Kiwanis Club Hears Inspiring Presentation from Blue Haven Ranch

Aubrey Schlackman, founder of Blue Haven Ranch, and Rebekah Kucera, operations director, attended a recent Kiwanis meeting. Below are Aubrey’s comments:

“Blue Haven Ranch was born out of the desperate need of single moms who are pregnant with children and in difficult life circumstances. During a mother’s two-year stay, we provide her and her family a personal living space, life skills training, financial assistance, counseling, gospel discipleship, maternity leave, farm therapy, and a supportive community. The moms who enter our program often come from incredibly hard and complex backgrounds. Their healing and growth take time and a lot of grace. Currently, we have five mother-led families in our program, and we have recently started a Post-Care Program for our alumni.

Blue Haven Ranch founder Aubrey Schlackman says her vision includes a maternity ranch where all the moms and families can be together—this is the hope once Blue Haven owns land.

“It’s been five years now since my vision for a maternity ranch was born, and four years of actively caring and providing for these families. To be sitting here now looking back on all we’ve already accomplished, but so much more that we must do, has given me a lot to reflect on,” said Aubrey. “We do this because we love it. It’s a calling on our lives, in the joy or the pain, to walk beside these families. I’ve never been more acutely aware of the shortage of programs like ours—both in the metroplex and across our state—than when I try to help mothers in crisis who want to keep their children with them but can’t find a maternity home that allows it. The vision for our maternity ranch is a big challenge in so many ways, but our culture has never needed it more! This is sacred work, and we are grateful we are part of the transformational work in our moms’ and families’ lives.”

If you would like more information about Blue Haven Ranch, please reach out to contact@bluehavenranch.org.

Kiwanis Club Had a Record of 313 Players for Classic Bingo

After four days of being housebound due to the February ice/snowstorm, a record 313 residents enjoyed a fun afternoon of Kiwanis Classic Bingo in the warm Robson Ranch clubhouse! In addition to the 313 who attended, 60 people were on the waiting list.

There was over $2,000 in cash winnings awarded to 39 people for Bingo winners and door prize drawings. It’s always fun when someone has a winning Bingo or wins a door prize and the whole table gets excited. The real winners of Classic Bingo are the children and families of Denton County who receive donations from this fundraiser. The Kiwanis Club of Robson Ranch appreciates the support of the Robson community in its fundraising efforts to support these kids and families in times of need.

Janice Quick did another excellent job of calling the Bingo and keeping the players engaged. Numerous other Kiwanis members support the Bingo event, from checking the winning cards to handling all the other volunteer positions needed to make it a success.

The next Kiwanis Classic Bingo will be on Sunday, April 12, at 2:30 p.m. Ticket sales at the clubhouse will be each Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, March 30 through April 10.

Join the Kiwanis Club of Robson Ranch

At Robson Ranch, we’re not just neighbors, we’re a community. One of the best ways to strengthen that community and make a difference beyond our gates is to join the Kiwanis Club of Robson Ranch.

The Kiwanis Club is part of Kiwanis International, a global service organization focused on improving the lives of children and families through volunteer projects, fundraising, and community support. Here at Robson Ranch, our club brings that mission close to home, providing opportunities for fun, friendship, and purposeful giving.

Why Join?

• Friendship and Fellowship: Enjoy regular opportunities to connect with fellow residents who share your values of service and community. We strive to have engaging speakers at our meetings.

• Giving Back Locally: From donations to 22 local charities such as the Rainbow Room, Children’s Advocacy Center, Community Clothes Closet, and others with a mission dedicated to improving the lives of children and families in Denton County.

• Supporting Kids Clubs in Schools: This is a major mission of Kiwanis. From elementary to college ages, there are more than 1,000 clubs. Locally, the club has established a new K-Kids Club at the new Jane Ruestmann Elementary School just south of our entrance on Cleveland Gibbs Road.

• Staying Engaged: Our members enjoy working together on meaningful projects such as volunteering at Our Daily Bread in Denton and others that keep us active, involved, and socially connected.

• Making an Impact: Even small efforts add up to big changes when we work as a team.

What to Expect

Members meet on the first and third Friday of each month at 9 a.m. in the Bandera/Medina Room at the Robson Ranch clubhouse to plan projects, hear from local guest speakers, and share time together. Many of our activities focus on creative, enjoyable ways to support local schools, families, and children in need.

Whether you have a few spare hours a month or a lot of time to give, there’s a place for you in Kiwanis. Every level of participation helps make a difference.

How to Join

If you’d like to learn more, we invite you to attend one of our meetings as a guest. Come meet our members, see what we’re about, and discover how you can share your time and talents while building lasting friendships right here at Robson Ranch. Or you can request more information at pjfhitch@gmail.com.

Check out our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/kcrobsonranch.

Kiwanis Club Meeting Presentation from Secure Our Seniors’ Safety

Shannon Dion, President of Secure Our Seniors’ Safety (SOSS), spoke at a recent Kiwanis Club of Robson Ranch meeting. She provided an incredible review of her involvement with Secure Our Seniors’ Safety. These are her comments:

Secure Our Seniors’ Safety was founded when the unthinkable happened. A serial killer, indicted for 22 homicides, murdered our loved ones in their residences for jewelry. The majority of the crimes occurred in four senior independent living establishments in Dallas, Plano, and Frisco, Texas. Over time, we learned these establishments knew a stranger was wandering their properties, and unattended deaths were reported. The management said nothing to the residents about the crimes occurring.

The mission of Secure Our Seniors’ Safety is to ensure that senior adults are secure from criminal activity. SOSS has two priorities:

1) Increasing awareness of vulnerabilities in senior living establishments, and

2) Working with legislators to pass a bill to protect seniors.

SOSS began in July of 2019 when four daughters found each other, met with State Senator Nathan Johnson and State Representative Julie Johnson, shared their tragic stories, and vowed to make changes. We have grown to include family members of more than 20 victims.

Our legislative priority is to work alongside our state senators and representatives in future sessions to pass legislation that will significantly improve security for senior adults. We ask our legislators to give seniors the security, rights, and protections they deserve.

Our Impact: During the 89th Legislative Session in 2025, the Texas Legislature passed SB 1283, and Governor Abbott signed it into law on June 20. The bill passed unanimously in both houses. The following was effective Sept. 1, 2025, at independent living establishments:

• Mandatory criminal background checks for employees.

• Disclosure of whether third-party service providers conduct background checks.

• Establishment of a resident safety and communications policy regarding criminal activity; the policy must detail reports made to law enforcement from or within the community.

• Reports of criminal trespass.

• A prohibition on restricting residents from speaking with law enforcement, social workers, family members, or others about safety concerns, without fear of retaliation from the retirement community, and on obstructing law enforcement from conducting voluntary interviews with residents.

During the 87th Texas Legislative Session in 2021, the Texas Legislature passed two bills supported by SOSS:

• Marilyn’s Law requires county medical examiners to notify family members when a death certificate is amended.

• SB 1132 increases the number of spot checks on cash-for-gold shops, pressuring owners to maintain accurate records of sales.

SOSS works to educate communities across Texas and the nation about the need for senior security and vulnerabilities in senior living facilities through presentations, speaking engagements, and media, including podcasts, the docuseries Pillowcase Murders, and news interviews.

Join us as we work to take care of those who took care of us! Contact Shannon Dion, SOSS president, at sgdion@msn.com or cell 972-898-3914. For more information on SOSS, go to secureourseniorssafety.org.

Kiwanis Club of Robson Ranch Completed a Record Year for Wreaths Across America

2025 was an exceptional year for Wreaths Across America, and the reason it was so successful is because of the thousands of dedicated volunteers! Under the leadership of Randy Blackburn, the Kiwanis Club of Robson Ranch received outstanding support from the Robson Ranch community in sponsoring a record number of wreaths.

Thanks to this collective effort, 7,778 sponsorship groups registered to bring the program to their communities, and more than 1,054 new groups signed up to support the mission. This mission resonates with many people. The National Wreaths Across America Day ceremony and wreath-laying event enable families, communities, and the nation to set aside differences and honor those who have championed our freedom. In 2025, thanks to the joint efforts of volunteers, local businesses, and individuals, just over 3.1 million veterans’ wreaths were sponsored and placed by more than four million volunteers.

This year, National Wreaths Across America Day will be held on Saturday, Dec. 19. Join the more than two million volunteers and supporters who will gather to Remember, Honor, and Teach at more than 5,200 participating locations in all 50 states, at sea and abroad.

For more information on Wreaths Across America, go to www.wreathsacrossamerica.org.