Media Contact:
Gino Johnson
Marketing and Media Coordinator
Interfaith Family Services
Phone: (469) 828-1814
Email: gjohnson@interfaithdallas.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
INTERFAITH FAMILY SERVICES 4th ANNUAL AUXILIARY LUNCHEON WILL BE A FAMILY AFFAIR! DALLAS, TEXAS
Interfaith Family services Auxiliary President, Amy Hegi and co-chairs, Wynne Brown, Meredith Ferrell and Katie Head are excited about this year’s 4th Annual Interfaith Auxiliary Luncheon that will be held on Friday, March 1st, 2019 at the Belo Mansion at 11:30am. This year’s theme, Families Helping Families: Doubling Our Impact is inspired by Interfaith’s 32–year tradition of families helping families which will lead to the spring opening of its new $11 million Family Empowerment Center which will double its annual impact. Everything about this year’s event highlights the power of family including the selection of its Honorary Chairs, Katy and Kyle Miller and the fact that this year’s luncheon will feature the inspiring couple, Leigh Anne and Sean Tuohy as the keynote speakers. Their family’s amazing story was the inspiration for the blockbuster movie, The Blind Side. Meredith Land is the emcee.
According to The Dallas Morning News, Dallas has the second worst childhood poverty rate of major U.S. cities. About 31 percent of Dallas children live in poverty, which means a family of four makes less than $24,000 annually. The luncheon will raise awareness about the factors that have led to the rise in childhood poverty in Dallas and ways that families can come together to empower families in crisis and break the cycle of poverty.
Proceeds from the luncheon will support Interfaith’s Family Empowerment Program. To date the Interfaith Auxiliary has raised over $2.4 million to support Interfaith. Sponsorships for the 4th Annual Auxiliary Luncheon are currently available, but we fully anticipate that this luncheon will sell out quickly. To reserve your spot today, please contact Jasmine Ng, Director of Community Engagement at jng@interfaithdallas.org or visit Interfaith online at www.interfaithdallas.org.
ABOUT INTERFAITH FAMILY SERVICES
For over 30 years, Interfaith Family Services (Interfaith) has been a leading resource for working poor families and a haven for homeless children who long for stability and hope. Today, we are even more committed to our mission to empower families in crisis and break the cycle of poverty. At the core of our work is a simple yet effective program formula: Eliminate Barriers + Equip Parents + Educate Children = Empower Working Families. Our first step is to eliminate the barriers that keep families in crisis from achieving stability. For families facing homelessness, we provide transitional housing in one of our 25 fully-furnished apartments that we own debt- free or low-interest loans via On the Road Lending, in addition to providing free after-school and summer childcare. Next, equip parents to overcome poverty by helping parents identify a purpose that will help them to go from “working to live” to “loving their work” via career coaching. We also provide financial coaching to help reduce debt, build a savings safety-net and make the most of their new income. Simultaneously, children are stabilized via our structured and nurturing Hope & Horizons Children & Teens Program through tutoring, play therapy and counseling. This holistic combination of services produces results that elevate entire families out of poverty. 100% of our families’ transition to permanent housing, 88% create a savings safety net with $4,506 on
average in savings, 96% of graduates maintain employment one year later and 91% are employed upon their exit with an average wage of $16.96/hour. For more information on Interfaith, or to discover other ways you can support Interfaith’s work, please contact Gino Johnson, Marketing and Media Manager, at gjohnson@interfaithdallas.org or visit www.interfaithdallas.org.
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