The Rees-Jones Foundation 2022 Annual Summary of Grants

2022 SUMMARY OF GRANTS

Letter from the President

Every year at this time, we take the opportunity to look back on the past year and reflect on the work being done by so many of our partners here locally and around the world. Their work inspires us as we seek to advance the priorities outlined by our founders as presented in the following pages. Advancing these priorities often does not proceed in a straight line, however, so as we have worked, we have learned how complex and often indirect the work can be, and importantly, how interrelated our priorities are with larger problems and issues affecting the people we want to serve.

The welfare and safety of children, for example, is one of our highest priorities. It is a goal that involves not only protecting children who have been abused or neglected, it also involves equipping new parents with parenting skills and providing counseling to promote healthy family structures. It includes increasing the safety of neighborhoods, and access to quality childcare and affordable housing and educational opportunities and healthcare for mind and body. It can mean offering economic opportunities for parents or eliminating barriers that deny access to those opportunities. All of these factors have meaningful impacts on the welfare of children.

In recent years, we have begun to think more about the importance of place; how the well-being of children is affected positively or negatively by the places they live. Research has revealed that one of the strongest influences on the long-term welfare of a child is the neighborhood where he or she grows up. Is it safe and free from violence and blight? Are affordable and stable housing options available with access to quality food, education and recreation? And is there an atmosphere of community that supports a stable home life with capable and loving parents, friends and neighbors? With all of this in mind, we have become increasingly interested in making key investments in places where these needs seem to be greatest. Recent examples include the establishment of community centers and recreation facilities where neighbors can safely and easily gather to enjoy physical activity and fellowship, such as Park South YMCA, For Oak Cliff and Behind Every Door, all in southern Dallas. Others in the works include the new Southern Gateway Deck Park bridging Interstate 35 and reconnecting parts of Oak Cliff long divided by that highway, and the new Fair Park Community Park which will reopen new beautiful outdoor recreational park land to the neighborhoods surrounding Fair Park. These assets will help to bring life to parts of our city in which few investments have been made in recent decades. In 2022, we also helped increase classroom space at Cornerstone Crossroads Academy and King’s Academy, both high quality schools for kids living in these same neighborhoods. And we have supported the work of Advocates for Community Transformation as it has used the judicial processes to rid these neighborhoods of drug houses and the associated violence.

What is our hope for these investments? We think in terms of community development or community transformation. The process of community development, pursued from a Christian perspective, is one in which investors come alongside neighborhood leaders, listening to them and being led by them to build the community from within primarily for the benefit of those living there. It is gradual, sometimes imperceptible, and always slower than desired. It is contrasted with what we see in gentrifying neighborhoods where investment comes rapidly from the outside for the benefit of those on the outside who stand to profit at the expense of those within who are often displaced.

More specifically, it is our hope that our investments in these community assets will provide opportunities for children and families to thrive, to learn and grow, to experience nature and fellowship with their neighbors and cultivate a feeling of belonging and hope for the future. We hope that these assets will add confidence that a wide range of community services will develop, and done in the right way, will begin to build up the neighborhoods from within. Quality schools and childcare options and affordable housing are components that are desirable as are places to work and gather safely and productively.

How do we bring about this type of transformation? Tim Keller, in his book Generous Justice, summarizes the Christian community development work of John Perkins who emphasized three basic principles. The first is relocation, or in Keller’s words “re-neighboring.” It involves being invited into the neighborhood, getting close, and by getting close beginning to understand the factors at issue in that place. It means not bringing preconceived notions or solutions to problems that cannot be understood by observing from the outside. And of course it means actively listening to those most familiar with the issues, those living in those places. Second, once present and aligned with the neighbors, the hope is for what Keller calls a “reweaving” of the community; repairing what may be the worn fabric of the physical characteristics of the community. This may require financial capital or advocacy to restore public safety and repair infrastructure or address blight or build businesses. And then inevitably, there is the need for reconciliation, racially and culturally. As Christians, we should be good at this. We are made in God’s image with unique gifts that are to be celebrated, working together as part of His body. Our human side often resists this process, preferring instead to live among only like-minded people with common interests, but God calls us back to this process of reconciliation to advance the common good.

These are some ideas we have been thinking about and hope to pursue in the future. It is increasingly evident that broadly seeking the welfare of the cities we serve is a key strategy in achieving meaningful improvements in the welfare of our children. They will thrive when the neighborhoods where they live thrive, when they have opportunities for health and education and recreation in environments that are safe and secure and beautiful. We want to work towards this kind of community.

Thornton Hardie, III President of The Rees-Jones Foundation

About The Rees-Jones Foundation

Founded in 2006 by Jan and Trevor Rees-Jones, The Rees-Jones Foundation is a private foundation that works with nonprofit organizations, primarily in North Texas, to serve others and improve their quality of life in tangible ways.

The mission of The Rees-Jones Foundation is to serve God by serving others, sharing His resources in ways that provide opportunities for the disadvantaged, relief for the suffering, and encouragement in the growth and well-being of children and families in the community.

The vision of The Rees-Jones Foundation is that the love of Christ is experienced in tangible ways by those in our community who have disadvantages or who are suffering spiritually, physically, or emotionally.

The Foundation works to defend the welfare of children suffering from abuse or neglect, afford relief to those facing mental health challenges, provide youth with opportunities for enrichment and character development, encourage healthy families and communities, improve the quality of life for children with disabilities, and promote the humane treatment of companion animals.

Foundation Staff

Thornton Hardie President Cissy Moses Director of Finance and Treasurer

Terese Stevenson

Vice President of Grants

Adrian Cook Director of Research and Evaluations

Lynn Gibson

Senior Program Officer

Trey Hill

Senior Program Officer

Thomas Kincaid Senior Program Officer

CJ Stevenson Program Officer

Shellie Velasco Program Officer

Liz Curfman

Program Associate

Allyson Plumlee

Research Associate

Sara Meyers

Communications Specialist

Amy Brooks Grants Manager

About the Founders

Jan and Trevor Rees-Jones established The Rees-Jones Foundation in 2006 out of proceeds from an entrepreneurial business enterprise and a conviction that God had blessed them as custodians of His resources. For Jan and Trevor the premise of the Foundation is straight forward: serve God by serving others, and in the process enable others to experience the love of Christ in very tangible ways.

Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, The Rees-Jones Foundation is a multi-generational, private foundation that serves nonprofit organizations in North Texas and around the world.

The Foundation is led by Jan and Trevor, both life-long residents of the Dallas area. They are active members of Highland Park Presbyterian Church, and are privileged to be included in many meaningful events around the community; however, they also enjoy family time at their ranch or a quiet night at home with their dogs.

“We have always known that our lives have been blessed by God beyond anything we deserved. As custodians of what He has provided, we are called to share our resources with those around us who lack the same resources,” say Jan and Trevor Rees-Jones. “In 2006, with a lot of thought and great joy, we were able to establish The Rees-Jones Foundation to be an instrument by which we could begin to fulfill this call. We do what we do in response to what He has done for us.”

Also involved with the Foundation are the Rees-Jones children, Trevor R. Rees-Jones and his wife Jenny, and David G. ReesJones and his wife Margaret. Both Jenny and Margaret served as program officers at the Foundation with portfolios that included animal welfare, global Christianity and youth experiences. Trevor R. and David G. are both members of the Board of Directors of the Foundation, Co-Presidents of Rees-Jones Holdings LLC, and active in all of the family’s business activities, including oil and gas through Chief Energy, real estate through Chief Partners, and mission-driven impact investing through Cubit Capital.

2022 Grant Making Portfolios Domestic

2022 Grant Making Portfolios International

International Grant Making:

• International Development

• International Disability Services

• International Justice

Countries Served in 2022:

• Burundi

• Ethiopia

• India

• Kenya

• Malawi

• Nicaragua

• Uganda

• Zambia

Lifetime Grant Making

*Total percent vary based on rounding. Amount paid dependent upon grant stipulations.

**Amounts awarded and paid listed in millions. Amount paid annually contingent upon grant stipulations. Actuals vary due to grant contingencies and rescissions.

2022 Grant Making

2022 Grant Making

Animal Welfare

“So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living thing with which the water teems and that moves about in it, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.”

Genesis 1:21

Animal

To Promote the Ethical and Humane Treatment of Companion Animals

The Foundation supports organizations that promote the ethical and humane treatment of animals, and funds organizations that seek to prevent animal cruelty through rescue and rehabilitative care, as well as those that secure safe, loving, forever homes for companion animals. At the community-level, the Foundation supports initiatives that ensure the city is safe for animals and residents.

Portfolio Activity Categories:

1. Animal Maltreatment Prevention: To support law enforcement and animal welfare services focused on intervening in animal maltreatment.

2. Animal Rescue & Adoption: To place companion animals in permanent homes.

3. Animal Welfare System: To empower public and private systems that ensure animal and community well-being.

4. Animal Well-being: To ensure animals receive proper nutrition and wellness services.

5. Spay/Neuter Procedures: To control the animal population through spay and neuter surgeries.

Animal Welfare Grants Awarded

Dallas Pets Alive $100,000

Funding to support the new pet adoption center at Community Beer Co.

Humane Society of North Texas $100,000

Funding to support the Cruelty and Investigations Department and Behavior program.

Operation Kindness $335,000

Funding to support the Life-Saving Program.

Yellowstone Forever $330,000

Funding to support the Yellowstone Forever Wolf Project.

Yellowstone Forever

Through the support of The Rees-Jones Foundation in 2022, the Yellowstone Forever Wolf Project will continue to perform critical research so wolves can thrive and remain a sustainable population permanently in the national park. As of now, the Yellowstone wolves are the most studied wolf population in the world and are spotted by more visitors here than any other national park

Animal Welfare

Dallas Pets Alive

Dallas Pets Alive has made it a top priority to proactively work with the community to help keep pets in their homes and out of local shelters. Dallas Pets Alive proactively reduces shelter intakes by helping owners whose circumstances put them in a position to consider surrendering their pet(s) to a shelter through the Positive Alternatives to Shelter Surrender (PASS) program. Dallas Pets Alive is proud to keep families, like Brownie’s, together.

At seven years old, Brownie is a very large pup. He had a very fast growing and large tumor in his groin area, but his owner couldn’t afford the expensive surgery. The tumor was making Brownie very uncomfortable, and his owner knew he could not let Brownie suffer any longer. Because his owner couldn’t afford the surgery (estimated cost of care was $1,388), a surrender appointment had been scheduled at Dallas Animal Services (DAS) in hopes to get Brownie the care he needed. Dallas Animal Services recommended that Brownie’s owner contact PASS for assistance. PASS was able to get Brownie in for a visit with our veterinary partner, Mazie’s Mission. He was approved for surgery, and a 4.9 lb. tumor was removed from Brownie! So far he is recovering well and resting. Brownie’s mass was tested and came back as a benign lipoma! A huge relief for his family, as he continues to recover in his home, where he belongs.

Child Protection

“The Lord is good, a strong refuge when trouble comes. He is close to those who trust in Him.”

Nahum 1:7

Nomi Network

Nomi Network’s global mission is to end human trafficking by creating pathways to safe employment and empowering women and girls to break cycles in their families and communities. In 2022, The Foundation began funding Nomi Network’s Dallas Youth Workforce Development program, a five-year program for girls as they grow into adulthood and secure sustainable employment to eliminate the poverty-toexploitation pipeline.

To Alleviate Conditions That Place Children at Risk of Abuse or Neglect

The Foundation seeks to alleviate conditions that are harmful to families through the provision of parent education and training, inhome visiting programs, and other helpful interventions that strengthen families. In addition, the Foundation supports organizations that provide refuge from unsafe living conditions including homelessness, and second-chance programs that help struggling students or youth involved with the juvenile justice system.

To Alleviate Conditions That Place Children at Risk of Abuse or Neglect

Portfolio Activity Categories:

1. Domestic Violence Services: To provide safety and recovery services for child or youth victims

2. Education Support Services for Students: To provide social resources to students at risk of school failure due to personal and family conditions

3. Family Crisis & Parenting Support Services: To support families with children who have experienced trauma

4. Homeless Services: To ensure children and youth have access to housing, personal items, and social resources

5. Juvenile Justice Services: To provide youth with guidance and skills to prevent recidivism

6. Runaway/Trafficking Services: Programming around housing and social resources for children or youth who have been trafficked or chosen to run away

Child Protection Grants Awarded

Family Gateway $250,000

Funding to support the renovations at Family Gateway North, which will operate as an emergency family shelter.

Gill Children’s Services $25,000

Funding to provide last resort financial assistance to children with disabilities in Tarrant County with unmet needs.

Carter’s House $15,000

Funding to support general operations.

Nomi Network $25,000

Funding to support the Dallas Youth Education and Career Advancement Program serving clients of Letot Residential Treatment Center (pre and post-release).

Rainbow Days $50,000

Funding to support the Family Connection Program, which seeks to ensure that the nutritional and social-emotional needs of unhoused children are met.

Traffick911 $30,000

Funding to support the Voice & Choice Program, which provides survivors of child sex trafficking with individualized wraparound services and a adult mentor.

Union Gospel Mission of Tarrant County $25,000

Funding to support the Children’s Enrichment Program in 2022.

Union Gospel Mission Dallas $50,000

Funding to support Center of Hope Shelter Program for women and children experiencing homelessness.

SafeHaven of Tarrant County $100,000

Funding to support SafePlay, a wrap-around program that provides housing, therapeutic services, and case management to children residing in the domestic violence shelter.

Shaken Baby Alliance $75,000

Funding to provide after-care to babies that have sustained serious injuries due to violent shaking, and support services for their non-offending family members.

WiNGS $200,000

Funding to support the Nurse-Family Partnership Program that offers support and essential items (diapers, formula, etc.) to first-time mothers who have experienced intense or chronic risk factors.

The Parenting Center $125,000

Funding to support the provision of mental health resources and parental coaching for children and youth.

Presbyterian Night Shelter of Tarrant County $100,000

Funding to support the Family Services Program.

Communities in Schools of Greater Tarrant County $75,000

Funding to support general operations for school year 2022-2023.

The Family Place $150,000

Funding to support the Children’s Counseling Program.

Family Gateway

In 2022, The Rees-Jones Foundation supported the renovations of Family Gateway’s new shelter in far North Dallas. This support will help families like Jana’s as they regain stability and transition to a positive housing destination.

Jana, a single mother of five children, worked as a massage therapist before the pandemic. She was living paycheck to paycheck and struggled to find affordable childcare, often prompting her to cancel appointments so she could stay home with her kids. When COVID19 hit and massage therapy clinics were closed, Jana found herself unemployed. After her rent increased significantly, Jana and her family were evicted from their apartment and ended up in one of Family Gateway’s emergency shelters.

After regaining stability and working with Family Gateway’s Vocational Specialist, Jana was offered a job as a physical therapy assistant at a local hospital. Soon after, she and her family moved into a new apartment. All five kids are enrolled in and attending school. Her fouryear-old son, Theo, is receiving wraparound services for a previously undiagnosed behavioral condition. Grant, her oldest son, is actively enrolled in after-school programming for theater.

Jana is very close to being able to purchase a car; she and her family are now thriving thanks to the support and wraparound services they were provided while at Family Gateway.

Jana shared, “Being homeless is a scary feeling. As soon as I was connected to Family Gateway, it immediately changed my whole perception of everything. My kids loved it there which took so much stress and sadness out of my heart. I am so grateful for Family Gateway.”

Child Protection

Child Substitute Care

“But I will restore you to health and heal your wounds,” declares the Lord.”

Jeremiah 30:17

Child Substitute Care

To Provide Opportunities for Children and Youth to Heal and Thrive

The Foundation seeks to provide children and youth who are referred to the substitute care system with opportunities to heal from their trauma, be raised by loving caregivers, and quickly and safely find permanency.

The Foundation supports organizations that address the needs of those in temporary or permanent conservatorship by meeting their immediate and future needs. Additionally, the Foundation supports innovations, such as Community-Based Care, that improve the foster care system in Texas.

Portfolio Activity Categories:

1. Adoption or Other Permanency: To achieve permanency for children removed from their homes

2. CASAs: To provide children in substitute care with a Court Appointed Special Advocate

3. Child Substitute Care System: To support innovations in the substitute care system

4. Children’s Advocacy Centers: To ensure children who are victims of abuse receive therapeutic programming

5. Family Reunification & Safety: To provide families involved with Child Protective Services with programming and support

6. Foster Youth Support Services: To ensure children in care have access to educational, social and therapeutic services

7. Integrated Health Care: To expand access to medical and mental healthcare

8. Substitute Care Placements: To provide temporary placements for those in substitute car

The Lullaby House

The Lullaby House offers programs for pregnant and parenting teens who are under permanent managing conservatorship (PMC) in the State of Texas. With funding from The Foundation, The Lullaby House can begin to host a Teen Parent Residential Program so more mothers can receive services, including: healthcare, building skills and experience, education, and parenting classes.

Child Substitute Care

NewDay Services for Children & Families

“I don’t know why I’m in this class because I already know what I need to know about parenting. And I don’t want to be here because I have work,” said the FOCUS+ for Mothers participant. These were the first words from this client at NewDay Services for Children and Families as she entered the room the first week of class. She sat with her arms crossed and her headphones on as she was trying to see what NewDay was about and if it was worth her time. Thankfully, the staff were not concerned and saw past her anger and saw that she was in pain after her son had been removed. The client was quiet for the first few weeks of class until week five, which is when NewDay Services staff cover the subject of anger.

It was that week when the client opened up and shared the reason why her son was removed. She shared that she had hurt her son out of anger. She shared that she had been working three jobs to distract herself from the emptiness she felt since her son had been taken from her; she simply didn’t want to deal with her emotions. Throughout the FOCUS+ for Mothers classes, she began to understand that it was time to stop running from herself, the time had come to work hard if she wanted to get her son back. NewDay Services staff all rallied around her and supported her by uplifting her and reminding her that she is capable of this and much more! During the following weeks, she shared that she had quit her two other jobs because she realized that she needed to take care of herself (as a result of NewDay’s class on worth and self-esteem) and this was a big step for her! She shared that she gained the confidence to do so through the love and encouragement she had been receiving from staff.

Fast forward, the client was finally reunited with her son, and she could not be happier! She thanked NewDay for all the love and support she had been offered, “because, without it, she didn’t know if she would’ve made it,” said the FOCUS+ for Mothers participant.

Child Substitute Care

Child Substitute Care Grants Awarded

Alliance For Children $350,000

Funding to support general operations.

CASA of Denton County, Inc. $75,000

Funding to support general operations which will include implementation of the Early Advocacy Program.

Children’s Medical Center Foundation

$2,900,000

Funding to support The Rees-Jones Center for Foster Care Excellence, which addresses the physical, mental, and behavioral health needs of children in foster care in North Texas.

Christ’s Haven for Children $50,000 Funding for general operations to ensure that children placed in care have safe home settings in which to reside.

CASA of Tarrant County $150,000

Funding to support general operations.

Life Support Counseling and Research, Inc. $51,000

Funding to support the expansion of the in-home, mental health counseling program to help children in foster care combat trauma.

The Lullaby House $20,000

Funding to support the housing program for teen moms and their children in foster care.

Paluxy River Children’s Advocacy Center $135,000

Funding for general operations, which ensures that children who have sustained abuse or neglect receive services such as forensic interviews, counseling, medical care, and family advocacy.

POETIC $50,000

Funding to support the Child Protection and Permanency Court Program, which supports high-risk foster youth.

Southern Methodist University (SMU) $100,000

Multi-year funding to support the SMU Child Advocacy Clinic serving aging-out foster youth.

Texas Center For Child And Family Studies $90,000

Funding to coordinate the implementation and roll-out of Community-Based Care in Region 3C.

TexProtects, the Texas Association for the Protection of Children

$150,000

Multi-year funding to support TexProtect’s general operations.

Hope Cottage $50,000

Funding to support foster care and kinship services programming.

Johnson County Children’s Advocacy Center $500,000

Funding to support the capital campaign, which will result in more children and youth receiving the therapeutic interventions required to heal from abuse and neglect.

NewDay Services for Children & Families $75,000

Funding for the FOCUS+ program that provides parents experiencing family turmoil with essential tools such as conflict resolution, parenting skills, and lessons on responsibility for their child.

Community Benefit

Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

2 Corinthians 9:6-8

To Increase the Quality of Life for the North Texas Community

The Foundation supports capacity building that engages the community, and projects that improve the quality of life for North Texans. Programs include initiatives that engage the community through charitable giving and volunteerism, including the Foundation’s Youth Internship Program, Christmas Giving, and Cook Canyon Ranch Scholarship Program.

Portfolio Activity Categories:

1. Christmas Giving: To provide Christmas gifts to children and youth from disadvantaged backgrounds

2. Cook Canyon Ranch Scholarships: To award students at Eastland and Ranger High Schools with four-year college scholarships

3. Philanthropy, Charity & Volunteerism: To encourage civic participation

Activity

Philanthropy,

Community Benefit Grants Awarded

Behind Every Door Ministries $25,500

Funding to support access to internships and professional skill development for youth in under-resourced communities.

Communities Foundation of Texas $50,000

Funding to support North Texas Giving Day.

Cornerstone Crossroads Academy $25,500

Funding to support access to internships and professional skill development for youth in under-resourced communities.

Dallas Leadership Foundation $30,600

Funding to support access to internships and professional skill development for youth in under-resourced communities.

Dallas Leadership Foundation $10,000

Funding to support Christmas gifts for children in need.

Dallas Life $2,500

Funding to support Christmas gifts for children in need.

Denton County Friends of the Family $2,200

Funding to support Christmas gifts for children in need.

Family Gateway $5,500

Funding to support Christmas gifts for children in need.

The Family Place $4,000

Funding to support Christmas gifts for children in need.

For The Nations $30,600

Funding to support access to internships and professional skill development for youth in under-resourced communities.

Genesis Women’s Shelter and Support $2,500

Funding to support Christmas gifts for children in need.

Interfaith Family Services $3,300

Funding to support Christmas gifts for children in need.

Jonathan’s Place $2,200

Funding to support Christmas gifts for children in need.

Mosaic Family Services $3,300

Funding to support Christmas gifts for children in need.

Presbyterian Night Shelter of Tarrant County $4,400

Funding to support Christmas gifts for children in need.

Promise House $2,000

Funding to support Christmas gifts for children in need.

Community Benefit

Community Benefit Grants Awarded

Rainbow Days $5,500

Funding to support Christmas gifts for children in need.

SafeHaven of Tarrant County $3,000

Funding to support Christmas gifts for children in need.

Union Gospel Mission of Dallas $2,500

Funding to support Christmas gifts for children in need.

Union Gospel Mission of Tarrant County $2,500

Funding to support Christmas gifts for children in need.

Perot Museum of Nature & Science $1,000,000

Funding to support 10th Anniversary celebration.

Eastland Independent School District $20,000

Funding for CCR Scholarship.

Ranger Independent School District $20,000

Funding for CCR Scholarship.

Christmas Giving

Since 2009, the Foundation contributes toward the purchase of gifts for children residing in shelters across DFW each Christmas season. The hope is that each family is given the opportunity to experience joy and create memories throughout the holidays.

In 2022, the Foundation awarded over $55,000 to 15 nonprofit organizations to provide Christmas gifts to children and families.

Community Benefit

The Rees-Jones Foundation Youth Internship Program

The Rees-Jones Foundation Youth Internship Program was started five years ago in order to supplement existing and newly created internship programs at several faith-based, nonprofit agencies in Dallas. The Foundation was inspired to start the internship program after several agencies voiced that they required more funding and/or staff to provide their interns with enriching opportunities outside of the traditional intern role. These organizations each had long-standing programs that served youth in their communities, but each lacked a program that helped these youth bridge the gap between adolescence and adulthood.

The Foundation felt that by partnering with these agencies, it could fill the gap by providing leadership opportunities, life and workplace competency soft skills, and new experiences for the interns. The collaboration was coupled with a grant to each agency, which enabled the agency to pay its interns.

In 2022, the Foundation was able to welcome the interns for four in-person gatherings over the summer with guest speakers covering a variety of topics, including: financial literacy, education, etiquette, career tracks and more. Highlights from the program included the opportunity for Foundation staff to meet with each organization’s interns over lunch during the summer to provide mock interviews, career, and education advice, and discuss networking. Interns had the opportunity to tour the Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum and serve with multiple organizations across the city who needed extra help to invest in their communities.

To cap off the summer, interns gathered for the closing dinner to hear former Dallas District Attorney Faith Johnson speak on the importance of faith and leadership and encouraged interns to set goals and pursue them one step at a time.

The Rees-Jones Foundation Youth Internship Program

Participating Intern Agencies:

Behind Every Door Ministries $25,500

Funding to support access to internships and professional skill development for youth in under-resourced communities.

Cornerstone Crossroads Academy

$25,500

Funding to support access to internships and professional skill development for youth in under-resourced communities.

Dallas Leadership Foundation $30,600

Funding to support access to internships and professional skill development for youth in under-resourced communities.

For The Nations Refugee Outreach

$30,600

Funding to support access to internships and professional skill development for youth in under-resourced communities.

Youth Believing in Change $30,600

Funding to support access to internships and professional skill development for youth in under-resourced communities.

Healthy Families

“And he took a child and put him in the midst of them, and taking him in his arms, he said to them, “’Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me, receives not me but him who sent me.’”

Mark 9:36-37

Healthy Families

To Support a Strong Community Where Families Can Thrive

The Foundation supports programs that focus on strengthening families and communities so that both thrive. The Foundation funds organizations that help families achieve safety and stability through the provision of evidence-based programming, such as parenting and marriage support, and solutions that address food insecurity, and increase access to health care. A primary goal is to also provide children residing in underresourced communities with access to high-quality, early childhood development programs and Christian education.

To Support a Strong Community Where Families Can Thrive

Portfolio Activity Categories:

1. Christian Faith: To promote the Christian faith in personal and public life

2. Community & Social Context: To build support systems and community engagement while reducing exposure to trauma

3. Early Childhood Development & Childcare: To provide access to high-quality childcare that promotes child development

4. Economic Stability: To help families secure employment and financial stability

5. Education: To provide literacy programs, vocational training and higher education

6. Food & Nutrition: To expand access to healthy food

7. Health Care System: To ensure communities have access to high-quality healthcare

8. Healthy Families System: To promote systems that protect family and community welfare

9. Neighborhood & Physical Environment: To expand access to housing, transportation, parks, and other community benefits

Fair Park First

Fair Park First announced on December 20, 2022 that it received a generous gift of $5 million from The Rees-Jones Foundation to fund the all-abilities, all-ages Children’s Playground at the Community Park. The Community Park Complex at Fair Park is set to break ground in 2023. The Children’s Playground is one of three playgrounds slated for the Community Park that will provide children in the surrounding neighborhoods and DFW Metroplex with a state-of-the-art, safe, inclusive place to play.

Healthy Families

The King’s Academy

Ayla is in third grade at The King’s Academy. She has three brothers and four sisters, and her sister, Maya, attends The King’s Academy as a second grader. Ayla’s favorite things to do outside of school all involve spending time with her siblings. Whether through silly pillow fights or exciting family games, Ayla loves anything that calls for her family to work together.

Ayla loves learning new lessons at school. Her favorites involve rhyming words, the states of the U.S., addition and multiplication, animals, and the Spanish language. Ayla’s favorite subject is math because, according to Ayla, “I am good at it now.” Although she once found math difficult, she now finds it easy as she scores at the top of her class because of the great help of her teachers and tutors.

One of Ayla’s favorite memories from her time at The King’s Academy is from her field trip to Equest, a therapeutic horsemanship center in Dallas. The focus of the trip is for students to increase overall skills and give them beneficial

time with the horses. Equest brought a few horses to The King’s Academy a few years ago and Ayla thoroughly enjoyed riding her horse and taking care of it. At the end of the month, The King’s Academy students were able to travel to the Equest facility in Dallas again; Ayla loved reuniting with her horse and reading to it some of the latest letters she had written to him.

Chapel is another part of The King’s Academy that Ayla enjoys. Most recently, through the story of the Good Samaritan, she learned about helping people, “I like helping people up when they fall or helping people carry books”. Ayla wants to be a ‘Good Samaritan’ in her own way when she grows up because she dreams of being a police officer, so she “can help keep people safe.”

Miss Pennington, Ayla’s math teacher, praises her for being a compassionate and diligent student who always comes with a smile and loves being at school. “I absolutely love having her in class,”

Miss Pennington says of Ayla. Ayla has thrived in the environment at The King’s Academy and her curiosity, compassion, and talents have flourished.

Healthy Families

Healthy Families Grants Awarded

Advisory Board for Booker T. Washington High School for the

Performing and Visual Arts $30,000

Funding to support the Student Assistance Fund.

Advocates for Community

Transformation $200,000

Multi-year funding to support programming that empowers and disciples inner-city residents through legal advocacy to seek resolution to crimeridden and hazardous properties in their neighborhoods.

Beacon Hill Preparatory Institute

$50,000

Funding for the in-school reading program that impacts children at low-performing elementary schools in southern Dallas.

Braswell Child Development Center

$40,000

Funding to support general operations.

Brother Bill’s Helping Hand $50,000

Funding to support healthy families and healthy community in West Dallas.

Center for Transforming Lives

$100,000

Funding for the Early Childhood Education Program, which offers high-quality, subsidized childcare and developmental programming to children of impoverished families.

Cornerstone Crossroads Academy

$550,000

Funding to support the expansion of its campus and programming.

Crossroads Community Services

$40,000

Funding to support the Summer Feeding Program for children that are foodinsecure.

Fair Park First $5,000,000

Funding to support The Prairie Children’s All-Abilities Playground as part of the broader Fair Park revitalization and a as a strategic investment in South Dallas.

King’s Academy $500,000

Funding for the purchase and installation of a 10-room portable building to create an Academic Village so the school can continue to grow.

Literacy Achieves $30,000

Funding to support the Early Childhood Education Program, which provides English language literacy classes to children from immigrant or refugee families.

Lumin Education $150,000

Funding for its B4Six Program, which provides high-quality, early childhood education to residents of East Dallas and Bachman Lake.

Healthy Families Grants Awarded

North Texas Public Broadcasting $10,000

Funding to support the early learning program in the Bachman Lake neighborhood.

Readers 2 Leaders $40,000

Funding to support general operations.

Reading Partners $30,000

Funding to support general operations.

Ronald McDonald House of Dallas $50,000

Funding to provide families with lodging, support, and the comforts of home while their child receives needed medical treatment at a local healthcare facility.

Ronald McDonald House of Fort Worth $30,000

Funding for the Share-A-Night Program, which provides families with lodging, support, and the comforts of home while their child receives needed medical treatment at a local healthcare facility.

Southern Gateway Public Green Foundation $5,000,000

Funding pledged for the playground elements and other recreational amenities.

The Visiting Nurse Association of Texas $60,000

Funding to support the Children’s Haven Pediatric Hospice Program.

George W. Bush Foundation $5,000,000

Funding to support the Veteran Wellness Alliance Check-In Project, which connects veterans with resources in the community.

International

“And great crowds came to him, bringing with them the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute, and many others, and they put them at his feet, and he healed them…”

Matthew 15:30

To Improve the Quality of Life for Children and Families

The Foundation supports Christian organizations that serve those in need across Africa and India.

Portfolio Activity Categories:

1. International Development – To help families and youth be the drivers of development and opportunity by collaboratively investing in community, society, and Church assets and capacities that are foundational to flourishing.

2. International Disability Services – To build new capacity to serve children and youth in Africa with treatable and lifelong disabilities with treatment and support that enables them to live their fullest lives and be cared for by family and community.

3. International Justice – To promote effective systems of justice which deter human trafficking and promote human flourishing.

BethanyKids

BethanyKids works to transform the lives of African children who have conditions and disabilities through pediatric surgery, rehabilitation, public education, spiritual ministry and training health professionals. Through a multi-stage approach, the organization believes in providing holistic care that impacts children throughout Africa. In 2022, The Foundation granted BethanyKids with a $514,000 grant to support surgeries, rehabilitation programming, and the Therapy Training Program.

Countries

• Burundi

• Ethiopia

• India

• Kenya

• Malawi

• Nicaragua

• Uganda

• Zambia

International Grants Awarded

BethanyKids $514,000

Multi-year funding to provide pediatric surgeries, rehabilitation, and therapeutic intervention to children in Sub-Saharan Africa with correctable disabilities or lifethreatening illnesses.

CURE International $2,650,000

Funding to support CURE Ethiopia’s general operations needs.

CURE International $1,500,000

Funding to create and upgrade prosthetic and orthotic workshops in six CURE hospitals across Africa.

The Dallas Foundation $100,000

Funding to support programming in Kenya.

Friends of the Plaster House $100,000

Funding to provide surgery and rehabilitation to children with disabilities.

HOPE International $250,000

Funding to support the Savings and Credit Association Program in Burundi, which helps families build financial stability.

Hope Walks $87,000

Funding to support the Global Team Conference.

Hope Walks $1,521,000

Funding to support operations in Ethiopia and support the critical system infrastructure in the organization overall.

International Generosity Foundation Trust $258,000

Funding to support general operations and capital needs.

International Justice Mission $3,800,000

Multi-year funding to support two different capacity building technology infrastructure projects.

Living Water International $5,500,000

Multi-year funding to support current activities in Uganda, Zambia and Nicaragua’s country programs, and in addition, to support more growth, innovation and impact in those countries.

Living Water International $1,500,000

Multi-year funding to support the Overflow 25 engagement strategy for increasing revenue and engaging donors.

Mercy Ships $10,000,000

Multi-year funding to support the strategic investment fund.

Motivation Charitable Trust $85,875

Funding to support programming in Uganda. World Relief $2,400,000

Funding to provide faith leaders with training to implement disability inclusion programs in Burundi and Malawi.

Hope Walks-Ethiopia

Misgana means “grateful” or “thankful to the Lord.” Her parents named her after her recovery from clubfoot and its lifetime burden. Focusing on restoring hope and happiness for parents and children is one of Hope Walks-Ethiopia primary goals as they deliver holistic clubfoot treatment, which encompasses both physical healing and social and spiritual support.

Misgana’s family lives in Ethiopia. They were excited and happy as they were about to welcome their baby girl. However, that excitement turned into confusion after they found their baby was born with clubfoot. At the time, they didn’t know what it was or where to get treatment. Their doctor recognized the condition and told them it was treatable and where the parents should go to find healing for Misgana. After hearing what the doctor told them, they wasted no time. They soon brought Misgana to Hope Walks-Ethiopia partner clinic at Hawassa Adare Hospital within a week after giving birth.

Hope Walks - Ethiopia reaches more children born with clubfoot as early as possible by building partnerships with different government hospitals in all regions and the Ethiopian Midwives Association. These partnerships allow more medical professionals to diagnose the condition correctly and know where to refer families for treatment. Misgana’s family is very thankful for getting their child’s treatment early.

Misgana is now in the brace stage, running around the house, and bringing joy to her parents. Her parents are amazed by the treatment and continued follow-up they receive.

Youth Disability

Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.

Ephesians 4:2-3

Youth Disability

To Support Youth with Disabilities and Chronic Health Conditions

The Foundation supports organizations that provide proven therapeutic interventions, family support services, and adaptive opportunities that improve the quality of life of children and youth with a broad range of disabilities or chronic health conditions. Such supports include animal-assisted therapy, screenings for developmental delays, high-quality education, and adulthood transition or independent living programs.

Portfolio Activity Categories:

1. Adaptive Youth Formation: To provide unique experiences (camp, sports, etc.) adapted for each child’s ability level

2. Early Childhood Intervention: To administer early screenings and therapeutic interventions

3. Life Transition Services & Independent Living Support: To secure housing, employment and enriching experiences for youth transitioning into adulthood

4. Patient & Family Support: To expand access to in-home care, financial support, service dogs, and other family resources

5. Special Education: To increase access to specially-designed, high-quality education

6. Therapeutic Programming: To provide high-quality therapy and specialized medical care

The Lake Highlands Junior Women’s League

The Lake Highlands Junior Women’s League has worked with Dallas Parks & Recreation to improve Flag Pole Hill Park since 2017 to make it more accessible for children with disabilities. With the help of the Foundation in 2022, The League looked to further improve the park by adding a wheelchair accessible swing to the playground, the first and only in the public Dallas park system.

Youth Disability

Youth Disability

Association For Independent Living

A resident, identified here as James, has been in the AFIL Way Program for three years. AFIL works to provide a safe and supportive living environment for adults who are diagnosed with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities and seeks to elevate them to their highest independence and interdependence through life skills, education and vocational guidance. He was the very first resident to come into the program after the pandemic hit. Because James started the program during the pandemic shutdown, volunteering and working were not immediate options for him.

As time went on and he was still not able to work, he became more and more anxious and frustrated. Not only was he experiencing too much down time without much to do, but his ability to graduate from Level 1 to Level 2 was being delayed because AFIL requires residents to have a job, and be able sustain it for a period of time before graduating.

James was able to find a job at a craft store during the holidays, but it was seasonal work only, and he worked a total of nine weeks before being out of a job again. AFIL was able to secure a volunteer position for him at a food bank, but he felt discouraged that he could not find a paying job. James’ mother passed away just before he started at AFIL, and his siblings assisted him financially until he could work.

Finally, in July of 2022, James was able to land a job! He is now working in a clothing donation facility, and he enjoys the relaxed atmosphere and the consistent schedule. He also continues to volunteer at the food bank. All of his time volunteering gave him the experience he needed to transition into the job, and now in 2023, he is able to pay his monthly rent and tuition by himself without any assistance from his siblings. In addition, due to his consistent hard work in the program, as of June 2023, he has graduated from Level 1 and is preparing to move into Level 2, which will be his own apartment, in August of this year.

James is one of AFIL’s favorite success stories. His family feared he would not be able to handle the stress that comes with working and learning to live on his own, but he has continued to show his capabilities. With the help of AFIL and its staff, his journey towards independence becomes more positive each day.

Youth Disability Grants Awarded

Ability Connection Texas $50,000

Funding to support the Excellence in Therapeutic Support Training activities in North Texas.

Advocates for Special People $65,000

Funding to support programming that serves adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Association for Independent Living $40,000

Funding to support the AFIL Way Program for individuals with disabilities.

Best Buddies $30,000

Funding for the Jobs Program, which helps individuals with intellectual disabilities to live independently.

Blue Sky Therapeutic Riding & Respite $25,000

Funding to support the PURPOSE Program for young adults with disabilities.

Bryan’s House $100,000

Funding to support the Children Development Program.

Camp Fire First Texas $45,000

Funding to support inclusion camperships for North Texas children with disabilities and those walking through grief.

Camp Summit $110,000

Funding to provide camperships to individuals with disabilities from North Texas.

Camp Sweeney $75,000

Funding for camperships for youth with diabetes to attend a therapeutic summer camp.

Canine Companions $300,000

Multi-year grant to support general operations.

Chase’s Place $100,000

Funding for general operations and scholarships for children to attend Chase’s Place, a school that serves children with special needs.

Clayton Dabney for Kids with Cancer $20,000

Funding for the Medicine of the Heart Program, which provides financial assistance to families that are facing dire financial circumstances while caring for a child with terminal cancer.

Youth Disability Grants Awarded

Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation $12,000

Funding to support Texas Camp Oasis which provides youth impacted by inflammatory bowel disease with a summer camp experience.

Equest $50,000

Funding to support equine-assisted therapeutic programs serving children with disabilities.

Heroes and Horses $500,000

Funding to support the One-Eighty-Out Campaign for the provision of a permanent ranch campus.

Joni and Friends 40,000

Funding to provide family retreat camperships to North Texas families of children with disabilities, and military families.

Lake Highlands Junior Women’s League $45,000

Funding for the purchase of a wheelchair-accessible swing for Flag Pole Hill Playground.

ManeGait $50,000

Funding to provide therapeutic riding programs to children and adults with disabilities.

My Possibilities $1,500,000

Funding to support the completion of the Career Services Building on the Campus for Higher Learning.

RISE Adaptive Sports $75,000

Funding to support adaptive sports programming that serves children and adults with physical disabilities.

To Be Like Me $15,000

Funding to support general operating funds used for disability awareness education for children.

The Warren Center $400,000

Multi-year funding to provide individualized, therapeutic care and support to children with disabilities.

Youth Formation

Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”

Matthew 19:14

To Increase Opportunities for Youth to Grow in Faith & Character

The Foundation supports organizations that increase youth’s access to formative experiences that cultivate character, encourage healthy lifestyle choices, and create opportunities. Such experiences provide youth with a wide range of activities that include Christian discipleship and academic assistance through after-school and summer programs, camp, mentorships, or scouting.

Portfolio Activity Categories:

1. Camping: To provide scholarships to attend summer camp

2. Mentoring Experiences: To build adult and peer mentoring relationships

3. Out-of-School-Time Programming: To facilitate after-school and summer programs

4. Scouting: To encourage participation in Boy and Girl Scout activities

5. Youth Formation System: To help the system that supports out-of-school-time programs

Como Lions Heart

Como Lions Heart became a new partner with The Foundation in 2022 with a $15,000 grant to support after-school programming for children in the Fort Worth Como neighborhood. Through sports, after-school programming, summer day camp, and career exploration, the organization is passionate about uniting the community to impact children and young adults.

Youth Formation Grants Awarded

After-School All-Stars $30,000

Funding to support general operations.

Big Brothers Big Sisters Lone Star

$150,000

Funding to support faith-based mentoring in Dallas and Tarrant Counties.

Big Thought $100,000

Funding to support Thriving Minds, an after-school program that focuses on creative exploration and expression in a safe, fun environment.

Bishop Arts Theatre Center $10,000

Funding to support the Theatre and Cultural Enrichment Camp for children and youth.

Bold Believers United Ministries

$10,000

Funding to support the C4 summer camp for teens in southern Dallas.

C5 Youth Foundation of Texas $50,000

Funding to support the year-round leadership development program for highpotential middle and high school students designed to unlock youth potential.

Casa del Lago $470,000

Funding for the purchase of a new building.

Central Texas Conference of The United Methodist Church $20,000

Funding to provide youth from underresourced communities in Tarrant County with a day camp experience during the summer. Church of Faith $35,000

Funding to support the Kid’s Club and Summer Camp in an effort to build children of faith and hope in the South Oak Cliff neighborhood.

Como Lions Heart $15,000

Funding to support the out-of-school time youth programs.

Cornerstone Community Development Corporation $25,000

Funding to provide summer enrichment programming for youth in South Dallas.

Dallas Afterschool $75,000

Funding to support the Program Quality Initiative.

Dallas Leadership Foundation

$125,000

Funding to support in-school POWER youth development programs and to support the opening and operation of the new youth development centers in South Dallas and Oak Cliff for ‘22-’23.

First Tee - Fort Worth $50,000

Funding to support programming that promotes character development and life skills for youth through lessons in golf.

Youth Formation Grants Awarded

Forerunner Mentoring Program

$50,000

Funding for the Christian mentoring program, which seeks to equip young men with the tools needed to fulfill their potential through education, character development, and leadership.

For the Nations Refugee Outreach

$85,000

Funding to help refugee children successfully transition to life in a new country.

Frazier Revitalization $35,000

Funding to support the after-school program for school year ‘22-’23 and summer ‘23 programming.

Friends of Sky Ranch $75,000

Funding to provide Dallas-area youth with the opportunity to attend TRU Camp, which teaches Christian discipleship, character and leadership.

Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas

$85,000

Funding to provide positive adult role models, rich leadership development curriculum, and hands-on, outdoor experiences to girls residing in lowopportunity areas through the GSNETX Community Troops Program.

Harmony Community Development Corporation $320,000

Multi-year funding to support the launch of the Youth Empowerment Program and the corresponding mental health services.

HOPE Farm $50,000

Funding for the Leadership Development Program, which serves boys and young adults with Christian discipleship, mentorship and guidance.

Impact Christian Youth Camp $20,000

Funding to provide overnight summer camp for low-income children from North Texas.

Interfaith Family Services $50,000

Funding to support the Hope & Horizons Afterschool and Summer Program, which provides tutoring, play therapy and socialemotional learning to children that are homeless or have experienced trauma.

Jubilee Park and Community Center

$50,000

Funding to support OST programming for school year and summer programs.

Kickstart Kids $50,000

Funding to support general operations as they deliver character development curriculum in North Texas schools.

Kids Across America $70,000

Funding to provide camperships to youth from under-resourced communities in North Texas.

Youth Formation Grants Awarded

Kids Hope USA $40,000

Funding to support its existing 75 North Texas programs and help launch 10 new church-school partnerships.

Mercy Street $145,000

Funding to support the general operations of the West Dallas campus, and the expansion of sports and mentoring programs in South Dallas.

Presbyterian Camps at Gilmont

$8,500

Funding to provide camperships to youth from under-resourced communities in North Texas.

Project Transformation North Texas

$100,000

Funding for youth development programs that provide students with socialemotional learning, spiritual development and academic skill-building.

The Solid Rock $20,000

Funding to support operations to enhance facility security.

St. Anthony Foundation $25,000

Funding for the summer enrichment program, which helps students retain academic gains over the summer.

Voice of Hope Ministries $150,000

Funding to support the ASPIRE AfterSchool Program, which aims to help youth become committed, passionate believers that contribute to their local communities and beyond.

Wesley-Rankin Community Center

$75,000

Funding to support the after-school program, which provide academic support and enrichment opportunities that focus on developing one’s social-emotional health and character.

YMCA of Metropolitan Dallas

$3,000,000

Funding to support the renovation of the Park South YMCA to better serve the residents of South Dallas and the Forest District Neighborhood.

Young Life – Dallas $150,000

Funding to support Christian discipleship to children and youth through the Urban Young Life, Capernaum, and Young Lives Programs.

Forerunner Mentoring Program

Willa has two sons who have participated in the Forerunner Mentoring Program. As a family, they have all been impacted by the program and with her thanks, she wanted to share their story personally: “The Families Ministry at Forerunner Mentoring has made a huge impact on me and my boys’ lives. Having such an amazing group of individuals loving on and pouring into my boys has been so comforting and just beautiful to witness. Something I have seen change and grow throughout their time at Forerunner is their confidence. They have grown in that area a lot since being a part of the program. They feel like they can truly become the man they talk about in their chants. They understand how their actions can affect others, and how to grow from their mistakes. They really look up to their mentors, and I love that so much. One of my sons struggled to talk to grown-ups as freely as he does with his peers prior to coming to Forerunner. Now, he has grown so much and has gotten so much more comfortable with that. He speaks to adults so much more confidently now and has even opened up to the coaches about his personal life. He has sought growth, asked for advice, shared his opinion, asked clarifying questions, and talked about his relationship with God. It’s been a big deal to have relationships with other godly adults who aren’t his family members. Since being a part of Forerunner and the Women’s ministry, I have gained a great deal of support and feel a lot less pressure in what comes with raising boys. It has made my job as a parent much easier. My kids get to see examples of who they could be and are exposed to a whole different world of godly people that they don’t necessarily experience at school.

I have also enjoyed being a part of the Ladies’ nights and Women’s Encounter nights. I typically don’t like hanging out with large groups of women, but each time I go I connect with at least one woman and gain a new friendship that I don’t expect. It makes me glad I went. You get to have time for yourself while knowing your kids are safe, having fun, and being poured into. It’s a good place to enjoy fellowship, grow and learn different personalities, and step away from your day-to-day routine to have fun.”

Youth Mental Health

“He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.”

Psalms 147:3

To Expand Access to Behavioral Health Services for Youth With Complex Needs

The Foundation supports organizations that provide trauma-informed, therapeutic services to children and youth coping with complex mental and behavioral health conditions. These services utilize a multi-generational approach that uplifts families. The Foundation works to make mental health services easily-accessible through community spaces and also supports organizations that integrate screenings for mental health disorders into a child’s primary care visit in order to detect, diagnose and treat conditions early.

As a longtime thought partner of The Foundation, the Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute was entrusted to conduct a study in 2022 that would analyze mental health resources for children across North Texas and discover the assets and gaps of the services in our community. With the research, The Foundation can work even more strategically to improve mental health care for children.

Youth Mental Health

To Expand Access to Behavioral Health Services for Youth With Complex Needs

Portfolio Activity Categories:

1. Community-Level Mental Health Support: To provide community-level, non-clinical support through church, schools, and other agencies

2. Integrated Primary Health Care: To integrate physical and mental health care in primary health care settings

3. Specialty Mental Health & Outpatient Care: To provide outpatient care from specialists such as psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, therapists, counselors or nurse practitioners

4. Mental Health System: To provide programming that supports the mental health care system.

STEPS with Horses

In a rural town outside of Fort Worth, teenage Lila bore the weight of her family’s struggles. Her father, James, an Iraq veteran, suffered from PTSD. James struggled to manage his anger and often locked himself in his room to avoid lashing out at his family. Lila missed her father and the time she remembered spending with him as a child. She felt lost and overwhelmed, and contemplated suicide.

Seeking a lifeline, Lila’s mother discovered equine-assisted counseling—a type of professional counseling that involved interacting with horses to promote healing. With a glimmer of hope, she reached out to STEPS With Horses and scheduled Lila’s first session.

At her first session, Lila’s heart raced with anticipation and anxiety. Stepping into the serene pasture, she was greeted by the sight of majestic horses grazing peacefully. Her counselor welcomed her warmly, explaining how these gentle creatures could assist her on her journey of selfdiscovery and healing. Belle, a beautiful Paint Horse, was the first to approach,

dropping her nose into Lila’s hands. The horse seemed to understand her pain, offering solace without judgment. Over time, Belle became Lila’s safe space where she could freely express herself and process her sadness and worry.

Guided by her counselor and equine specialist team, Lila engaged in various activities with Belle. Together, Lila and Belle practiced calming skills and worked together to walk the pasture. These interactions not only bolstered Lila’s confidence but also taught her valuable lessons in trust and effective communication. As Lila’s connection with Belle grew, she started to apply the lessons she learned from the horse to her own life. Just as she had to communicate her needs to Belle during their sessions, she understood the importance of expressing her feelings and concerns to her parents.

With newfound courage, Lila opened up to her mother, revealing her struggles and the burdens she had been carrying.

Together, they devised a plan to approach James with compassion and understanding, determined to confront the impact of his PTSD on the family dynamic. With each step forward, Lila felt her anxiety dissipating, replaced by a sense of empowerment and hope.

Inspired by Lila’s courage, James began attending his own counseling sessions. Guided by skilled counselors, the family embarked on a journey of healing together and learned to communicate their needs, fears, and hopes while supporting one another. Equine-assisted counseling had become a catalyst for transformative change in Lila and her family. Through her connection with Belle, she discovered her own strength and resilience.

Youth Mental Health Grants Awarded

The Center for Integrative Counseling and Psychology

$400,000

The Center for Integrative Counseling and Psychology $400,000

Funding to support the Partnerships for Accessible Counseling and Training (PACT) Program, which provides those in underresourced communities with mental health counseling services.

Incarnation Place $250,000

Multi-year funding to support clinical counseling services in Dallas’ Roseland community and local schools.

Jewish Family Service of Greater Dallas $500,000

Funding to provide assessments and mental health services to children and youth.

Lena Pope $200,000

Funding to provide mental health counseling to children and youth who have experienced childhood trauma.

Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute for Texas

$90,000

Funding to support an assessment of comprehensive services available in Dallas County for children and youth with complex, severe mental health needs.

Metrocare Services $1,000,000

Funding to support the construction of a new mental health service complex.

MHMR Foundation $100,000

Funding to support the Help Me Thrive Program, which connects parents of children ages 0-5 with developmental and behavioral health services.

Momentous Institute $770,000

Multi-year funding to provide children and their families with therapeutic services to strengthen family bonds.

Ranch Hands Rescue $100,000

Funding to provide mental health counseling to individuals for whom traditional counseling has not proven effective.

STEPS With Horses $30,000

Funding to provide Equine Facilitated Counseling to youth from under-resourced communities, veterans and their family members.

The WARM Place $30,000

Funding to provide individualized and intimate grief support groups year-round for children, youth, and their parents.

The Warm Place $200,000

Funding to support the expansion of its programming and facilities.

Est. 2006