This year’s service project for the District Convention will be “go bags” for women and children receiving services through Denton County Friends of the Family.
 
Denton County Friends of the Family, Inc. was incorporated on September 17, 1980. The first shelter was a tiny house of about 900 square feet, only able to house up to eight women and one child. There were two employees (an executive director and a counselor) assisted by 32 volunteers. Primary funding, which amounted to $10,000 came from a contract with the City of Denton and additional funding came from private donations. Limited children’s services were provided to shelter clients, and the crisis line began, staffed completely by volunteers.
As of 2019, they have over 70 staff employees and over 600 volunteers yearly. They have a 4,400 sq. ft. shelter, a 13,000 sq. ft. Outreach Office, two satellite offices, with a third opening in June of 2019. In 2018 DCFOF established their transitional housing program, providing support and housing stability to domestic violence and sexual assault victims.  DCFOF receives 500 inquiries for services per month with approximately 200 of these inquiries being new clients.
DCFOF is the sole provider in Denton County of shelter and free outreach services to those who have been affected by relationship violence and/or sexual assault.  The agency looks forward to carefully designed expansion of existing programs and new initiatives to increase awareness of DCFOF services and to help end the generational cycle of violence.
There are specific items that are requested for the bags.  Clubs can send a check to the District Office or donate through PayPal (please note on check or Paypal that the donation is specifically for the service project) and we can purchase the supplies or clubs can purchase supplies through our registries at Target (TEXAS-OKLAHOMA KIWANIS & CONVENTION’S
Items purchased through either of these websites will be drop shipped to our climate controlled storage facility in Denton.
We will build these bags on Friday afternoon and members of CKI and Key Club will deliver them to Denton County Friends of the Family.  Our goal is to build 250 adult bags and 250 children’s bags.

 

Robin Meyer

Governor Elect 2018-2019
Texas-Oklahoma District
Kiwanis International