Winter 2014

newsletter

We took a trip back to high school for The Breakfast Club: A Champions for Children Event benefiting Texas Center for the Missing (TCM). Over 190 caring Houstonians came out to support TCM’s life-saving programs and enjoy a night of throwback fun based on the 80s hit teen movie, The Breakfast Club.

The event was held at the Historic Julia Ideson Library Building in Downtown Houston and included a live auction, big board auction, and paddle raising. During the night, Stephanie & Mark Deverka were awarded the 2014 Gabriel Lester Hero Award for their dedication to keeping children and endangered adults in our community safe.

Overall the event raised $180,000 for the organization! These funds will go to Internet Safety classes, Amber Alert issuance, Child ID Kits for local families, and the launching of a regional Silver Alert Program in the Houston area for missing elderly.

Event Co-Chairs Luba Bigman, Christine Hoffer, Rosemarie Johnson, Melissa Mithoff, Nanette West, and Tiffany Wong ensured the evening was a success, and with a close-out performance by Molly & The Ringwalds, the party lasted late into the night.

Thank you to everyone who made the evening such a fun success!

Vice President Stephanie & Mark Deverka

Mary & Allen Shindler, Star 5 Ranch

Secretary A Fare Extraordinaire

Rosemarie & Matt Johnson

Light Charitable Trust

Melissa & Michael Mithoff

Jan & Trevor Rees-Jones

Kim & Bill Sanchez

Cliff & Nanette West

Tiffany & Randall Wong

Treasurer Nadine & Stephen Boutros

Karen D. King & Richard J. Burch

Laura & Ned Davenport

Christine & Ty Hoffer

Brandi Maxwell

Doreen Wise & Frank Crapitto

Historian Beth Alberts & Mark Sendt

The Boehler Family Charitable Fund

Howard & Stacie Chapman

Dr. Edward & Dr. Daniela Group

Keri & Michael Herrin

Drs. Mary F. Ice & Alexander Sardiña

Legacy Community Health Services/Chree Boydstun

Jennifer & Joel Moore

Mercedes & Vinny Pilegge

Ashley & Jonathan Sloan

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We are so excited to announce our newest project, the Safety Savvy App, will be available for Apple and Android mobile devices by the end of 2014!

Over the last year we have been working to put together an engaging education resource for parents and guardians that will encourage safe behaviors. Safety checklists include Prevent Abduction, School Safety, and Endangered Adult Safety. Users can track their progress through the checklists and advance through levels.

We also want to ensure that if an emergency ever occurs help will be right at the fingertips of Safety Savvy App users. Through the

mobile application, a user can easily call 9-1-1 and notify TCM of a missing persons case. Users can also access helpful emergency resources, like the Find My Child or Long-Term Missing Checklists.

This Safety Savvy App Project was made possible by generous gifts from Stephanie & Mark Deverka and Kim & Bill Sanchez.

Download the Safety Savvy App in mid-December!

Apple App Store

Google Play Store

The 10th Annual Golf Challenge for Children Tournament, presented by Dynamic Industries International LLC, was held on September 9th, 2014, at Memorial Park Golf Course in Houston, Texas.

Over 120 golfers and volunteers came out to support Texas Center for the Missing (TCM), and to enjoy a great day of golf that raised needed funds to keep local children safe. The day began with a Ceremonial Swing from Honorary Golf Chair Houston City Council Member Oliver Pennington, followed by a Shotgun Start sending 27 teams scrambling on this beautiful Houston course.

With a wide array of talented golfers, the tournament proved competitive! Emcee Dayna Steele kept the post-play ceremony lively and awarded the Cliff and Nanette West Team with 1st Place Gross, including players Scott Owens, Allan Measom, Josh Patterson, and Cliff West.

Overall, the tournament raised $55,633 for Texas Center for the Missing! These funds will go to new child Internet Safety classes, Amber Alert issuance training, and Child ID Kits for local families.

Thank you to everyone who made the 10th Annual Golf Challenge for Children such a success!

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Connect with Texas Center for the Missing on all your favorite social media sites!

http://fb.com/TXCenter

http://twitter.com/TXCenter

http://www.pinterest.com/txcenter

https://plus.google.com/+TheTexasCenterOrg

https://www.youtube.com/user/theTXCenter

https://www.linkedin.com/company/texas-center-for-the-missing

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Texas Center for the Missing

turns 14! Since our founding in

2000, we have helped 802 families,

trained 6,523 law enforcement, and

issued 154 Amber Alerts for missing

children. Thank you for supporting

our mission over the years!

See our latest Video highlighting

our Emergency Response to crisis

missing persons situations and law

enforcement support efforts. Watch

at https://www.youtube.com/

user/theTXCenter.

Become a Trainer! Save the Date

for our Internet Safety Train-the-

Trainer on January 22, 2015,

sponsored by TCM, Houston Metro

Internet Crimes Against Children

Task Force, and DePelchin

Children’s Center. This training

prepares volunteers, social workers,

school counselors, and law

enforcement to share the

NetSmartz internet safety

presentation with their local

communities. Contact

support@tcftm.org for more

information.

Thank you to the Houston

Galveston Area Council for their

grant renewal supporting TCM’s

Case Manager. Because of their

continued support, we are able to

better serve our community and

bring missing children home. To

date, Melissa Rangel has assisted

155 families and is responsible for

the safe recovery of 75 children.

SAVE THE DATE for the 2015

Golf Challenge for Children on

September 1, 2015, at Memorial

Park Golf Course. Visit http://

centerforthemissing.com/events/

golf in Spring 2015 to register.

Use our Amazon shopping link

so a percentage of your online

winter and holiday shopping can

benefit Texas Center for the

Missing! Visit http://

centerforthemissing.org/give/

donation-programs/ to find our

access link and save it in your web

browser’s bookmarks.

The National Missing Children’s Day Poster Contest is a great way to engage 5th graders about safety! Administered annually by the Department of Justice, the Poster Contest is open to all 5th graders across the country from early fall till early spring each year.

Poster artwork must reflect the theme, “Bring Our Missing Children Home,” be exactly 8 1/2 x 14 inches, and can be created using acrylics, watercolor, pencils, charcoal, magic markers, spray paint, crayons, & pastels.

Texas Center for the Missing administers the Texas State Level Judging, with submissions for the Poster Contest due in our offices by February 23, 2015. The Texas 1st Place Winner will receive a framed copy of their artwork, and will have their poster submitted to

the National level for judging. The single National winner, his/her parents, and a teacher will be flown to Washington, D.C., for the awards ceremony in May 2015.

Talk with your child’s school, scout troop, or community organization about participating!

Learn more and download important contest documents at http://centerforthemissing.org/poster-contest/.

Talk with your child’s school, scout troop, parent organization, or community group about hosting a Safety Presentation during the 2014-15 school year. Request a presentation at

http://centerforthemissing.org/act/presentations or email support@tcftm.org for more information.

Nadine Boutros Nadine Boutros Designs

http://fb.com/TXCenter

http://twitter.com/TXCenter

http://www.pinterest.com/txcenter

https://plus.google.com/+TheTexasCenterOrg

https://www.youtube.com/user/theTXCenter

https://www.linkedin.com/company/texas-center-for-the-missing

Serena Hightower and Arthur

Moreno are like family to us! They

are inaugural volunteers with TCM

and have supported our efforts in

so many ways it’s hard to count.

As the owners of Yeti Sunshine,

makers of local and all-natural sno

cones, they have donated their

services to our special event

auctions, held fundraising events in

our honor, and donated sno cones

for the 2014 Champions for

Children event.

As individuals though, they have gone

above and beyond. Serena and Arthur

have been an integral part in all our

special events, from helping with set-up

and décor to wrap-up and tear-down.

Not to mention that last year they ran the

Aramco Half Marathon in support of

TCM’s programs, raising $1,042 on our

behalf!

Thank you Serena and Arthur for your

continued support of our mission to

bring missing children home - you truly

are our Champions!

Allen Shindler Board Chair

Mark Farrell Immediate Past Board Chair

Suzy Granger Secretary

Sam Trail Treasurer

Doreen Wise Founder

Brad Bouillion

Nadine Boutros

Stephanie Deverka

Darryl Drenon

Terry Edge

Amy E. Gignac

Vince Hash

Vinny Pilegge

Michael Snodgrass

Cliff West

Tommy Wilson

Tiffany Wong

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Tax deductible donations can also be made online at centerforthemissing.org. Name _______________________________________ Company (if applicable) _______________________________________

Mailing Address __________________________________________________________________________________________

City _____________________ State ____ Zip ________ Phone _______________ Email _____________________________

Please accept my gift of $ _______ This donation is in honor / memory of ___________________________________________

Make check payable to Texas Center for the Missing.

American Express Discover MasterCard VISA

Card No. ___________________________________________ Expiration Date _________________ CVV ________________

Signature ___________________________________________ Amount $ ___________________________________________

I would like my gift to be a recurring gift of $______ per month year beginning ______(date)

This is an anonymous gift. Name for Recognition purposes: ____________________________________________

I would like to receive (choose all that apply): Bi-annual newsletters Amber Alert notifications Information about volunteer opportunities

Invitations to special events Annual Reports Please note: All communications listed above are distributed via email.

Yes, I want to keep every child safe!

Texas Center for the Missing is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit bringing

hope and healing to the missing and their families through

crisis intervention, prevention, and community education.