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CLASSIFIEDS

APRIL 2-8, 2025

METROPOLIS

CHAMPions

A

counselor’s vision for improving health in underserved neighborhoods includes free services and a mobile unit.

BY LAURIE JAMES

Community Healing and Mental Health Project (CHAMP) is a nonprofit dedicated to fostering a community where conversations about mental health are encouraged, resources are available, and prioritizing healing take center stage. CHAMP focuses on the ZIP codes of 76104, 76105, and 76116, areas that CHAMP founder Lachelle Goodrich identified as “low-to-moderate income and under-resourced.”

Goodrich, a professional counselor, has worked for five years to fine-tune her nonprofit, advocating for self-care, meaningful conversations, and policy change. Next week, CHAMP will leverage all of this energy into Nurture & Thrive: A Black Maternal Health Experience. The event aligns with the annual national Black Maternal Health Week commemoration (which likely won’t be celebrated by the federal government this year). Started by the Black Mamas Matter Alliance several years ago, the week of April 11-18 advocates for policies and programs that improve Black maternal health. The theme this year is Healing Legacies: Strengthening Black Maternal Health Through Collective Action and Advocacy.

Goodrich said that at Nurture & Thrive, CHAMP will “provide a self-care experience, where mothers can learn about resources available to them.”

Participants can receive a care box with supplies for the baby and themselves, resources, and tools for mental wellness. The event is also sponsored by BRAVE/R Together, which aims to reduce all inequities (including health) in the 76104 ZIP code.

Maternal death rates in Texas have been a national embarrassment for over a decade, and 76104 has the second-highest rate of maternal deaths in the state. Since 2013, Texas has released a nonpartisan biennial report called the Maternal Morbidity and Mortality Review (MMMR). The 2024

iteration confirms that the death rate for all Texas mothers remained fairly high at 24 deaths per 100,000 live births. While white Texas women die during pregnancy at a rate of 16 women per 100,000 births, Black Texas women die at a rate of 39 per 100,000 births –– more than double the rates of their white peers. The worst part of this story is that firearm deaths account for almost 10% of overall deaths of new mothers in this state. About 80% of those pregnancy-related deaths were preventable.

More alarming is that severe maternal health complications are rising as well –– conditions like infection, pregnancy-related hypertension, aneurysms, significant mental health challenges, and obstetric hemorrhage, where post-delivery bleeding from a woman’s uterus can’t be stopped. Many of these conditions are also preventable or at least predictable. White Texas women experience these complications at a rate

of 72 per 100,000 births. Black women experience severe maternal morbidity at about double the rate of their white peers (134 per 100,000 births).

The MMMR recommends some proven initiatives, including helping women already struggling with mental health challenges to access care and supporting them during and after pregnancy. The report also favors expanding access to doulas –– trained professionals who provide personalized support from pregnancy through childbirth and into the tenuous postpartum period when women are often left alone to care for their babies and their healing bodies. Additional funding for prenatal screening for depression, general preventive women’s health care, and treatment of postpartum depression were also recommended. Those recommendations fit squarely into the mission of CHAMP. Goodrich is a former social studies teacher at Stripling Middle School

and has worked with Housing Solutions in resident services. She helped families transition post-Hurricane Katrina, then helped families in Stop Six access workforce training and education.

As a teenage parent, Goodrich said the social worker in her high school helped her “navigate the systems because I was a teenage mom.” Goodrich defied the odds and became a teacher in her mid-20s, but her background and experiences led her to want to do more. “I decided I would take my gift and passion and put it to work.”

As a licensed professional counselor (LPC), Goodrich has a passion for “helping people see things from a different perspective, working with kids, and understanding how our childhood plays a part in our adult life.” CHAMP is aimed at specifically addressing what Goodrich calls the “T word” — trauma. Childhood trauma creates changes in the brains of young people, and the damage may be felt for years. Starting in 2020, Goodrich saw a need for counseling around the social isolation and chaos brought on by COVID. CHAMP began to offer free short-term counseling sessions for youth ages 11-17 who have experienced gun violence, abuse, or other trauma, aiming to reduce juvenile incarcerations and increase positive coping skills.

In 2023, Goodrich said she had an idea come to her in a dream: Why couldn’t she take CHAMP’s services directly to the community in the form of a mobile unit? Mammography mobile units took off in the early 2000s as a way to bring needed services to people not visiting the places where the services were offered. Inspired by the Black Heart Association service van, Goodrich said she thought, “We don’t have anything that is a mental-health response on wheels.”

And that began CHAMP’s Mobile Mental Health Unit. Unlike first-response crisis units like police, ambulance, and fire and rescue, which arrive at a crisis immediately, Goodrich envisions CHAMP’s mobile unit appearing within 48-72 hours of a traumatic incident to offer group therapy, education assistance, and a virtual reality program aimed at rapid healing. CHAMP purchased the basic mobile unit last year, and Goodrich is currently raising funds to fully equip and outfit the VR piece.

As a counselor, Goodrich and her staff at iLegacy Consulting and Counseling have built up a large business with virtual counseling, but she said that sometimes, there is no substitute for in-person sessions.

“We all are different learners,” she said. “Virtual counseling has worked wonders, continued on page 5

CHAMP founder Lachelle Goodrich was an adolescent parent. Her mission with her nonprofit is to provide education and advocacy.

Courtesy CHAMP Texas

and we’ll continue to have these things in place. But if you’ve been exposed to gun violence and trauma, it brings a different experience.”

Goodrich said it’s important for people in situations of trauma –– whether it’s gun violence or a maternal mental-health need –– not to have to seek out the help. And navigating health insurance for services ––especially Medicaid –– is “a hassle [because] there’s no timeframe on healing,” she said, but insurers often restrict or limit payment for services.

CHAMP’s services are culturally competent, which Goodrich said is crucial “in order for people to feel safe to process their emotions.”

That’s true whether you live in a neighborhood impacted by poverty or if you’re a pregnant woman.

There’s a bit of good news for pregnant Black women, who are most at risk in Tarrant County. Taking one of the MMMR recommendations to heart, the United Way of Tarrant County has already trained 120 men and women in the 76104 ZIP code to be doulas. These community members have a set of life experiences that parallel the expectant mothers’ and their partners’. The doula services include coaching, advocacy, and assistance through pregnancy and delivery and into the critical first six weeks post-partum. The partnership links

community advocates and medical providers and leads to better, healthier outcomes for mothers and their babies.

The agency is also implementing TeamBirth, a program designed to improve patient care by giving women the tools they need to improve communication with their medical providers for a safer birth and better recovery experience. TeamBirth was pioneered at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in the Northeast and was integrated into a

small cohort of women and their providers across Baylor Scott & White, JPS Health Network, and Texas Health Resources in January.

Information on the state’s Maternal Health website has not been updated since 2021, so if you’re looking for statistics, you’ll have to go to partner sites, like the United Way of Tarrant County or the Texas Women’s Healthcare Coalition. Nobody can argue that Texas Black women and their

babies have been in a life and death struggle for health care for the last decade, across four presidential administrations. Thanks to CHAMP, BRAVE/R Together, and other partnering agencies, a change may be coming. To support CHAMP or learn more, visit Facebook.com/CHAMPTexas. l

Longtime Weekly contributor Laurie James is a board member of CHAMP.

The inside of the CHAMP mobile unit is a comfortable space for youth to meet with licensed counselors and unpack traumatic issues. Services are provided free of charge.

ORGANIZING LOCAL

Let’s Save Democracy

Practical Actions to Fight Back

Promotional Feature

According to astrology writer Robert Brezsny, all of us who are paying attention should understand that we are embedded in a red-alert emergency crisis. “For now, I’ll refrain from enumerating the US government’s relentless ongoing attacks on freedom and democracy.” Instead, Brezsny encourages you to join him in channeling our outrage into intentional, creative, and vitalizing acts of resistance, uprising, and transformation.

”Let’s begin by making our passionate presence felt at the MASS MOBILIZATION that will rise up in American cities on Saturday, April 5” when people are taking to the streets nationwide to fight back with a clear message: Hands off! The organizers of Hands Off 2025, feel that Donald Trump and Elon Musk think the country belongs to them. “They’re taking everything they can get their hands on, and daring the world to stop them.”

This Sat, Apr 5, local volunteers have organized events in Arlington, Burleson, Dallas, Denton, Flower Mound, and Frisco. Here are the locations and times. ARLINGTON: Tarrant County SubCourt, 700 E Abram St, Noon-1:30pm. BURLESON: Walgreens Pharmacy

(sidewalk out front), 833 SW Wilshire Blvd, 3pm-6pm. DALLAS: Dealey Plaza, 400 Main St, 3pm-6pm. DENTON: Denton Courthouse-on-the-Square, 110 W Hickory St, 1pm-3pm. FRISCO: Intersection of Farm-to-Market Road 423 & Stonebrook Parkway, 1pm-2pm.

There is also an event in Flower Mound. Once you sign up online, the organizer will email you the location. For more info about the MASS MOBILIZATION, go to HandsOff2025.com or TinyURL. com/HandsOffOurWorld.

Brezsny also has suggestions on guides to inspire us to be effective change-makers including Fighting

Back: A Citizen’s Guide to Resistance at Archive.ph/FzAyY, Indivisible: Practical Guide to Democracy on the Brink at Indivisible.org/resource/guide, and What You Can Do to Fight This Cou at ChooseDemocracy.us/what-can-i-do/.

Another essential action that he says we can all take is to rely on robust sources of truth. You can find a list of alternative media at TinyURL.com/AlternateMedia. You can also study a fascinating political science finding at TinyURL.com/ FocusedActivism: All it takes to ensure major political change is the focused activism of 3.5% of the population. If you would like to review one of his core

statements about how to proceed, read his first post-election essay at Tinyurl.com/ ThisIsRealNow.

As for Robert Brezsny’s Freewill Astrology, see page 20.

WEEKLY LISTINGS

The List

Top resources for everything. Okay, almost everything.

By Fort Worth Weekly Classifieds

Below are some resources for your consideration, including astrology, employment, faith-based listings, services, and more in a bulletin-board-styled format. Welcome to Fort Worth Weekly Classifieds.

FREE WILL ASTROLOGY

ARIES (Mar 21-Apr 19)

It’s crucial to know when to slow down and let hunches and insights ripen. This is excellent advice for you. You’re in a phase when innovation is needed and likely. For best results, infuse your productivity with periodic stillness.

TAURUS (Apr 20-May 20)

Identify the experience, substance, or feeling you really, really want more of, and then resolve to get as much of it as you really, really want.

GEMINI (May 21-Jun 20)

I think the coming weeks would be an excellent time for you to begin your own version of Dream Torrent Essays, Gemini. You could generate maximum fun and self-knowledge by compiling all the reasons you love being alive on this mysterious planet.

CANCERIAN (Jun 21-Jul 22)

You are primed to be extra bold and super-responsive. Here’s one reason why: You are finely tuning your protective instincts so they work with effective grace—neither too strong nor too weak. That’s an excellent formula to make fun new connections and avoid mediocre new connections.

LEO (Jul 23-Aug 22)

We humans are connected via the psychic airways. I’m predicting at least three magical synchronicity events for you in the coming weeks, Leo. Treat them with the reverence they deserve. Take them seriously as signs of things you should pay closer attention to.

VIRGO (Aug 23-Sep 22)

You will be stronger and more impactful than you may appear. The quality you offer will be more effective than others’ quantity. Your focused, dynamic efficiency could make you extra influential.

Make April the month you get in closer communication with your own inner compass, Capricorn.

LIBRA (Sep 23-Oct 22)

You now have the power to ensure that seeming gaffes and glitches will yield positive and useful results.

SCORPIO (Oct 23-Nov 21)

You are entering a phase when you will benefit from even deeper dives into your mysterious depths. It’s an excellent time to wander into the frontiers of your self-knowledge.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov 22-Dec 21)

Work smarter rather than harder. Look for tricks and workarounds that will enable you to be as efficient and stress-free as possible. Trust that as you align yourself with natural flows, you will cover a lot of ground with minimal strain. Celebrate the freedom that comes from embracing ease.

CAPRICORN (Dec 22-Jan 19)

Make April the month you get in closer communication with your own inner compass. It’s a favorable and necessary time to become even more highly attuned to your ultimate guide and champion: the voice of the teacher within you.

AQUARIUS (Jan 20- Feb 18)

Be tuned in to both the small personal world right in front of you and the big picture of the wider world. Balance and coordinate your understandings of them.

PISCES (Feb 19-Mar 20)

Seek time-saving, boredom-preventing innovations in the coming weeks. Now is an excellent time to maximize your spacious ability to do things you love to do.

EXPANDED HOROSCOPES

For unabridged versions of the horoscopes above by Rob Brezsny, go to FreeWillAstrology.com.

listings continued on page 22

EDUCATION / CAREER TRAINING

POTTER’S HOUSE

Join the Potter’s House of Fort Worth (1270 Woodhaven Blvd, 817-446-1999) for Sunday Service at 8am and Wednesday Bible Study at 7pm. For more info, visit us online: www.TPHFW.org

HEALTH & WELLNESS

DENTAL INSURANCE

NEED YOUR GED? Goodwill Can Help! \hWe offer three programs geared toward preparing for and earning your GED. A2 Advancement & Achievement offers GED prep and optional paid work experience for Tarrant county residents (ages 25+). E2 Education & Employment offers the same for Tarrant County youth (ages 16-24). L2 Language & Learning offers intensive English language instruction program provided by ESLcertified teachers (for ages 18+). Explore your options and get started today by calling 817-332-7866 or emailing E2@GoodwillNCT.org. \iGoodwillNorthCentralTexas.org/Education

New Skills. Better Jobs.

HELP WANTED

EMPLOYMENT

Senior Financial Analyst (Fort Worth, TX) Conduct fin’l analysis, due diligence, research trends, establish & test portfolios, prep investment memo & related duties. Master in Finance or MBA, 2 yrs exp as fin’l analyst or related analyzing public equities, performing F/S analysis, stock research, fin’l modeling, risk metrics analysis, & using Bloomberg terminal, BQL queries, VLOOKUP, Index Match & Macros. Internship & PT equiv exp during college or graduate studies accepted. Mail CV to IWP Services LLC, 201 Main St, Ste 1198, Fort Worth, TX 76102.

EMPLOYMENT

IT Manager (Arlington, TX) Research, analyze, dsgn, & dvlp a comprehensive cloud based practice mgmt system for dental practices; Reqs MS in Comp Sci, EE or rltd fld + rltd exp. CV, Attn: K. Barot, Altius Healthcare Management, 2401 E Randol Mill Rd, Ste 520, Arlington, TX 76011.

NOTICES

PUBLIC NOTICE

The following vehicles have been impounded with fees due to date by Lone Star Towing (VSF0647382) at 1100 Elaine Pl, Fort Worth TX, 76196, 817-334-0606: Ford, 1969, Mustand, VIN 0000009R01F108310, $495.16.

PUBLIC NOTICE

The following vehicles have been impounded with fees due to date by Texas Towing Wrecker, 205 S Commercial St, Fort Worth TX 76107, 817-877-0206 (VSF0000964): Alum-Line Inc, 2015, Alum-Line, $780.18; Deck Over, 2000, Dolly, 760.18; Dolly, 2000, Model #154300, $780.18; Homemade, 2000, Trailer, $1125.99; and Trailer, 1991, Trailer, $470.41.

SUBMISSIONS

Do you have thoughts and feelings, or questions, comments, or concerns about something you read in the Weekly? We’d Like To Hear From You! Please email Question@fwweekly.com. For potential coverage in our listing sections, email Marketing@fwweekly.com.

TDLR COMPLAINTS

Any Texans who may be concerned that an unlicensed massage business may be in operation near them, or believe nail salon employees may be human trafficking victims, may now report those concerns directly to the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) by emailing ReportHT@TDLR.Texas.gov

HAVE A LITTLE FAITH

CELEBRATION COMMUNITY CHURCH

Located at 908 Pennsylvania Av (817-335-3222), CCC has services on Sundays at 10am. Want to check out a nonjudgmental, inclusive church at home before attending in person? All services can also be viewed on YouTube (@CelebrationCommunityChurch130).

Physicians Mutual Insurance Company. Coverage for 400 plus procedures. Real dental insurance - NOT just a discount plan. Do not wait! Call now! Get your FREE Dental Information Kit with all the details! 1-888-3617095 www.dental50plus.com/fortworth #6258 (mb)

LIFE LINE SCREENINGS

According to the American Heart Association, stroke and Cardiovascular disease are leading causes of death. Screenings can provide peace of mind or early detection! Contact Life Line Screening to schedule your screening. Special offer: 5 screenings for just $149. Call today! 1-833-636-1757

PLANNED PARENTHOOD

We’re not going anywhere. We know you may be feeling a lot of things right now, but we are here with you and we will not stop fighting for YOU. See 6 ways you can join the #BansOffOurBodies fight on FB @PPGreaterTX or visit PPGreaterTX.org.

MIND-BODY-SPIRIT

THE AURA CLINIC

Full-service wellness, holistic, metaphysical, and psychic sanctuary. New location coming soon! Visit online at MyAuraClinic.com.

HIGHER PURPOSE EMPORIUM

Everyone has a higher purpose. Find yours. Visit us at 505 W Northside Dr, FWTX (HigherPurposeEmporium. com, 682-207-5351).

MASSAGE: Hannah in Hurst Professional Therapeutic Massage from light to deep techniques. No outcalls, flexible schedule. (mt4797). Call 817-590-2257.

PRODUCTS & SERVICES

DIRECTV

DIRECTV- All your entertainment. Nothing on your roof! Sign up for Directv and get your first three months of Max, Paramount+, Showtime, Starz, MGM+ and Cinemax included. Choice package $84.99/mo. Some restrictions apply. Call DIRECTV 1-866-492-2105 (mb)

DREAM BATHROOM

The bathroom of your dreams in as little as 1 day. Limited Time Offer - $1000 off or No Payments and No Interest for 18 months for customers who qualify. BCI Bath & Shower. Many options available. Quality materials & professional installation. Senior & Military Discounts Available. Call Today! 1-866-913-0581 (mb)

More books than, WOW!

The Published Page Bookstop (10 E Chambers St, Cleburne, 817-349-6366) is open 10am-6pm Wed-Sat and 1pm-6pm Sun. An authentic “Old School” bookstore on the courthouse square of Historic Downtown Cleburne, TX, just 20 minutes south of FW, it’s a true Texas treasure. For more info, visit PublishedPage.com or find us on Facebook (@BiblioTreasures).

NO MORE GUTTER CLEANING!

Eliminate gutter cleaning forever! LeafFilter, the most advanced debris-blocking gutter protection. Schedule a FREE LeafFilter estimate today. Receive 20% off entire purchase, plus 10% senior and military discounts. Call 1-877-689-1687 today! (mb)

Prepare for power outages with Briggs & Stratton® PowerProtect™ standby generators - the most powerful home standby generators available. Industry-leading comprehensive warranty - 7 years ($849 value.) Proudly made in the U.S.A. Call Briggs & Stratton 1-855-988-6789.

BULLETIN BOARD

American Residential

Heating & Cooling

As temps outside start to climb, the season for savings is now. $49 cooling or heating system tune up. Save up to $2000 on a new heating and cooling system (restrictions apply.) FREE estimates. Many payment options available. Licensed and insured professionals. Call today 1-877-447-0546

Are You Road-Trip Ready?

CALL COWTOWN ROVER!

With our handy pick-up and drop-off services, having your car checked out could not be easier. www.CowtownRover.com

3958 Vickery | 817.731.3223

CATTLE BARN FLEA MARKET

4445 River Oaks Blvd

Saturday & Sunday 9a-5p

All your favorite vendors will be there including Tino, Nina, Robert, Celia, and Earl. Come by and find some treasures!

FREE SPAY / NEUTER

Need a FREE Spay/Neuter? Texas Coalition for Animal Protection has clinics near you. Schedule an appointment today by visiting TexasForThem.org or calling 1-833636-1757.

FREE WILL ASTROLOGY

Are you a revolutionary? Read more on Page 24. For horoscopes and more info, visit FreeWillAstrology.com

GOT A STORY TO TELL?

We work with guest contributors to publish SEO articles and press releases. For details, email Marketing@ fwweekly.com.

HEAT/AC WORKING RIGHT?

Call American Residential Heating & Cooling for a $49 cooling or heating system tune up. Save up to $2000 on a new heating and cooling system (restrictions apply.) FREE estimates. Many payment options available. Licensed and insured professionals. Call 1-877-477-0546 today.

HISTORIC RIDGLEA THEATER

THE RIDGLEA is three great venues within one historic Fort Worth landmark. RIDGLEA THEATER has been restored to its authentic allure, recovering unique Spanish-Mediterranean elements. It is ideal for large audiences and special events. RIDGLEA ROOM and RIDGLEA LOUNGE have been making some of their own history, as connected adjuncts to RIDGLEA THEATER, or hosting their own smaller shows and gatherings. More at theRidglea.com

LIFE INSURANCE

Up to $15,000.00 of GUARANTEED Life Insurance! No medical exam or health questions. Cash to help pay for funeral and other final expenses. Visit Life55Plus.info/ FTWorth or call Physicians Life Insurance Company today! Call 844-782-2870.

More books than, WOW!

NEED A FRIEND?

Ronnie D. Long Bail Bonds

Immediate Jail Release 24 Hour Service. City, County, State and Federal Bonds. Located Minutes from Courts. 6004 Airport Freeway. RonnieDLongBailBonds.com 817-834-9894

NEXTHOME

Open The Door To Yours Today! Call Sarah Niehoff, Realtor, at 817-714-7956.

PHYSICAL MEDIA ROCKS!

Looking for Cassettes, CDs, DVDs & Vinyl? Come dig around, we have TONS!

REX’S BAR & GRILL

Come check out our express lunch menu, happy hour specials, and late-night dining! Visit Chef Brian Olenjack’s new home kitchen. We are open from 11am to midnight, 7 days a week. Watch the BIG GAME with us at 1501 S University Dr FWTX ( 817-207-4741, RexsFTW.com).

WANT TO ADVERTISE HERE?

Email Stacey@fwweekly.com today!