The $2 million project, funded by BGCGTC and private donations, involved remodeling an existing space into a state-of-the-art production kitchen that will produce healthy meals and snacks for 3,500 members each day. The Blue Door Kitchen initiative also serves as a training ground for Club members interested in a career in culinary arts and will eventually offer nutritious, low-cost meals for Club members’ families and the surrounding community.

Daphne Barlow Stigliano, Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Tarrant County CEO and president, said the idea to create a modern commercial kitchen emerged from the challenges in helping kids succeed during the pandemic. BGCGTC is able to enhance the quality of the food it currently serves children through U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) funding and provide healthier meals at significantly lower cost.

“Creating happy, healthy kids really starts with happy, full tummies,” Stigliano added. “Blue Door Kitchen allows us to deliver quality meals and snacks to the young people we serve every day. And because we can now do that very affordably, we will reinvest those savings to support the mission of our organization — which is to provide a positive environment, supportive relationships, and opportunities to nurture academic success, character, and leadership.”

Renovation efforts began earlier this year and were funded in part by Jackson-Shaw, a national real estate development company headquartered in North Texas, with support from the Amon G. Carter Foundation and private donations. The Ladies Auxiliary of Arlington also contributed a commercial truck to transport meals to BGCGTC’s Arlington locations. In all, three delivery vehicles will be used to carry meals and snacks to 25 BGCGTC facilities each day.

“We are thrilled to see this dream become a reality for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Tarrant County,” said Michelle Wheeler, Jackson-Shaw president and CEO. “Our team is passionate about helping young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their potential. This investment also allows us to support the development of a pipeline of future talent in the hospitality industry that we serve.”

The kitchen also supports one of BGCGTC’s newest workforce development programs — Culinary Connection, which introduces youth age 13 and older to various cooking techniques and provides students the knowledge and skills needed to work in a professional kitchen. Participants work under the tutelage of executive chef Chris Hallowell, who leads seasonal menu creation with fresh, locally sourced ingredients and scratch-cooking principles.

Blue Door Kitchen also equips BGCGTC with space to fulfill community food needs as they arise. Barlow says the organization plans to offer carry-out meal opportunities by fall 2023.

“To our knowledge, this type of venture has never been attempted by a Boys & Girls Club,” Barlow said. “I’m proud to say that our organization is capable of handling the complexity of managing the facilities and the volume of meals that this will entail. The young people and families we serve will benefit from this exciting venture for years to come.”

The post Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Tarrant County Launches Kitchen first appeared on Tanglewood Moms.

What is the mission of Saving Hope?

The mission of Saving Hope Animal Rescue is to rescue, provide shelter, medical care, and affection to abandoned and abused animals across the state of Texas and beyond, with the goal of adopting each animal into a loving home. In addition, we promote animal welfare through education, partnerships, and a community outreach program. Alongside the Saving Hope Foundation, we promote and believe in spaying and neutering all pets.

Photos courtesy of Saving Hope

What is your rescue and adoption process?

Each rescue mission varies, but the majority are rescued from the shelter and, depending on the medical need, either go to the foster home or directly to the vet. The foster will keep the animal in their care as if it was their own, providing love, care, and attention to keep the animal safe. If heartworm positive, we treat for heartworms before the animal is eligible for adoption. If the dog has a broken leg, we pay and oversee until healed from surgery [before] any adoption can be finalized. There are many fosters that have the intention to adopt but we wait until medically cleared to finalize. We want every animal in our care happy as well as every adopter.

Do you work with vets and vet techs?

We work with many vets and vet techs in the community. Our veterinary bills exceeded $1.2 million in 2022. We are hoping once the Aledo facility is opened, we will cut our vet bills in half, which will allow us to save more animals in need.

What are some fostering commitments to be aware of?

Choosing to foster is one of the most rewarding experiences. Before fostering, the foster needs to be aware of the [animal’s] needs which vary. Age, breed, sex, personality, and energy level all play a role in what the animal’s needs are. For example, if someone works 8 hours per day, we suggest an adult with low energy or a senior dog.

What have you learned working with animals?

Working with animals and in the nonprofit arena has been one of the most mentally and sometimes physically exhausting experiences but also by far the most rewarding. Even when transporting a dog from the shelter to a foster, you can see the light come back into the animal’s face. The saved animal stands a little taller and breathes a little easier. Volunteers can feel and see the difference in less than an hour. Many volunteer experiences can take hours, months, or even years to feel a reward, and many volunteer knowing it is helping but it is not easily seen.

Photos courtesy of Saving Hope

Saving Hope was recently awarded grant funding from the North Texas Community Foundation. What area(s) of your organization will benefit the most?

Medical by far is one of our greatest needs but also transport costs can be high. We adopt out of state to adopters that have been preapproved in Oregon, Minnesota, and Washington. We are also opening an adoption facility, Saving Hope Rescue Ranch and Sanctuary, which will include adoption areas; mom and puppy pods, where new mothers can decompress with their babies; a senior sanctuary, as well as a medical and intake facility. This will not only bring more awareness to the community and [education] but also provide a safe and happy place for all to visit, volunteer, adopt or foster.

If I come across a stray animal, what do I do? 

If the stray is in Fort Worth, the best way to proceed is to take the animal to be scanned at a local vet or to the city shelter located at 4900 Martin Street and ask for the animal to go through offsite impound. This allows the animal to be registered as found and they fully vaccinate, provide a heartworm test as well as microchip them. IF it is an offsite animal, you do NOT drop the dog there but hopefully can keep somewhere safe or call a local rescue to help. Once 96 hours have passed, that dog can legally be transferred whether to an individual or rescue. The shelters are all beyond capacity, and so many animals are either euthanized or get sick. We are trying to keep the animals safe and healthy by not dropping them off.

Photos courtesy of Saving Hope

Tell us your favorite adoption story.

Daffy was just another roaming pittie starving and looking for food. She found some chickens and, as a result, the property owner beat her very badly. After spending some time Wild at Heart Canine Academy, Daffy was adopted. Training can be so important in helping dogs gain confidence after going through traumatic events. Stories like Daffy’s give us HOPE for so many others that are waiting for their happily ever after. Thank you to the Kris Kelly Foundation for bringing our awareness to Daffy’s story.

The post Worthy Convos: Giving Hope first appeared on Tanglewood Moms.

The holiday season brings much uncertainty for many families as to where their next meal will come from, thus food insecurity is magnified in the Tarrant Area footprint. Inflation is combining with supply chain squeezes to dampen the purchasing power of both food banks and clients, while also spiking gas and transportation costs. The Tarrant Area Food Bank is responding as best they can by pursuing a number of strategies, including calling upon government agencies for help, building up pathways for increased produce distribution, expanding relationships with grocer-donors, and ramping up fundraising efforts, such as the Holidays of Hope Gift Catalog.

Gifts made through the catalog, while symbolic, will greatly support TAFB’s mission to end hunger in our community.  “Currently, we are spending more than we had budgeted for on food purchasing”, said Julie Butner, President and CEO of Tarrant Area Food Bank.  “We see this as a way that the Tarrant Area community can further help those in need during the holiday season”.

The digital catalog can be viewed at www.tafb.org/gifts . Gifts range from healthy food items such as beans, produce, and chicken to support for TAFB programs such as Community Gardens and Home Delivery. Once donation is made, the honoree will receive a special e-card to notify them of their gift.

The post Give Hope This Holiday Season first appeared on Tanglewood Moms.

The new service, “Open Access”, allows a cardholder 18 years and older to use their Fort Worth Public Library card to enter the building during set extended hours each day when the library is normally closed. Visitors may use their library for self-service functions such as checking out materials, printing/copying documents and using public computers. Existing cardholders must agree to specific service terms and have staff enable Open Access on patron library cards before accessing the service.

“Open Access is just another way we are working to remove barriers between the public and the resources available inside our buildings,” said Library Director Manya Shorr. “We are looking to implement this service at locations where, for example, we see a large commuter population that may have difficulty accessing the library during the day. We’ll expand this service with careful consideration.”

Open Access started at Northwest on Sept. 3.

The post Library Opens Access Outside Regular Hours first appeared on Tanglewood Moms.