DMN Feature Article
Sunday, December 17, 2006
Sisters-in-law help others remember loved ones
By MIKKI KIRBY / Special Contributor to The Dallas Morning News
DENTON – On the second Tuesday of each month, the Elks Lodge in Denton is transformed. The normally drab space is turned into a beautiful setting for people to come and remember.
For 13 years, Linda and Darlene McNatt have hauled in extravagant decorations each month for a bereavement luncheon sponsored by Ann's Haven, a member of the Visiting Nurse Association.
"The decorations are beautiful, but that's not the heart of it," said bereavement coordinator Molly Harrison. "People come and are uplifted by Linda and Darlene. Never in all of my years of social work have I met two people who are so giving and generous in spirit."
The sisters-in-law have teamed up each month because they said they are called to do it. They have always shared a bond of compassion and a love of decorating, they said.
"This has just been something in our hearts," Linda McNatt said while decorating a table with pine tree replicas and St. Nicolas statues. "Our decorations and hugs can be the greatest thing for them. Your heart just wants to hold them and take their pain away."
Volunteer Helen Speck said it's this sentiment that everyone feels from the time they are greeted at the door with hugs and kisses.
"These ladies are great givers to this old community. Some people only get out once a month for this luncheon, for Linda and Darlene," she said. "You would never know when they are hugging a stranger."
Linda McNatt, a Corinth resident, was first introduced to Ann's Haven while working as a medical technician. When the hospice decided to hold monthly meetings, she wanted to put her passion for decorating to good use. At the time, she didn't realize she and her sister-in-law had much more to give.
"People have told us over and over there is healing in helping others," said Darlene McNatt, a Denton resident. "It's a great step for them to come here. Sometimes healing comes from receiving hugs and a listening ear. That's really what we are here for."
Members of the Elks Lodge prepare the food for the luncheons and take a piece of the warmth with them each month.
"They are as good as gold," said member Joe Slone. "It's a wonderful thing to witness. We're proud to be a part of it. We've all lost someone, too, and appreciate all they put into making it a special time."
The ladies tell stories of some who have attended who just need a place to cry and let out their grief. New friendships are often made. Most just need to hear that they are going to be OK after losing someone close.
Mrs. Speck, whose husband died in 1990, said it took years for her to be able to express her loss. "Time is a great healer, especially when you have a shoulder to cry on," she said. "Make that four shoulders to cry on."
Mikki Kirby is a Dallas freelance writer.
Monday, January 15, 2007
Sunday, January 14, 2007
DMN: Sending Thanks for Making a Difference
DMN Feature Article
Sunday, December 3, 2006
The Colony: Former student thanks principal who never lost faith in her
By MIKKI KIRBY / Special Contributor to The Dallas Morning News
A comment from a former principal changed the course of the girl's life. Years later, she sent out an e-mail trying to find him.
The comment was a simple gesture from a man who believed in a group of kids that some had given up on. Dawn Kelley-Jordy was one of those kids.
Now she wanted to find Clint Mosely and thank him.
"He made an impression on me that took a while to get through my stubborn brain. He said if I set my mind to it, I could do anything well," she wrote.
She sent an e-mail to The Dallas Morning News asking for help in contacting Mr. Mosely. The two had crossed paths at the Lewisville Learning Center in 1992. Mr. Mosely spent two years as principal there, overseeing a group of at-risk youth.
Mr. Mosely printed the e-mail and filed it along with others he has collected over the years.
"This is what has kept me doing what I do," said the assistant principal at The Colony High School. "It's the best morale boost for a teacher or an educator to know you made a difference."
He explained that while it's often a thankless job, people are teachers because they want to make a difference in the lives of others. It's an innate quality educators possess. Receiving a thank-you every once in a while is what it's about, he said.
Mr. Mosely has spent the past 28 years as an educator in the Lewisville school district, the last 14 at The Colony High School.
He began his career as a teacher at Hedrick Elementary School before transferring to Marcus High School when it opened in 1981 in Flower Mound.
After a five-year stint as the principal at DeLay Middle School, he took the position at the Lewisville Learning Center. According to its Web site, the center is for students at risk of not graduating from high school.
"My time there was very rewarding," Mr. Mosely said. "I made the decision to take the position because I wanted to experience that kind of environment."
The Colony High School principal Becky MacDonald said Mr. Mosely never passes judgment and takes time to listen to students.
"He talks and jokes with our students, but he also keeps them in line. There's a lot of security in structure," she said. "He was probably disciplining his former student as he encouraged her."
The e-mail notes that Mrs. Kelley-Jordy will graduate from the Nursing Department at Murray State College in Oklahoma in 2008.
"Not all teachers or principals get the recognition they deserve, so I wanted to say thank you to all teachers and principals, especially Mr. Mosely," the e-mail continued. "Thank you for believing in us. Without people like you having the heart to deal with some of us 'hard cases,' we would be lost in the wind."
Mikki Kirby is a Dallas freelance writer.
Sunday, December 3, 2006
The Colony: Former student thanks principal who never lost faith in her
By MIKKI KIRBY / Special Contributor to The Dallas Morning News
A comment from a former principal changed the course of the girl's life. Years later, she sent out an e-mail trying to find him.
The comment was a simple gesture from a man who believed in a group of kids that some had given up on. Dawn Kelley-Jordy was one of those kids.
Now she wanted to find Clint Mosely and thank him.
"He made an impression on me that took a while to get through my stubborn brain. He said if I set my mind to it, I could do anything well," she wrote.
She sent an e-mail to The Dallas Morning News asking for help in contacting Mr. Mosely. The two had crossed paths at the Lewisville Learning Center in 1992. Mr. Mosely spent two years as principal there, overseeing a group of at-risk youth.
Mr. Mosely printed the e-mail and filed it along with others he has collected over the years.
"This is what has kept me doing what I do," said the assistant principal at The Colony High School. "It's the best morale boost for a teacher or an educator to know you made a difference."
He explained that while it's often a thankless job, people are teachers because they want to make a difference in the lives of others. It's an innate quality educators possess. Receiving a thank-you every once in a while is what it's about, he said.
Mr. Mosely has spent the past 28 years as an educator in the Lewisville school district, the last 14 at The Colony High School.
He began his career as a teacher at Hedrick Elementary School before transferring to Marcus High School when it opened in 1981 in Flower Mound.
After a five-year stint as the principal at DeLay Middle School, he took the position at the Lewisville Learning Center. According to its Web site, the center is for students at risk of not graduating from high school.
"My time there was very rewarding," Mr. Mosely said. "I made the decision to take the position because I wanted to experience that kind of environment."
The Colony High School principal Becky MacDonald said Mr. Mosely never passes judgment and takes time to listen to students.
"He talks and jokes with our students, but he also keeps them in line. There's a lot of security in structure," she said. "He was probably disciplining his former student as he encouraged her."
The e-mail notes that Mrs. Kelley-Jordy will graduate from the Nursing Department at Murray State College in Oklahoma in 2008.
"Not all teachers or principals get the recognition they deserve, so I wanted to say thank you to all teachers and principals, especially Mr. Mosely," the e-mail continued. "Thank you for believing in us. Without people like you having the heart to deal with some of us 'hard cases,' we would be lost in the wind."
Mikki Kirby is a Dallas freelance writer.
Saturday, January 13, 2007
DMN: A New Autism Resource
DMN Feature Article
Thursday, December 28, 2006
Nonprofit opens facility in North Richland Hills to aid, educate families
By MIKKI KIRBY / Special Contributor to The Dallas Morning News
Ten years ago, a group of local parents came together to provide resources for autistic children and their families.
Since then, Families for Effective Autism Treatment – North Texas has pushed the envelope for diagnosis, support and treatment of the disorder.
In November, the group opened the doors to a 4,500-square-foot resource center and library in North Richland Hills that members hope will bring encouragement to families.
"When you have a child with autism, you can get some help, but it's inadequate," said Laurie Snyder, the group's president. "Our vision of this center was to take an innovative approach in bringing families together to a central place for resources."
The nonprofit FEAT-NT provides support by offering workshops presented by board-certified behavior analysts and professionals related to the field of autism. It also has a support center for siblings and provides child care.
And the center's library has nearly 400 books related to autism spectrum disorders thanks to Future Horizons, a leading publisher in autism-related books. The Arlington company partnered with FEAT-NT to provide the largest autism library in the state.
Raising awareness about autism and providing information that leads to early detection and intensive intervention are critical for a child's future, Ms. Snyder said.
Children can be diagnosed by 18 months of age by using a simple screening tool called the CHAT (Checklist for Autism in Toddlers).
"We believe that every child with autism has the potential for their quality of life to improve dramatically when evidence-based teaching strategies like applied behavior analysis are implemented," said Mika Bradford, FEAT-NT's director of community outreach.
Ms. Snyder's 6-year-old son, Nicholas, is on target academically. He reads phonetically and is easily doing first-grade math. But Nicholas still struggles to communicate.
"It's not like other disorders," she said. "If you struggle in public with a child in a wheelchair, people run to your aid. But with autistic children, the behavior looks strange. People assume you are a bad parent. They don't realize that when they go to the store, chances are there is a child there with autism."
One in every 166 children today is diagnosed with autism. Just 10 years ago, only one in 10,000 children were diagnosed.
According to FEAT-NT, treatment is not up to par. Parents are left with limited resources and frustration in how to help their children. Now, local parents have a safe haven to research on their own at the resource center.
"FEAT-NT is an organization for today," Ms. Bradford said. "We provide hope and direction for parents and professionals who are on the front lines of the autism epidemic."
Mikki Kirby is a Dallas freelance writer.
Thursday, December 28, 2006
Nonprofit opens facility in North Richland Hills to aid, educate families
By MIKKI KIRBY / Special Contributor to The Dallas Morning News
Ten years ago, a group of local parents came together to provide resources for autistic children and their families.
Since then, Families for Effective Autism Treatment – North Texas has pushed the envelope for diagnosis, support and treatment of the disorder.
In November, the group opened the doors to a 4,500-square-foot resource center and library in North Richland Hills that members hope will bring encouragement to families.
"When you have a child with autism, you can get some help, but it's inadequate," said Laurie Snyder, the group's president. "Our vision of this center was to take an innovative approach in bringing families together to a central place for resources."
The nonprofit FEAT-NT provides support by offering workshops presented by board-certified behavior analysts and professionals related to the field of autism. It also has a support center for siblings and provides child care.
And the center's library has nearly 400 books related to autism spectrum disorders thanks to Future Horizons, a leading publisher in autism-related books. The Arlington company partnered with FEAT-NT to provide the largest autism library in the state.
Raising awareness about autism and providing information that leads to early detection and intensive intervention are critical for a child's future, Ms. Snyder said.
Children can be diagnosed by 18 months of age by using a simple screening tool called the CHAT (Checklist for Autism in Toddlers).
"We believe that every child with autism has the potential for their quality of life to improve dramatically when evidence-based teaching strategies like applied behavior analysis are implemented," said Mika Bradford, FEAT-NT's director of community outreach.
Ms. Snyder's 6-year-old son, Nicholas, is on target academically. He reads phonetically and is easily doing first-grade math. But Nicholas still struggles to communicate.
"It's not like other disorders," she said. "If you struggle in public with a child in a wheelchair, people run to your aid. But with autistic children, the behavior looks strange. People assume you are a bad parent. They don't realize that when they go to the store, chances are there is a child there with autism."
One in every 166 children today is diagnosed with autism. Just 10 years ago, only one in 10,000 children were diagnosed.
According to FEAT-NT, treatment is not up to par. Parents are left with limited resources and frustration in how to help their children. Now, local parents have a safe haven to research on their own at the resource center.
"FEAT-NT is an organization for today," Ms. Bradford said. "We provide hope and direction for parents and professionals who are on the front lines of the autism epidemic."
Mikki Kirby is a Dallas freelance writer.
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