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You re Sharing Hope this Holiday Season reACH holiday 2021 issue

Our Mission Board of Directors Anna Alvarado Toby Ardoyno Angela Caddell Linda Christie Katie Ciccarino Delynn Crofford Tom Harris Tim Harvard Kelly Keller Chair Barry Kromann Treasurer Cheryl Moore Lynn Newman Mattie Parker Alan Shipman Dowell Stackpole Kyle Whitaker Secretary PROTECTING CHILDREN PRESERVING FAMILIES SINCE 1915 In the Christmas classic It s a Wonderful Life George Bailey played by the great Jimmy Stewart finds out what life would be like without him It got me to thinking about what ACH would be like if we didn t have your trusted and appreciated support Imagine if youth didn t have access to a shelter designed specifically for ages 10 17 The Pat O Neal Youth Emergency Shelter is the only such shelter in Tarrant County Every day you ll find homeless runaway and trafficked youth receiving food care and a place to stay while we work to connect them with the appropriate social services and reunite them with their families or find safe and supportive long term living arrangements Our Robert and Jane Ferguson Residential Treatment Center opened in 2019 to serve youth suffering from intense trauma Before then these teens would have most likely been sent to a hospital or to other parts of the state Still we could use three times the number of beds we have and the pandemic isn t helping matters page 2 During the pandemic ACH moved from training potential foster to adopt families in large groups to smaller online and even one to one in person settings This year despite all the challenges we are still able to celebrate our program s 500th adoption I m just getting started but let me end for now with a quote from Clarence the angel in the movie Each man s life touches so many other lives When he isn t around he leaves an awful hole doesn t he May your heart be warmed knowing you are touching the lives of so many grateful for your support Wayne Carson Ph D Chief Executive Officer ACH Foundation Board Members Frank Anderson Linda Christie Bob Ferguson Melinda Johnston Janeen Lamkin Fred Moore Chair Peter Philpott Community Ambassador Advisory Council Margaret Augustat Karen Barlow Alysa Dennett Lindy Eubank Vivian Ferguson Missy Johns Barry King Cindy Level Judy Mayo Suzanne Tucker

You Support Chantel Bedlington supervises ACH s new Kinship Navigator Program KINSHIP CAREGIVERS Chantel Bedlington vividly remembers the call she received from Child Protective Services in Kansas saying that a relative s children would be placed in foster care if a family member couldn t take them What do you do when you get that call Chantel asks The answer for Chantel and her family was to drive to Kansas and pick the children up Almost as soon as the kids were in her family s care Chantel realized she lacked adequate resources to meet the kids social emotional and physical needs I had to fight for everything Chantel recalls Two years later Chantel is using that experience to help other kinship caregivers a relative or person who Col Nat O Day Lynn O Day Every kid deserves a good home knew the child before removal from their home in her position Chantel serves as supervisor with ACH s new Kinship Navigator program The Kinship Navigator program will help kinship families with their unique needs and connect them to much needed resources and support groups as well as financial assistance legal assistance and more Chantel says While most foster and adoptive parents have the advantage of being trained in trauma and what to expect for kinship families they just get a call Chantel explains This holiday season your generosity is equipping kinship families with the tools they need to give the children in their care a loving supportive home Thank you I had to fight for everything NAT O DAY CARRIES ON Wife s Legacy Throughout Nat O Day s career and into his retirement volunteerism has been a constant But his involvement with ACH Child and Family Services can be explained with one word Lynn Lynn Nat s late wife began volunteering with ACH as a child with her mother Over the years she served as a board member and on various committees helped lead two capital campaigns co chaired the first annual Hoot n Holler fundraising event and was an active member of our Community Ambassadors Nat retired in 1971 from the U S Army after more than 20 years of service He served two yearlong tours in South Vietnam plus tours in Korea Japan and Germany He went on to serve 25 years in the City of Fort Worth s finance department which also ignited a passion for supporting the city s nonprofits through volunteerism After Lynn passed away in January 2020 Nat made a special gift to ACH in memory of his loving wife of 60 years That money in turn significantly helped build the Residential Treatment Center for teens in the foster care system Today Nat is also carrying on Lynn s passion for ACH in another way by volunteering his time to help however he s needed

I would describe our journey as the hardest best thing I ve ever done in my entire life 500 Adoptions WITH YOUR HELP A GIFT THAT KEEPS ON GIVING A year and a half ago Randall and Nikki opened their home to serve as foster parents to a 3 month old baby Fourteen months later that baby boy became the 500th adoption through ACH Child and Family Services I would describe our journey as the hardest best thing I ve ever done in my entire life says Randall We spoke to the proud parents on the day their adoption of Everett was made official They recalled an instant love for Everett when they first met him Having him with us for so long it seems like just a formality at this point but also there s a weight of how significant this is Nikki says of the official adoption We re very excited for this to be permanent The couple was licensed through ACH three years ago to serve as foster parents and they continue to welcome other children into their care as well We have had multiple placements and it has been amazing to work with our case workers Nikki says It has been wonderful and they ve helped take so much of the stress that can sometimes arise in this process Looking ahead the couple is open to more adoptions through the foster care program Right now however they re taking a moment to celebrate Everett officially becoming their son We love him and he is family Nikki says It s only through your vital support that adoptions like Everett s and the 499 children before him are possible Thank you for joining with ACH to make sure children have loving families and a chance to live in a safe and supportive environment ACHchildandfamily ACHchildfamily Thank You for Sharing Hope This Holiday Season Did you know you can make a gift to ACH Child and Family Services using your IRA If you are 70 1 2 or older you can donate all or a portion of your required minimum distribution RMD directly to ACH A qualified charitable distribution QCD is a charitable donation from an IRA directly to a qualified charity A QCD is a very tax effective way to support ACH Since the gift is sent directly from your IRA to ACH you can exclude the gift amount from taxable income This can make a big difference for your taxes Since RMDs are considered ordinary income they often push people into a higher tax bracket even when they are not needed for additional income If you aren t dependent on your IRA for income this year please consider contributing during these unprecedented times Your donation will go right to work helping vulnerable children and families supporting our most pressing needs or the program of your choice For additional information or assistance contact Dixie Mullins at 817 886 7115 or dixie mullins ACHservices org to learn more about making a gift from your IRA or to request sample instructions for your IRA administrator This information is not intended as tax legal or financial advice Gift results may vary Consult your personal financial advisor for information specific to your situation achchildandfamily ACHservices org