Kiwanis Club

Kiwanis Members Learn About CASA Denton County

Jen Adame, Community Engagement Specialist for CASA of Denton County, spoke to the Kiwanis Club of Robson Ranch at a recent meeting. CASA stands for Court Appointed Special Advocate, and they assist children in the foster care system to ensure that they receive the necessary support when they are removed from their homes. Denton County CASA serves more than 500 kids per year who have been removed due to abuse and/or neglect. CASA Advocates help facilitate the children’s needs, such as medical appointments, mental health care, or tutoring, and observe some of their interactions in their placement and during parent visits to ensure that the child is best cared for. CASA Advocates attend court hearings to relay progress to the judge and have input into the eventual permanent placement of the child.

Jen introduced Kathy Ogburn, a resident of Robson Ranch and current CASA Advocate. She shared some of her experiences with this rewarding volunteer position. Kathy and another resident of Robson were recently featured in a Pioneer Press article.

Denton County is currently facing a crisis in its need for advocates and invites all those interested to attend an information session to learn how they can help. CASA also welcomes the opportunity to speak to groups. If you have an interested group, please contact CASA to present at your meeting.

You can attend an information session at casadenton.org/volunteer/volunteer-info-session or email Jen at recruiter@casadenton.org for more details. The more people who learn about CASA, the more we can assist kids in need.

Please also watch for the annual clay shoot, Pulling for Kids, each May, which is one of the major fundraisers. You can view pictures from past shoots at casadenton.org/news-events/pfk.

The needs of these kids are great. There are many ways to help. Choose one that suits you and make a positive impact on that child’s life with CASA of Denton County.

Please see the website at CASADenton.org for more information.

Kiwanis Club Hears About Denton County Communications

Bill Wilson, Kiwanis Club president, introduced Dawn Cobb, Director of Community Relations for Denton County. Dawn joined Denton County as a highly experienced journalist, having spent most of her career in Denton County. She was tasked with organizing a small team of employees to establish all communication channels with Denton County residents about the County Government’s activities. Before Dawn’s arrival, there was no coordinated approach to Community Relations.

Denton County Community Relations now provides:

• Newsletters from the County Commissioners, either weekly or biweekly;

• News releases on a wide range of subjects;

• Live coverage of Commissioner Court meetings on YouTube and other sources;

• Aerial coverage of nonresidential/parks, etc., events using a sophisticated drone;

• Coverage on social media sites, with more than 85,000 followers;

• Weather Watch notifications for dangerous weather conditions;

• Improving and managing the Denton County Government website;

• Adding podcasts soon with items of interest in the county;

• Coordinating the recognition of employees with service awards. These functions have been recognized with the Texas Association of Counties Best Practices Award;

• Coordinating a social service program with an emphasis on fresh food for those in need; and

• Hosting a website designed to find help for residents with a wide range of services.

Amazing statistic: Denton County now has 1.4 million residents, with another 90 added daily!

Check out their website at www.dentoncounty.gov/267/Community-Relations.

Kiwanis Club Members Enlightened by a Presentation from Life Works Community

Bill Wilson introduced WeBu Carroll and Dr. Randy Park from Life Works Community in Denton. Life Works Community was established to focus on assisting individuals with intellectual disabilities in our community.

WeBu, Dr. Park’s grandson, introduced the Life Works Community and its activities. Dr. Park founded Life Works Community in 2016 as a family-focused organization, and it has since grown to serve 80 clients. In their early years, individuals with these disabilities are often cared for by their families or government-funded organizations. When they turn 21, new challenges emerge for them. Addressing these new needs is the primary focus of Life Works Community. Life Works offers a range of individual services to help clients with special needs find support services and navigate agencies that can provide them with assistance. The goal is to help these individuals develop essential life skills, pursue employment opportunities, and adapt to and enjoy their community. The program gives instruction and guidance to help clients achieve a personal level of independence in these key areas through their day care program:

Life

• Self-care

• Menu planning

• Food preparation

• Healthy exercise

• Positive entertainment choices

• LWC offers classes in daily living skills, meal preparation, laundry, exercise, art, and music.

Works

• Enables clients to participate in the workplace

• Fosters independence

• Job coaching

• Skill set training

Community

• Enhance socialization

• Going places in our community strengthens community.

• Activities list includes bowling, attending movies, shopping, and swimming.

Life Works also has group homes, one for males and one for females, to help clients enhance their life skills by taking responsibility for household chores and developing social skills needed to communicate with others. This learning environment is an important step for clients as they transition to new living arrangements or even independent living.

Life Works Community has numerous community partners that support the programs. There are many opportunities for Robson Ranch residents to volunteer time to help work with the clients on their craft projects, travel assistance, and funding to help offset the costs of daily operations.

Life Works Community is excited to return to its original office location in partnership with the city.

The Kiwanis Club appreciates WeBu and Dr. Park for taking the time to enlighten us about their incredible dedication to helping these clients live fulfilled and enriched lives.

Please see their website life.works.community for further information.