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Genesis Women’s Shelter Celebrates Turning 25 with 300 Near and Dear

It’s not every day that an organization turns 25. But it is cause for celebration and that’s what happened last night in honor of Genesis Women’s Shelter‘s marking its 25th year of serving the community.  Plus, it served as a warm-up hoop-la for Genesis’s annual Mother’s Day Luncheon on May 7 at the Hilton Anatole.

(WARNING: The luncheon is on the verge of being another sell out. But, of course, when you have former first lady Laura Bush serving as honorary chair, and Dr. Condoleezza Rice as the featured speaker, what else would you expect.)

But we digress. Back to last night’s party.

Looking like a woman who is thriving on success, Genesis Executive Director Jan Langbein, along with  party hostess Erin Mathews (pictured left with Jan Langbein), was at the front door of a Park Cities estate to meet and greet all 300 guests.

Must admit that the real show stopper of the night (more…)

Panel Meets to Discuss Texas Holocaust and Genocide Commission

When you say, “holocaust,” you think of a bygone era during the 40′s across the sea in Europe. The 21st century and Texas don’t even enter the equation, right? Not quite.

Last Tuesday at SMU, the Dallas Holocaust Museum/Center for Education and Tolerance joined forces with the Memnosyne Foundation Center for Interfaith Inquiry to discuss “History That Moves Texans Forward.” The purpose was to explore the thinking behind the newly-established Texas Holocaust and Genocide Commission.

According to organizers,

“the commission is significant because by law, the commission — considered the most important development in Holocaust education in Texas in years — is to help preserve information and experiences of the Holocaust and other genocide events.”

The commission is slated to work with organizations, agencies, museums, survivors, and liberators to preserve and provide information and experiences, as well as coordinate memorial events within the state.

Photo by Steve Foxall

Our own State Sen. Florence Shapiro co-sponsored the commission’s legislation and was part of the panel that included Texas Holocaust and Genocide Commission Chairman Peter Berkowitz, Dallas Holocaust Museum/Center for Education and Tolerance Museum Director Elliott Dlin, and University of Dallas Associate Professor of Psychology Dr. Amy Fisher-Smith (pictured right with, from the left, Memnosyne Foundation founder Mary Ann Thompson-Frenk, Berkowitz, Rena Pederson, Shapiro, and Dlin.)

Texas Tribune Editor/CEO Evan Smith was originally scheduled to moderator the panel, but that snowstorm that missed Dallas hit Austin and prevented Evan from attending. Luckily, journalist/author/Communications Director for the National Math and Science Initiative Rena Pederson stepped in at the last moment to fill Evan’s shoes.

Partners Card Results in $880,800+ for The Family Place

Just when the demand for assistance was getting greater and greater for The Family Place, the annual Partners Card presented by Bank of Texas came through last fall. From October 30 through November 8, thousands of area shoppers hit 775 stores and restaurants allowing them to not only save 20%. The results were $880,805 going to The Family Place.

“Sadly, our services were needed this year more than ever as we saw record numbers of families affected by the economy and the shelter had to turn away more than 1,000 women and children due to lack of space and lack of resources,” said Paige Flink, executive director of The Family Place.  “In this tough economic climate, we are incredibly thankful for the generosity and support of our participating retailers, thousands of shoppers, the community, our volunteers and our dedicated sponsors who helped contribute to us raising these much-needed funds for those escaping family violence.”

Partners Card 2009 sponsors include: (more…)

GLBT To Hold Holocaust Candlelight March Tonight On Oak Lawn

Tonight if you happen to be driving along Oak Lawn between Armstrong Parkway and Cedar Springs around 7 p.m., you just might see Equality March Texas’ Holocaust Candlelight March. In honor and remembrance of the “more than 50,000 gay men and women who were rounded up and killed during the Holocaust of WW II,” (pictured) the march is free and open to all people. The hope is to create awareness of the past in order to prevent its repetition in any form.

Following the march, refreshments will be served at the Melrose, while videos and speakers provide information on the issue.

For those participating in the march, you might want to park in the Cedar Springs entertainment district and take the shuttle service at the Melrose starting at 6 p.m. to the Armstrong starting point.

Equality March Texas (EMT) is a direct-action GLBT advocacy group based in Dallas that seeks to recruit and empower activists from all over the Lone Star State. It is a non-partisan, “radically inclusive” group which employs tried and true direct action tactics (rallies, protests, marches etc.) and a focus on community building by working to eliminate racial, social, religious, cultural, and gender based barriers within the GLBT Movement.

For more information, please contact Latisha McDaniel at 214.682.3014.