Dallas Fort Worth Nonprofit Business Journal

Category: Health Care

  • Tarrant County ARPA funds expand ‘Good for You Pantry’ program

    An effort by North Texas Healthy Communities to make fresh produce and healthy groceries more accessible to Tarrant County families is getting a major boost, thanks to a grant from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), with funds administered by Tarrant County. The Good For You Pantry program received ARPA funding to open its 11th location at Fort Worth ISD’s C.C. Moss Elementary this week, with nine more pantries slated to open throughout Tarrant County by the end of 2024. 

    Launched in November 2019 at Daggett Middle School, the Good For You Pantry program is directed by North Texas Healthy Communities, the outreach arm of Texas Health Resources that implements Blue Zones Project and other well-being initiatives in Tarrant County and beyond. Pantries are housed in schools and community centers and allow residents to select their own fruits, vegetables, and other healthy staples at no cost.  

    “Thanks to ARPA funding we can expand the Good For You Pantry program beyond Fort Worth and reach communities throughout Tarrant County,” said Matt Dufrene, North Texas Healthy Communities vice president. “We’re currently evaluating where the needs are greatest and working with our partners to bring healthy food options and other important resources to more families in our community.” 

    To help Good For You Pantry customers make the most of their groceries, pantries offer recipe cards, cooking utensils, and links to virtual cooking demonstrations. Shoppers can also take advantage of on-site cooking demonstrations and nutrition workshops, presented in partnerships with local chefs, nutrition experts, and culinary students. 

    “The research is clear: Healthy foods are linked to better health and overall well-being, especially for children,” said Dufrene. “Schools and community centers are trusted resources and wonderful partners in our efforts to eliminate barriers and make healthy choices easier and more accessible.”  

    Access to affordable, healthy food is a critical social determinant that can greatly affect physical and mental health outcomes, especially in children. According to county data, 22% of Tarrant County households and 36% of Dallas households have no vehicle and live more than a mile from a grocery store or supermarket; more than 800,000 people across Tarrant, Dallas, Denton, and Collin counties experience food insecurity; and more than 25% of children in North Texas are food insecure. 

    Traditional food pantries generally offer nonperishable, processed foods. The Good For You Pantry program is focused on supplementing those efforts with fresh fruits and vegetables, along with other healthy staples, often culturally relevant for the community each pantry serves. Some pantries also offer diapers and toiletries. Families choose the items they take home, just as when they shop in a store. 

    Each Good For You Pantry serves 50 to 75 families, and typically offers twice monthly shopping opportunities. To date, the program has distributed 127,835 pounds of produce, serving more than 25,000 people.  

    “C.C. Moss families and our surrounding community will truly benefit by having this pantry in our school,” said Charla Staten, principal of C.C. Moss. “As a Blue Zones Project Approved school, we are keenly focused on the health and well-being of our young scholars.”   

    In addition to C.C. Moss Elementary, pantry locations include these eight Fort Worth ISD schools: Alice Contreras Elementary, Carter Park Elementary, Daggett Middle School, M.H. Moore Elementary, Oakhurst Elementary, Van Zandt-Guinn Elementary, Versia Williams Elementary, and Wedgwood Middle School. Two other Good For You Pantry sites are at Fortress Youth Development Center and LVTRise Community Center in Fort Worth. 

    NTHC efforts to build a stronger, healthier food ecosystem also include Fresh Access, a program that distributes fresh produce at Fort Worth community centers. Other initiatives include funding and support for school gardens, support for farmers markets and urban farms, and Double Up Food Bucks, which enables Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefit participants to double their savings on fresh produce at participating farmers markets and grocers. In addition, the Culled Produce Recovery Program, a partnership with local urban farms and grocery stores, gives new life to unsold produce. Blue Zones Project is a signature initiative and one of many led by NTHC to improve the health of the people in the communities served by Texas Health Resources.  

    Learn more about these healthy food initiatives at LiveLongFortWorth.com. 

    About North Texas Healthy Communities 

    North Texas Healthy Communities (NTHC) is the outreach arm of Texas Health Resources and invested in supporting community health improvement in North Texas through the delivery of innovative health initiatives focused on overall well-being. A signature program of NTHC is the implementation of Blue Zones Project in Fort Worth, a community-led well-being improvement initiative that was brought to the city by Texas Health Resources and other partners to support its mission “to improve the health of the people in the communities we serve.” Blue Zones Project works with businesses, schools, community leaders, and residents to support longer, better lives. Since 2015, more than 95,000 people and 367 groups and organizations have worked together to improve well-being. Fort Worth is the nation’s largest certified Blue Zones Community. The American Hospital Association and its partners highlighted Blue Zones Project in presenting Texas Health Resources the 2022 Foster G. McGaw Prize, which recognizes U.S. health care organizations committed to community health and well-being. 

    About ARPA 

    The American Rescue Plan Act (APRA) was signed into law on March 11, 2021, to provide additional financial relief in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The funding allows state and local governments to make strategic investments in long-lived assets, rebuild reserves, and cover temporary operating economic shortfalls. 

  • Dallas-based nonprofit pharmacies’ model delivers on double-bottom line

    Prism Health North Texas (PHNTX) is the largest HIV/AIDS service organization in the region and has expanded its services to reach more of the North Texas community regardless of socioeconomic or insurance status. The organization provides STI testing and treatment, dental care via three practices in the Dallas area, transgender primary care, and primary care services at its four health centers. The organization regularly provides rent and housing assistance, clothing, and other necessities to its patients in need. They also offer a variety of behavioral health services in addition to healthcare services that allow North Texans to take control of their health.

    A majority of PHNTX patients are low-to-no income with a little more than half having no health insurance. A majority of their patients are Black and Latino/x. The organization saw a need for a pharmacy that provided culturally-competent care and a welcoming environment.

    The need for a PHNTX Pharmacies was first of concern in South Dallas as the closest pharmacy to their clinic was over three miles away, creating a barrier to obtaining medication for patients without reliable transportation. Prior to the pharmacies opening, the clinics did not have a collocated pharmacy nearby or in the same building. By adding a collocated pharmacy, patients have a ‘one top shop’ to take care of their healthcare needs as they can go to their medical appointments, have their prescriptions sent to the collocated pharmacy, and pick up the prescriptions with little to no wait. This ease of access to medications that provide necessary treatment reduces the need for additional appointments and ultimately reduces costs for the organization.

    In 2019 and 2020, PHNTX launched three community-based pharmacies in Dallas to support their clients:

    • South Dallas – 4907 Spring Avenue, Suite 101, Dallas Texas 75210
    • Sunset Avenue – 219 Sunset Avenue, Suite 116A, Dallas Texas 75208
    • Lemmon Avenue – 2801 Lemmon Avenue, Suite 100, Dallas Texas 75204.

    Since opening the pharmacies, more than 4,500 patients have been served across all three locations – with 95.4% of those already being clients of PHNTX clinics. As the pharmacies continue to grow, PHNTX would like for their pharmacies to also become a resource for non-clinic patients living near their clinics and a revenue generator for altruistically-minded patients anywhere in Texas.

    PHNTX Pharmacies offer all of the same advantages of going to a ‘big box retailer’ operated pharmacy but because they are a nonprofit, a portion of the profits can go back into their other community services.

    Anyone can use the PHNTX Pharmacies and they accept most major insurers, cash customers and delivery is free with some restrictions. They can deliver anywhere in the state of Texas. There are some insurance plans that will not allow delivery or require specific delivery methods, but anyone can call the pharmacy to discuss the available delivery options and choose the best one for them.

    Patients can easily transfer their prescriptions to a PHTNX pharmacy at phntxpharmacy.org/prescriptions.

  • Community Healthcare of Texas names Chief Medical Officer

    Community Healthcare of Texas recently named hospice and palliative care veteran Dr. David Capper as its new Chief Medical Officer. Over the past several months, Dr. Capper has worked closely with Dr. Karen Godfrey, who retired on December 31, 2022, after 13 years with the organization.

    In his role, Dr. Capper will oversee the overall effectiveness, leadership, strategic direction, structure, and management of the medical components of pediatric and adult hospice care at Community Healthcare of Texas. He will partner with members of the hospice interdisciplinary team to develop personalized care plans for patients, ensuring every patient and their family receive the highest quality end-of-life care. Additionally, he will provide education to community physicians and others engaged in the care of patients facing a serious or life-limiting illness.

    “Dr. Capper is a highly respected hospice and palliative care expert, and we’re thrilled to have him join our team,” said Viki Jingle, Chief Executive Officer at Community Healthcare of Texas. “Dr. Capper’s end-of-life care experience, paired with his strong leadership background and dedication to serving the community, make him a perfect fit for this role. I look forward to working with him as we expand our hospice and palliative programs to meet the needs of our patients and their families in this ever-changing healthcare landscape.”

    Board-certified in Internal Medicine and Hospice and Palliative Care, Dr. Capper has held numerous positions over his 35 years in healthcare. Prior to joining Community Healthcare of Texas, Dr. Capper founded Covenant Hospice in 1999, where he was the Executive Vice President and Medical Director until 2019. Most recently, he served as Medical Director of Palliative Care at JPS Health Network in Fort Worth.

    “Early in my career, I recognized that patients weren’t often cared for well at end-of-life, and I was determined to change that. With hospice, we have an opportunity to connect patients with a holistic model of care where we focus on the whole person,” shared Dr. Capper. “Community Healthcare of Texas is widely recognized as a leader in end-of-life care across North Central Texas. I have witnessed their commitment to holistic patient-centered care first-hand, and I am honored to join them as we find new and innovative ways to care for patients and families throughout the community.”

    Dr. Capper earned his medical degree from the University of Texas Medical School in Houston and completed his residency at Good Samaritan Hospital and Medical Center in Portland, Oregon. He went on to serve as chief resident at St. Vincent Hospital, also in Portland.

  • Brad Adams assumes full leadership duties at Southwest Transplant Alliance

    Southwest Transplant Alliance (STA), one of the nation’s leading organ procurement organizations (OPO), today announced the full transition of its leadership to Brad Adams as President and CEO. Adams was named Patti Niles’ successor at the beginning of 2022 and has served as the organization’s President since, while Niles remained the organization’s CEO.

    Southwest Transplant Alliance (STA) is a nonprofit organization based in Dallas, Texas, that saves lives by fulfilling the gifts of organ and tissue donation. Founded in 1974, STA has facilitated more than 35,000 organs for recovery and is among the largest of 57 federally designated, nonprofit organ procurement organizations (OPOs) in the United States and is a member of the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS). Established in 2018, the STA Foundation provides care for families, community education, and research in transplant science. STA serves communities in North Texas, Beaumont, Bryan/College Station, Corpus Christi, El Paso, Galveston, Midland/Odessa, Temple, Tyler and Wichita Falls.

    In his first year as President, Adams assumed responsibility for the organization’s overall operations, centering his work on building a strong team, removing barriers to donation brought about by the pandemic, aligning operations and processes across the organization, and driving a collaborative and future-focused culture. As a result, STA realized record levels of donation in 2022 in service to its community of 11 million Texans.

    “Our teams compassionately walk with families through the most tragic of circumstances, sharing the hope and healing that donation can bring to all involved,” said Adams. “The work we do is complex, but it can lead to nothing short of a miracle – and lives saved. Our operation has never been stronger. As we continue forward, we are focused on building a legacy of organ and tissue donation for our employees, families, and community.”

    In preparation for assuming the CEO role, Adams and his team developed and launched a new strategic plan to chart the path forward for the organization. As the organization’s new CEO, Adams is strategically focused on the organization’s people and its culture, on acting as a catalyst for donation for all Texans, and on serving the entire donation community as a center of excellence. Adams is also focused on addressing inequities in donation, having already dedicated resources, tools, and programs to equalize opportunities for donation and transplantation, and on driving a national conversation around an efficient and effective donation system.

    With this focus, Adams hopes to continue to drive change for the entire field of donation, leading conversations with multiple partners, colleagues, and regulators toward a more open, transparent, reliable, and trustworthy system. He also serves as an advocate for the overall donation community, on a national level as a founding member of the Organ Donation Consortium, across Texas as the President of Donate Life Texas, and locally as a new member of The Dallas Assembly.

    “Brad’s leadership of STA over the past year has allowed the organization to thrive during a time of transition, not only for STA but also for the entire healthcare community,” said Cheryl Camin Murray, Board Chair of the Southwest Transplant Alliance Board of Directors. “He has focused his efforts this year on stabilizing the organization while also positioning STA for ongoing growth and success. His track record already speaks for itself and to a bright future ahead for STA.”

    Adams joined the organization in 2015 and has served the organization in a variety of roles, including executive vice president, chief administrative officer, and general counsel.

  • Taylor’s Gift Foundation announces new board member

    Taylor’s Gift Foundation, a Dallas-based nonprofit whose mission is to provide no-cost emotional and grief support to organ, eye, and tissue donor families, announced that Myrna Garcia of Donor Alliance has joined the Board of Directors.

    “The addition of Myrna to our Board is incredibly special because she was the family support coordinator who was there in the hospital with us when we lost Taylor 12 years ago,” said Tara Storch, co-founder of Taylor’s Gift Foundation. “Her kindness and care made an incredible impact on our family in the darkest time of our lives. Myrna’s insights and experience of walking with families as they make the decision regarding organ, eye, and tissue donation will be invaluable to Taylor’s Gift as we continue to grow our signature Kindred Hearts Program, which strives to ensure no donor families grieve alone.”

    Garcia has been with Donor Alliance, the organ procurement organization (OPO) that services the state of Colorado, for over 20 years. During her career, she has worked with hundreds of donor families, navigating them through organ and tissue donation pathways and helping them understand the process. Currently, Garcia serves as a donation consultant for Donor Alliance. She collaborates with physicians, nurses, respiratory therapists, and operating room staff to support the donation process at several major hospitals in the Denver area.

    “It means a great deal to me to be part of the Taylor’s Gift Foundation mission. They have created a much-needed grief support initiative, the Kindred Hearts Program, that is helping families receive the emotional and grief support they need after their loved one becomes a donor,” said Garcia. “I’m so grateful to be part of it. Plus, the Storches mean so much to me personally. I won’t ever forget walking with them as Taylor saved five lives through donation.”

    Garcia received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Spanish from the Metropolitan University of Denver. Her early experience working with Justice Information Center Inc. as a Spanish interpreter/translator in medical and courtroom settings ignited her passion for working with nonprofits and assisting others in times of crisis. She also has served as a volunteer victim advocate with her local police department, assisting law enforcement with members of the community who have suffered injury and loss.

    The Storches launched Taylor’s Gift Foundation in 2010 after losing their daughter, Taylor, in a tragic skiing accident in Beaver Creek, Colo. In January of 2022, Taylor’s Gift Foundation launched its grief support initiative, the Kindred Hearts Program, and has partnered with multiple OPOs across the country so that donor families have open access to the emotional and grief support they need as they cope with their devastating loss. For more information about Taylor’s Gift Foundation, visit www.taylorsgiftfoundation.org.

  • YMCA Fort Worth welcomes Chief Experience Officer

    The YMCA of Metropolitan Fort Worth announced that Alfredo I. Salcedo, M.A., M.S., has been named chief experience officer (CXO), a newly-created role. Salcedo will be responsible for creating quality experiences for all YMCA public-facing functions, including aquatics, community engagement and wellness.

    Salcedo brings a strong community background that makes him particularly suited for delivering consistent, integrated services to all who benefit from the YMCA’s presence across Tarrant, Johnson and Hood counties.

    Salcedo was hired in 2022 as vice president of healthy living for the YMCA of Metropolitan Fort Worth. He began his YMCA career in 2013 as director of healthy living for the YMCA of the Foothills in La Cañada Flintridge, California. In 2016, he became executive director of health and fitness for the YMCA of Boulder County in Colorado, and then wellness experience executive for the YMCA of the Virginia Peninsulas in Newport News, Virginia, in 2019. He served in that role through 2021.

    In addition to his varied YMCA positions, Salcedo worked as a family and community partnership manager and as a recreation coordinator in California. He is bilingual in English and Spanish, and proficient in using an array of enterprise management applications.

    His professional affiliations have included memberships in the National Advisory Board for Core Health and Fitness, Y-USA Health and Wellness Task Force, and the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). Since 2010, Salcedo has received numerous awards and certifications for his YMCA activities and efforts to improve the lives of youth and families.  

    “When we created this position, we wanted someone with just the right background and skillset to oversee and integrate all the benefits we provide to Fort Worth and surrounding communities,” said Mike Brown, YMCA president and CEO. “We knew what Alfredo had to offer, and look forward to what he can achieve in this new role.”

    Salcedo is a graduate of California State University, Los Angeles, where he earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in child development in 2009 and 2012. In 2013, he earned a Master of Science in kinesiology from the university. He is working to attain a doctorate of education in health and human performance from Concordia University Chicago.

    About the YMCA of Metropolitan Fort Worth

    The YMCA of Metropolitan Fort Worth is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to put Christian principles into practice through programs, services and relationships that build healthy spirit, mind and body for all. The organization seeks to transform lives by ensuring that everyone has an opportunity to grow and thrive, regardless of age, income or background. Established in 1890, when Fort Worth was just a frontier town, the YMCA now directly serves Tarrant, Johnson and Hood counties and impacts more than 100,000 residents each year, through 10 dedicated facilities, more than 50 program locations and numerous programs and services across the region. The YMCA is focused on strategic priorities in youth development, healthy living and social responsibility. Programs and services are available at YMCA locations in Bedford, Benbrook, Fort Worth, Granbury and Joshua. Facilities include community centers as well as a sports complex and a 360-acre camp along the banks of the Trinity River. For more information, visit YMCAFW.org.

  • Community Healthcare of Texas opens inpatient hospice wing

    Community Healthcare of Texas, the largest not-for-profit hospice provider in the state since 1996, has partnered with Texas Health Harris Methodist Fort Worth Hospital to provide inpatient hospice care for qualified patients. The new hospice wing opened on December 1 and features eight private rooms located on the second floor of Harris Tower.

    “We are looking forward to the opportunity to build on our long-standing partnership with Texas Health Fort Worth,” said Viki Jingle, CEO of Community Healthcare of Texas. “In 1996, leaders from Texas Health Fort Worth, formally Harris Hospital, and two other hospitals recognized the need for a not-for-profit community-based hospice and came together to form what is now Community Healthcare of Texas.”

    Patient care at the new hospice wing is provided by Texas Health Fort Worth healthcare professionals specially trained in hospice care along with the Community Healthcare of Texas interdisciplinary team consisting of physicians, nurses, hospice aides, social workers, chaplains, volunteers, and bereavement specialists.

    “For more than 26 years, Texas Health Fort Worth and Community Healthcare of Texas have worked together to care for patients and families throughout the area,” said Jennifer Chavez, Chief Nursing Officer of Texas Health Fort Worth. “This new inpatient hospice wing is a unique opportunity that allows for even more cohesive alignment and synergism as we continue in our commitment to the communities we serve.”

    According to Jingle, the new inpatient hospice wing at Texas Health Fort Worth is coming at the perfect time for the not-for-profit hospice. “For almost 20 years, we’ve provided inpatient care at our Hospice House on the campus of James L. West Center for Dementia Care in Fort Worth. However, earlier this year, we learned that James L. West had decided not to renew our lease,” said Jingle. “We fully understand their need to utilize the space differently to accommodate their patients, and we will continue to partner with them to provide the best hospice care to their patients who need us.”

    Community Healthcare of Texas also offers inpatient hospice care at their six-bed free-standing Hospice House on the campus of Texas Health Huguley in South Fort Worth and their six-bed inpatient hospice wing in Texas Health Arlington Memorial Hospital. In the Waco area, they provide inpatient care at Providence Hospice Place, their eight-bed facility at Ascension Living Providence Village on the campus of Ascension Providence Hospital.

    About Community Healthcare of Texas

    As the largest not-for-profit hospice and palliative care provider in Texas, Community Healthcare of Texas has provided end-of-life care services for adult and pediatric patients since 1996.  Community Healthcare of Texas serves 25 counties in the Dallas, Fort Worth, and Waco areas.  Community Healthcare of Texas brings over 26 years of adult and pediatric care experience, offering hospice care, palliative care, education, emotional and spiritual support, and grief care to families as they travel the path of serious and terminal illnesses.   

  • Grant Halliburton Foundation raises $430,000 at 2022 annual party

    The Grant Halliburton Foundation held The Hope Party, its largest fundraiser of the year, on November 18 at The Factory in Deep Ellum. More than 540 supporters attended the sold-out soiree, which raised a record $430,000 through underwriting, tickets, live and silent auctions, a tribute wall and a wine pull. Proceeds from the event support the Foundation’s work providing mental health education, resources, and support to North Texas youth and their families.

    Steve Noviello, FOX Television station’s consumer reporter, welcomed guests. “What started out as a small fundraiser 13 years ago has turned into THIS, a fun event with dinner, dancing and fundraising to raise vital funds for the Foundation’s youth mental health programs.” 

    Hope Party co-chair Jennifer Burns said, “I was introduced to the great work of the Grant Halliburton Foundation in 2020, when I had the opportunity to watch their Hope Party at Home livestream event, and I knew I wanted to find a way to contribute in some fashion to this organization and its important work in North Texas.” 

    This year, the event co-chairs introduced the Tribute Wall, an opportunity to honor or remember someone special and support mental health and suicide prevention. 

    Hope Party co-chair Diana Hamilton stated how she learned about the Foundation through the Becker family. She thanked the many donors and the attendees for showing up and for supporting an organization that has helped so many. Hamilton also expressed her thanks to valet underwriter and Ruby Sponsor, Sewell Automotive, and Entertainment Underwriter, Leigh Anne and Dave Clark.

    Rev. Dr. Pamela Fox, Grant Halliburton Foundation board member, gave the invocation, and guests enjoyed dinner.

    After the meal, Kevin Hall, Grant Halliburton Foundation president, introduced the honorary co-chairs, Lael and Peter Brodsky. The Brodskys talked about their personal experience with mental health and the importance of helping with mental health and suicide prevention. Lael remarked, “All people, whether grieving or not, want to be seen and understood and feel like they are not alone. And if we can show our children how to be okay when things are hard or situations are uncomfortable, maybe their anxiety will go down too, which is really the most important goal of all.”

    Vanita Halliburton, Grant Halliburton Foundation co-founder, and Kevin Halltook the stage together and discussed the following milestones for the Foundation this year:

    ·      The Foundation’s mental health education programs are growing exponentially and have reached nearly 300,000 students and adults.

    ·      Its Thrive program, which helps schools change the way they address mental health, has grown from 56 to 119 schools in the past year. 

    ·      The Hope Squad program, a student-led peer-to-peer group that promotes mental health and suicide prevention in schools, has grown from 16 to 49 schools in the past year.

    ·      Grant Halliburton Foundation co-hosted the first-ever Hope Squad conference, drawing more than 1,500 Hope Squad students from across North Texas. 

    ·      The Foundation launched a young professionals group, GHF YP, with more than 90 members.

    ·      In April, the nonprofit moved to Pegasus Park–a brilliant vision from Lyda Hill Philanthropies to create a community of nonprofits working collaboratively.

    After the live auction, attendees danced the night away to the music of STRATOSPHERE by Scott Michaels Entertainment. 

    About Grant Halliburton Foundation

    Grant Halliburton Foundation was established in 2006 in memory of a Dallas teen who battled depression and bipolar disorder for several years before his suicide death at the age of 19. The Foundation that bears his name works to help families and young people recognize the signs of mental illness through a variety of avenues including education, conferences, collaboration and encouragement. Since 2006, the Foundation has provided mental health education, training, and support to nearly 300,000 students, educators, parents, and professionals. The Foundation also offers Here For Texas, which includes HereForTexas.com and the Here For Texas Mental Health Navigation Line. These free community tools aim to offer easy access for North Texans seeking mental health and addiction information and resources.

  • The Mammogram Poster Girls donate big to early detection in the underserved

    On Tuesday, November 21, 2022 The Mammogram Poster Girls (MPG) presented a check for $50,000 to the Methodist Health System Foundation—$25,000 for the Breast Center at Methodist Charlton Medical Center, and $25,000 for the Linda and Mitch Hart Breast Center at Methodist Dallas Medical Center.  These funds will provide mammograms, free of charge, for under/uninsured women.  This donation follows a $30,000 donation (directed to the Methodist Charlton Breast Center) presented in April.

    In addition to the April and November donations, the Mammogram Poster Girls have directly funded $27,580 for the MPG Two-Fer Tuesday program in 2022, which provides mammograms (and a meal), free of charge for under and uninsured women.  The Two-Fer Tuesday program is a partnership between the Mammogram Poster Girls, Methodist Health system, and local, minority and women-owned restaurants throughout the southern and eastern sector of D/FW.  

    In 2022, the Mammogram Poster Girls have provided funding of over $107, 000 to help save lives…one mammogram at a time at Methodist Charlton Medical Center, Methodist Dallas Medical Center, and on the Methodist Mobile Mammography Unit.

    The Mammogram Poster Girls Inc. was founded in 2018 to raise awareness of, and funds for, the early detection of breast cancer.  MPG raises money for mammograms, and provides programs to remove barriers to access to screening mammograms to under and uninsured women in medically underserved areas.  

    Sheri Mathis, Founder of the Mammogram Poster Girls, is a two-time breast cancer survivor, and is one of four sisters–all of whom are breast cancer survivors.  The sisters have no BRCA genes, no genetic breast cancer links, nor other family history, ALL were all diagnosed following an annual screening mammogram.  They consider themselves the lucky ones—and nicknamed themselves mammogram poster girls.  Mammograms saved their lives! 

    In 2018, along with five friends, Mathis founded the Mammogram Poster Girls Inc. (MPG) with a mission to raise awareness of, and funds for, the early detection of breast cancer.  From the beginning, MPG has been, and continues to be, an all-volunteer organization lead by an active board of fourteen men and women, several of whom are breast cancer survivors.

    The organization strives to remove barriers to early detection mammograms for under and uninsured women, focusing on medically underserved areas. The organization focuses their efforts on the southern sector of D/FW, where women are 1.4 times more likely to receive a late-stage breast cancer diagnosis, and 1.2 times more likely to die of breast cancer. (Komen report 2015/2018).  The Poster Girls believe that where you live should not determine if you live. 

    To date, the Mammogram Poster Girls have provided over 1,200 screening and diagnostic mammograms, free of charge, for under and uninsured women in the D/FW area.  Of those, 27 women have received a confirmed breast cancer diagnosis. Data provided by Methodist Health System, as of Q3 2022.

    The Mammogram Poster Girls raises funds via fundraising events, through Poster Girl Partnerships with local businesses, from corporate sponsorships, via individual giving, and from foundations (including the Dallas Stars Foundation and Hunt Gives).

  • AWARE Fund of The Dallas Foundation opens applications

    The AWARE Fund of The Dallas Foundation is accepting grant applications for the 2023 grant cycle through Jan. 9, 2023.

    AWARE is dedicated to fighting Alzheimer’s disease by providing funding and support to programs, projects, and research provided by nonprofit organizations that actively help all individuals affected by Alzheimer’s disease in Dallas and the greater North Texas area. 

    Grants up to $50,000 are available in the following areas of programs and services: Patient Care Services, Research, Educational Outreach, Arts-based Community Outreach, Patient and Caregiver Respite. Funds can be used for operating support, research costs, program and services costs, as well as salaries for full-time or part-time employees.

    Only single year grants are available. Site visits are required and will be conducted between early February and late March. Grant recipients will be notified in May 2023.

    No LOI is required. Grants awarded in the spring of 2023 will receive funds in early 2024. Applications can be submitted online.