designer clothes, and some great friends . . . when suddenly she discovered she might be pregnant.

What would she do?  How would she find help, information, and a caring, listening ear?   A friend told her about the Woman to Woman Pregnancy Resource Center, a clinic that offers free pregnancy testing and information on all pregnancy options. Woman to Woman is an organization that offers practical assistance to women and their families facing unplanned pregnancies.  But Woman to Woman doesn’t only serve pregnant women, it also offers services like STD testing, relationship education, and peer counseling at no charge.

Woman to Woman is a nonprofit organization supported through monetary and material donations.  New and gently used household items, furniture, and clothing are donated and sold through the Twice as Nice Resale, located at 413 East Oak Street (at the corner of Bell and Oak) in Denton.

This year’s Walk for Life offers an opportunity to gather pledges and walk a short two mile distance to benefit this local organization that has been providing practical assistance to women in unplanned pregnancies since 1986. Multiple locations offer supporters a convenient location to walk and enjoy family-friendly activities.

If you would like to help Woman to Woman Pregnancy Resource impact generations by participating in the Walk for Life, pledge forms are available at Twice as Nice Resale after March 15th. The Walk for Life will be held Saturday, May 1st. If you have any questions, email info@dentonprc.org or call 940-383-3150.

Woman to Woman is impacting generations one step at a time – won’t you walk with us?

If You LOVE Chocolate
The Denton Chocolate Festival, supporting CASA of Denton County will be held February 7th, from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm.  Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children.

Woman to Woman Pregnancy Resource Center
“We endeavor to empower women to make wise life choices through education and truth.”  All services are confidential and offered at no charge.  Services provided:  general information regarding pregnancy & reproductive health; on-site nurse for medical questions on health, reproduction, and pregnancy;  peer counseling;  pregnancy testing;  STD referral classes and classes on childbirth.

www.adoptaussoldier.org
To honor active US military personnel, Adopt A U.S. Soldier is a volunteer-based organization that connects supportive Americans with deployed soldiers and offers a channel by which to communicate  encouragement and express gratitude to the brave men and women serving our nation.

Sign up to “adopt” a soldier, and you will receive the mail and email addresses for a soldier.  These soldiers are looking for notes and/or letters, and a bit of encouragement from home.   Many have very little family and some have none, so they are not as fortunate to receive news and well wishes, as do other soldiers with family back home. Please visit the site, and adopt a soldier – they appreciate and love the letters more than we will ever know.

Salvation Army Thanksgiving Dinner
More than 2,000 people will share a free, traditional Thanksgiving Dinner with all the trimmings at the metroplex area Salvation Army homeless shelters. This will include homeless individuals and families that cannot afford to have a Thanksgiving-style meal at home. The meals will include turkey, dressing, green beans, mashed potatoes, yams, fresh rolls, and pumpkin pie. In The Salvation Army’s tradition, there will be festive decorations and place settings, to enhance the dignity of those who come for a meal, and volunteers will serve all participants at their tables.  You can participate on Thanksgiving Day, November 26, 2009 from 11:30 am to 1:00 pm, at the Salvation Army office, 1508 E. McKinney Street in Denton.

Angel Tree
Through the ever-popular Angel Tree program, The Salvation Army will collect hundreds of thousands of donated Christmas gifts to distribute to children and senior citizens. Local children’s names will be available to select from the tree.  The selection will include their list of a wish item, a need item and a clothing item, and the gifts will be collected at Golden Triangle Mall from Friday, November 13 until Sunday, December 13.  About 89 percent of recipients will be children and 11  percent will be senior citizens and disabled adults.  Please consider adding an extra “angel” to your tree this Christmas.

Christmas For Our Troops
Let our troops know we care!  That is the Christmas wish of Joan Anderson and her husband Jerry.  The two of them carry that blissful burden every week of the year.  For more than 18 months they have sent soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan requested want and need items.

Their list comes from Defenders of Freedom, and Joan and Jerry take as many as they possibly can. The names come consistently and, while using their own finances,  they want show these American Troops that “we are behind them and we thank them.”

They can use your help, especially for holiday giving.  You can donate any of the typical needed items: socks, CD’s, DVD’s, hygiene items, hand and feet warmers, warm gloves, snacks, international calling cards, or you can make a monetary donation that may help with the shipping and boxing of the items.

Make our country’s defenders part of your holiday, by being a part of a soldier’s Christmas. Contact Joan and Jerry at:  helpingoursoldiers@yahoo.com or 940-484-7646.

Third Annual Heroes Helping BBQ Cook-Off
September 11, Kick-Off Party and Concert
Grapevine Bass Pro Shop
Raising money to build a barrier-free camp, Camp Craig Allen in North Texas, for physically disabled kids and adults. Be a BBQ team, eat BBQ samples, enjoy live bands, auctions, kid’s activities, and see wheelchair sports! www.campcraigallen.org

2009 Communities Civic League Charity Golf Classic
October 27 • Trophy Club Country Club
Proceeds from the event go to Argyle Volunteer Fire Department and the needs of the community. Kay Hammer at 972-839-2449,
or visit www.cclargyle.org.

Sixth Annual Angel’s Kiss Gala
September 26. 5:30 pm – 11:30 pm • The Speedway Club
Benefits the Vascular Birthmarks Foundation. The event will include cocktails, dinner, silent and live auctions, Texas Hold’em Poker, and dancing to the High Definition band. Contact the Bolingers at 940-595-1800 or go to www.vbftexas.com.

But as much fun as Hearts and Heroes offers to participants each year, Agency Executive Director Dr. Ron Aldridge reminds us that there is a serious side to all of this revelry. He explains that the Gala serves as the primary fundraiser for Health Services of North Texas (HSNT), which offers medical care and support services for low-income people living with HIV/AIDS in Denton, Collin, Hunt, Rockwall, and Kaufman Counties. In addition, HSNT offers guardianship care for those persons in Denton County who are unable to manage their medical and life affairs.

These critical care services lead Mandy McKInley, Gala Marketing Coordinator, to point out that you can feel confident about the direct help you are providing to your community through attending the party, offering sponsorship dollars, or donating a service or good to the auction.

The Hearts & Heroes Gala performs another vital role as well, that of honoring outstanding citizens and organizations for their leadership, philanthropy, and community service. This year’s honorees are Charlye Heggins, Pamela and Dale Kimble, Phil Wentworth, Christina and Rudy Andrea, and Star Children’s Charity. Exemplifying the best of giving back from our blessings, these persons and organization inspire the staff, board members, and agency supporters in reaching for higher goals themselves.

Speaking of goals, Fern Bugg shares with us her personal objectives for Hearts and Heroes 2009: to have the most thrilling entertainment ever performed at the gala, a knockout lineup of silent and live auction items, and getting you a ticket before they are sold out. For more information about attending or supporting the gala, please call Fern at 940-368-0655. See you there!

Interfaith Ministries’ Apple Tree Back-to-School Project assists children from low-income families with essential items for back-to-school. Each child participating receives a complete set of school supplies, a backpack, two new sets of school clothes, and a new pair of shoes, as funds allow. Apple Tree makes an annual estimated economic impact of over $100,000 in the Denton community. The goal for the upcoming school year is to provide at least 1,000 DISD children with back-to-school essentials. Contributing to the Apple Tree Project is an excellent investment in Denton’s most precious resource, its children. In order to fulfill this larger distribution in 2009, we need everyone to be involved. Volunteers (especially bi-lingual) are needed to assist in taking applications, and as always, donations are greatly needed in order for this project to prosper.

Visit www.ifmdenton.org to learn how you can support The Apple Tree Project, view a list of Host Sites where “apples” are available for adoption, contribute to this program using PayPal, or call 940-566-5927.

Interfaith Ministries of Denton, Inc. seeks to provide emergency basic needs assistance to the people of northern Denton County with the goal of helping those people to become self-sufficient.

Since its inception in 2001, Pulling for Kids has raised an amazing $255,000 for child abuse and neglect victims in Denton County. We hope you’ll join us, May 15th, as we “pull” for Denton County kids who cannot always pull for themselves.

$500 – team of 5 shooters; $125 – individual shooters. Sponsorship levels available that includes a team. Visit www.casadenton.org for a team registration form. Mail completed form with payment to: CASA of Denton County, P.O. Box 2885, Denton TX 76202-2885. Call 940.243.2272 for more information.

Event Day Schedule:
11:30 am – 1 pm Event Registration and Lunch
1 pm Shooting Begins
Around 6 pm, immediately following the shoot will be Awards and Gun Raffle with dinner provided by Outback Steakhouse of Denton.

Pro-Shooter Auction, golf carts for rent, mulligans, Best Shooter Awards, and more!

Interested in providing media coverage or becoming a sponsor for this event? Contact Lauren at 940.243.2272 for a list of sponsorship opportunities.

This program is devoted solely to women who need accountability, feedback and motivation to begin and keep going with a program. Upon acceptance, you will be measured, weighed and have your body fat analyzed. Participants will also begin attending our workout program to help them burn calories and increase muscle strength and tone.

Each week you will be in touch with your designated Fitness Coach who will provide you with nutritional information and feedback. You will also weigh in each week with a fitness coach. Upon completion of this program, one participant will be selected to be profiled in an upcoming Lifestyles magazine with her testimony and results!

The program is 12 weeks long, begins May 11th, and the total cost is $149. If this sounds like a program that will work for you call us at 940.891.4566 immediately to reserve your spot!

It only takes a small change. Instead of telling yourself you can’t, tell yourself you can. Let our fitness coaches help you make being active part of your everyday life!