Keri Caruthers, executive director of Interfaith Ministries, and Kiwanis Club President Barbara Leurig
Kiwanis Club Supports Interfaith Ministries in Denton
Kiwanis Club President Barbara Leurig introduced Keri Caruthers, executive director of Interfaith Ministries (IFM). The Robson Ranch Kiwanis Club provided a donation to Interfaith Ministries.
Keri introduced the members to the Interfaith Ministries organization and its history in Denton. In 1991 local churches and civic agencies were inundated with requests for food and clothing, as well as financial assistance for rent, utilities, medications, and other individual needs. Rather than providing fragmented services, several area churches decided to pool their resources under one roof.
IFM was officially chartered by the State of Texas in October of 1992 as the Social Action Committee, and the name was changed in 1993 to Interfaith Ministries of Denton, Inc.
Today, as the major resource for short-term emergency assistance in Northern Denton County, in 2023, IFM’s mission is to provide assistance to Denton’s vulnerable community and advocate for anyone in need of basic resources for living. They are supported by several area faith-based organizations, individual donors, contracts, grant funding, and special events.
The primary goal is aiding in assistance with electric bills, but there is the opportunity to offer clients other small but significant resources. Examples of needs are Diaper Depot (infants and adults), hygiene products (regular-size or travel-size soaps, shampoos, razors, toothbrushes, feminine hygiene), cleaning supplies (laundry detergent, detergent wipes), and clothing (socks, shirts, basics).
IFM’s largest budget is the Utilities Program with Denton Municipal Utilities. Last year, IFM received grants from Denton Benefit League and Denton Noon Rotary. The annual budget for 2023-24 is $255,000 to assist clients with utilities during hardships. This contract was just renewed for five years.
Please see their website www.ifmdenton.org for more information about this very important organization in our community.
Andrea Jones, director of Business Development for Ranch Hands Rescue, Bob’s House of Hope
Kiwanis Club Members Introduced to Bob’s House of Hope
Club President Barbara Leurig introduced Andrea Jones, director of Business Development for Ranch Hands Rescue, Bob’s House of Hope, at a recent Kiwanis Club meeting. Andrea provided an enlightening overview of Bob’s House of Hope and its mission.
Founded in 2021, Bob’s House of Hope is a comprehensive, four-year program at Ranch Hands Rescue in Argyle, Texas. It is also the nation’s driving force to educate the public that young men and boys are sex trafficked, too, and endure horrific, traumatic conditions. The organization is dedicated to getting them off the street and providing them with a real chance at hope and healing so they can reintegrate into society as healthy, happy, functioning individuals. The goal is to empower these young men with the skills and trades they need to rebuild their lives, sustain themselves, and reach independence after years of trauma.
The residential facility at Bob’s House of Hope is built on a foundation of safety and community. It has the distinction of being the nation’s first and only safe house for young male survivors of sex trafficking, ages 18 and up. Another first: As part of the 40-acre campus expansion, they will be opening a specialized second safe house for boys ages 11 to 17 who have been sex trafficked. It, too, will be built on safety and community to meet their unique needs.
Andrea provided some alarming statistics about youth sex trafficking. Up to 50% of sex trafficked youth are young men and boys. In Texas alone, there are 60,000 missing kids. These at-risk young males often have backgrounds of abuse and neglect and are provided street drugs. Most victims are lured into trafficking by somebody they know who preys on their vulnerabilities. The more vulnerable a person is, the higher their risk of exploitation. Additionally, the exploitation of these young males cuts across every socioeconomic boundary: urban, suburban, rural, wealthy, and poor.
There are ways our community can support Bob’s House of Hope:
• Establish a matching gift program with active and retired employees,
• Provide in-kind donations to support the organization,
• Donate silent or live auction items for their fundraisers,
• Host in-house corporate fundraisers, and
• Assist in grant writing to help support the counseling program, residents, and animals.
Please see their website at Ranchhandsrescue.org for more information about Bob’s House of Hope.
Left to right: Jennifer Jenkinson, development director, Cumberland Youth and Family Services, and Barbara Leurig, Kiwanis Club President
Kiwanis Club Members Enlightened to Cumberland Young & Family Services Activities
Kiwanis Club President Barbara Leurig introduced Jennifer Jenkinson, development director at Cumberland Young & Family Services. The club provided a donation to Cumberland.
Cumberland Young & Family Services is “Committed to Keeping Youth Safe and Families Together.” The campus has 17 acres. There are three residential programs: Children’s Residential Program, Supervised Independent Living Program, and Family Residential Program. In addition to the residential programs, Cumberland’s Foster Care and Adoption Program serves community-based foster homes. Cumberland also provides community counseling, which works to provide uninsured, underfunded members of our community with specialized counseling services.
Cumberland Young & Family Services works hard to provide care and support that improves the quality of life for youth in foster care, young adults aging out of care, and resilient, single-parent families. Each program is designed to address residents’ specific needs based on the circumstances that brought them in, the level of care and support that serves them best, their goals, and their progress. One of the great things about Cumberland is that residents may transition between programs without moving. That ability to shift placement options based on needs or progress is an important stabilizing force not often found in programs like this.
The Children’s Residential Program offers comprehensive care and therapeutic support for youth facing immediate crisis in Shelter Services and those with emotional disorders due to severe trauma in Treatment Services. Cumberland is licensed to serve children and youth ages 5 to 17 but focuses primarily on meeting the needs of sibling groups and middle school and high school students. All residents are placed by the Texas Department of Family Protective Services.
The Supervised Independent Living Program offers an extended foster care option to help young adults ages 18 to 22. The program is designed to ease the transition into adulthood for those aging out of care. During their stay, education and career goals are set and achieved, they learn independent living skills, manage finances, and build healthy relationships. For those who want and need a spiritual component, it is available.
The Family Residential Program is for the family with a single adult, a mother, a father, or a grandparent. The program provides stable, affordable, and safe housing for families who cannot afford housing and those with a history of abuse, domestic violence, and/or trauma. While there, the families receive supportive services to equip and empower them to be self-reliant and identify lasting strategies that will address the family’s unique needs.
Cumberland’s newest program is their Foster Care and Adoption Program. The goal is to recruit, license, and support foster and adoptive families to ensure that we provide safe homes for children in our own community who have experienced trauma. Each month in Denton County, there are approximately 170 children awaiting placement and less than 30 licensed foster homes available. Cumberland is actively working to address this great need in our community.
Please see their website at www.cumberlandservices.org.