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Message holiday 2024 issuereACHYou’re Sharing Hope this Holiday Season!

this holiday season. Until December 31, an anonymous donor has offered to match all gifts to ACH, up to $50,000!May reading this newsletter be a reminder that your gifts help make this important work possible. Thank you again for your commitment and compassion — it truly changes lives for the better! Wishing you and yours the happiest of holidays.Gratefully,Wayne Carson, Ph.D.Chief Executive OfficerBoard of DirectorsAnna Alvarado, Board Chair Toby Ardoyno Sarah BennettHenry Borbolla Linda Christie Katie Ciccarino Leah ColletteDelynn Crofford Tom Harris Tim Harvard Kelly Keller, Treasurer Farah LawlerChris Mesa Karen MorganLynn NewmanMike ParksSavannah PetronisSara VargasKyle Whitaker, SecretaryFoundation Board MembersRickey BrantleyChad ClineBob Ferguson, ChairKelly KellerTruitt KimbroughJaneen LamkinPeter PhilpottSavannah PetronisCommunity Ambassador Advisory CouncilMargaret AugustatKaren BarlowSherrie Cyrier Alysa DennettVivian FergusonMissy JohnsSandi KennedyBarry KingCindy LevelJudy MayoSusan RoseSuzanne TuckerLindy WilliamsDear Friend,Thank you. Your partnership turns the hope of stability and safety into a reality for children and young adults across North Texas. I couldn’t be more grateful for kind-hearted friends like you this holiday season. Because of your faithful generosity, ACH can continue to provide crisis intervention, free youth and family counseling, foster care and adoption services, and so much more.With a new year around the corner, I remain confident in our partnership to ensure every child is protected and more families are preserved. In this holiday edition of reACH, I hope you are inspired by the incredible impact your partnership makes in the lives of families just like Amanda’s. Your generosity truly helped preserve her family at an especially critical time.I also hope you won’t miss an amazing opportunity to DOUBLE your impact for children, young adults and families page 2Our Mission PROTECTING CHILDREN. PRESERVING FAMILIES. SINCE 1915.

HEIDI LENDS AHELPING HAND“The stakes were high for this family,” says Kara Holmes, a clinical manager at ACH. “If the mom didn’t find a place for her children to live safely, she couldn’t enter rehab. And if she didn’t successfully complete this rehab program, she would lose custody of her children and they would be placed in the child welfare system."When a local mother was ready to take her first brave steps toward healing, your partnership ensured ACH was ready to provide the support and loving care her children needed until she could get back on her feet again.Amanda and her two children were living out of her truck as she battled addiction. Determined to make a better life for her children, Amanda decided to enter a local rehab program, and she had to go alone.But first, Amanda wanted to ensure her children were in good hands. Thankfully, she found exactly what her children needed at ACH’s Pat O’Neal Youth Emergency Shelter, which is the only 24/7 shelter for youth (ages 10-17) in Tarrant County.After growing up in the foster care system, Heidi Lara didn’t have to look far when she sought a place to give her time. She joined the team of volunteers at ACH Child and Family Services in 2020 and has never looked back.“When seeking a nonprofit organization, I look for purpose and integrity,” Heidi says. “We all know that it is important to feel that you are making a true difference whenever you are giving of your precious time.”From visiting with young adults transitioning out of care to spending quality time with teens in care, Heidi has volunteered her time in multiple programs at ACH.“I have found purpose in the foundation of ACH and am proud to be a part of what they are doing,” she says.During the holiday season, Heidi enjoys helping decorate a Christmas tree for the youth and coordinating gift donations.YOUR SUPPORT PRESERVES FAMILIESDuring their stay, the children’s caseworker worked diligently to coordinate between the rehab facility and Amanda to get consent for the children’s every need to be met, including vital medical care.(Continued on p.4)She says one of the highlights of her time so far with ACH was when she was asked to be a child’s personal mentor.“It is such an honor, and I will never forget that incredible role,” she says.Thank you, Heidi, for your generosity and willingness to lend a helping hand and make a meaningful difference in the lives of children and youth.If you are interested in volunteering, contact volunteers@ACHservices.org."The stakes were high for this family."

Finishing the Year Right: Maximize Your Giving and SavingsAs we enter the season of giving, we want to express our heartfelt appreciation for your dedication and support of our community’s most vulnerable children. Your commitment to our mission and those we serve is crucial, allowing us to continue making a positive difference in their lives. Rest assured, your support is making a significant impact.As you prepare your holiday gifts for your loved ones, have you thought about the lasting impact of a charitable gift annuity? ACH Child and Family Services is deeply grateful for your support and invites you to explore the benefits of a gift that provides both income and tax advantages. If you're over 70 ½, consider establishing a charitable gift annuity from your IRA.When you give cash, stock, or property to ACH, we will make income payments for life to you, a loved one, or another person. These fixed payments are not affected by changes in interest rates or the stock market, and you may qualify for mostly tax-free payments and a charitable deduction.For more information, don't hesitate to contact Dixie Mullins, Chief Development Officer, at 817-886-7115 or dixie.mullins@ACHservices.org. We are here to provide you with all the information you need to make an informed decision and are eager to assist with any inquiries you may have. To learn more about tax-smart gift ideas, visit www.ACHservicesLegacy.org.(Continued from p.3)Amanda’s kids also went to school at an on-site Fort Worth ISD and successfully completed their school year. The siblings received individual therapy at the shelter to help them cope and heal during their time away from their mom.All throughout the children’s 63-day stay, ACH met their basic needs by purchasing needed clothing and supplies for the siblings. And when Amanda completed her rehab program, she qualified to receive job and housing search assistance — so the family’s needs could continue to be met.After leaving the shelter, the two siblings continued to receive free weekly outpatient counseling through our Real Help for Real Life Program — which provides help and support for youth ages 6 to 17 and their families through Youth and Family Counseling and Skill-Building Classes.Thanks to your partnership with ACH, families struggling with significant challenges can continue to receive the wrap-around services needed to heal, stay together and thrive. Thank you! Names and photos have been changed for privacy.ACHservices.org/ACHchildandfamily /ACHchildfamily /achchildandfamily