Call for nominations for first-ever Community Champion Award - Oct. 1 deadline 

FORT WORTH – Presbyterian Night Shelter in Fort Worth will host the organization’s inaugural Worth Honoring Luncheon – an opportunity to recognize those who have courageously served in our country’s armed forces while honoring their commitment and impact on the city of Fort Worth. The Presbyterian Night Shelter Worth Honoring Luncheon will be from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 10 – the day before Veterans Day – at the downtown Hilton Fort Worth.

“The Worth Honoring Luncheon will publicly honor dozens of local veterans while highlighting our first Community Champion Award to a deserving veteran that will be selected by exceptional veterans along with community leaders,” said Toby Owen, chief executive officer of Presbyterian Night Shelter. “Approximately 144,000 veterans throughout the U.S. are homeless on any given night.  Last year, Fort Worth-based Presbyterian Night Shelter served more than 400 homeless veterans through one of the most successful transitional housing programs in the nation.”

The first-ever Community Champion Award recognizes and honors military veterans who, through their works and lives during or after military service, have made substantial contributions to the city of Fort Worth. Nominees must have either been born in Texas, entered military service from Texas, stationed at a military base in Texas or lived in Fort Worth for a minimum of 10 years. They also must have received an honorable discharge from U.S. Military Service or are currently on active duty status.

Additional criteria and nomination details are available online at www.journeyhome.org – the deadline for applications to be received in entirety is Oct. 1. Five finalists will be selected by a distinguished panel, including:

• TD Smyers, Navy veteran – United Way of Tarrant County
• Miranda Parker, Air Force veteran – Presbyterian Night Shelter Veteran Services Program
• Janine Kraus, Army veteran – Texas Christian University
• Tom Ames, Navy reservist – Lockheed Martin
• Nancy Spiker, Navy veteran – Presbyterian Night Shelter, board member
• Scott McGowan, Marine Corps veteran – Bell Helicopter

Businesses and organizations may honor local veterans through luncheon sponsorships, starting at $1,000 for a table of 10. Each veteran honoree will be presented with a commemorative lapel pin and will be publicly acknowledged during the program.

Current sponsors include media partner Fort Worth Business Press, along with BNSF, Goldman Sachs, Linbeck, Range Resources, U.S. Trust and XTO. The host committee includes Matt Mildren, board chair of Presbyterian Night Shelter, along with Dan Lowrance, Jim Lacamp, Bill Greenhill and Philip Schutts.

Individual luncheon and veteran tickets will be available online after Oct.1.  For sponsorship inquiries, please contact Brandon Nelson at 817.632.7477 or bnelson@journeyhome.org.

Founded in 1984, Presbyterian Night Shelter has served Tarrant County’s homeless population for more than 30 years. As the largest provider of services to the Fort Worth and Tarrant County homeless community, Presbyterian Night Shelter is the only free emergency shelter in North Texas open to anyone without length-of-stay restrictions.

The shelter remains focused on ending homelessness through its continuum of services that move hundreds of men, women, families and veterans from homeless to home each year, offering help and hope to more than 90 percent of the area’s homeless through emergency, transitional and long-term shelter, meals, counseling and more. Last year, 4,335 individuals received help and opportunity through the doors of the Presbyterian Night Shelter.

www.journeyhome.org