Community Involvement

Not only is my practice located in Athens, Texas - I grew up here. It is very important to me to support my local community and to show others how they can help too. Our many local activities include supporting the East Texas Crisis Center, the Clint W. Murchison Memorial Library, the Family Peace Project, the Humane Society, the East Texas Arboretum & Botanical Society and our work through CASA (the Court Appointed Special Advocate association).

We can show you how to help these invaluable organizations by including them as beneficiaries of your estate or through charitable donations. Please take some time to learn more about the organizations we actively support.

East Texas Crisis Center

The East Texas Crisis Center is dedicated to providing safety, shelter, and education for victims of family violence, sexual assault, and other violent crime. The ETCC has a commitment to restoring dignity and purpose in the lives of victims and promoting public compassion and awareness in order to reduce violence in our community.

Website: www.etcc.org

Clint W. Murchison Memorial Library

Aside from access to books and, audio books and DVDs, the Clint W. Murchison Memorial Library help our local community by providing children's story hours, summer reading programs, wireless Internet access, computers with word processing facilities, Xerox and fax machines, a genealogy collection, atlases and maps as well as with city directories and telephone books.

Website: www.co.henderson.tx.us

The Family Peace Project

The Family Peace Project is a Christ-centered organization providing a place of refuge and resources to victims of family violence.

Website: www.thefamilypeaceproject.com

The Humane Society

The Humane Society of the United States is the nation's largest and most effective animal protection organization - backed by 11 million Americans, or one in every 28. Established in 1954, The HSUS seeks a humane and sustainable world for all animals - a world that will also benefit people. We are America's mainstream force against cruelty, exploitation and neglect, as well as the most trusted voice extolling the human-animal bond.

Website: www.humanesociety.org

East Texas Arboretum & Botanical Society

The East Texas Arboretum is a treasure of rolling hills, hiking trails, a children's play garden and a historic home. The development of the East Texas Arboretum has been the result of an exceptional and intense volunteer effort. From a small group of dedicated visionaries came the dream of establishing a regional arboretum in East Texas. The society was incorporated in 1991, a five-member Board of Directors was formed in 1992, and 100 acres of land within the Athens city limits was purchased in 1993. With the assistance of generous donors, grants and foundation awards, and numerous volunteers, the East Texas Arboretum has developed into an attraction that appeals to a wide spectrum of visitors. Since 1993 development has included the employment of a full-time executive director, a part-time educational director funded by a grant from the Texas Forest Service, and the construction of a large pavilion, a classroom/office building, a 4,000 square ft. Woman's Building, gardens, bridges, hiking trails, a 152-year-old historical house "museum" and many other improvements.

Website: www.eastexasarboretum.org

CASA (the Court Appointed Special Advocate association)

Each year, approximately 780,000 children in the US are caught up in the court and child welfare maze because they are unable to live safely at home. Imagine what it would be like to lose your parents, not because of something you did, but because they can't - or won't - take care of you. Now, into these children's lives come dozens of strangers: police, foster parents, therapists, social workers, judges, lawyers, and more. Hopefully, one of these strangers is a CASA volunteer.

CASA volunteers are appointed by judges to watch over and advocate for abused and neglected children, to make sure they don't get lost in the overburdened legal and social service system or languish in an inappropriate group or foster home. They stay with each case until it is closed and the child is placed in a safe, permanent home. For many abused children, their CASA volunteer will be the one constant adult presence - the one adult who cares only for them.

Last year, more than 70,900 CASA volunteers served more than 237,000 abused and neglected children through 1,055 program offices. CASA volunteers have helped more than two million abused children since the first program was established in 1977.

Website: www.casaforchildren.org