• March 29, 2020 | Dallas

  How Dallas Restaurants Are Giving Back to the Community During the Pandemic — And How You Can Help Them

  It is especially difficult for Dallas restaurants right now. Yes, they can still deliver and offer take-out, even when the Shelter-In-Place order begins at midnight, but it’s still going to be tough. When adversity comes though, always “look for the helpers,” as Mr. Rogers would often say. And we’ve got plenty of helpers in Dallas. […]

• March 29, 2020 | Dallas

  NFL athletes support formerly-incarcerated youth at transformative Super Bowl dinner

  As crowds gathered and athletes converged in Miami for the Super Bowl this weekend, some unlikely partners joined together for a unique dinner that has the potential to spark a national movement and inspire change within juvenile justice. In partnership with the Players Coalition and the NFL’s Inspire Change initiative, Stand Together hosted a pop-up […]

• March 29, 2020 | Dallas

  It’s Time to Rethink Juvenile Justice in America

  It’s Time to Rethink Juvenile Justice in America BY MARK HOLDEN February 12, 2020 For years, the United States suffered under the weight of failed “tough-on-crime” policies, finally admitting defeat over the last decade to more policies that are smart on crime and soft on taxpayers. We have learned that rehabilitation and redemption can enhance public […]

• February 13, 2020 | Dallas

  Cafe Momentum Celebrates First Graduates Thanks to Sharp, New Teacher

  Café Momentum has been propelling teenagers to a better life since Chad Houser started the non-profit a few years ago. “Café Momentum started out as a series of pop up dinners until we opened our own brick and mortar location in January of 2015,” said Margaret Windham, chief operating and developing officer. “So, we have operated […]

• January 2, 2020 | Dallas

  Los Angeles Rams continue to inspire at Camarillo youth facility, now with a foodie twist

  A relationship between a pro football team and a youth correctional institution outside Camarillo has, for the past year and a half, bloomed in unexpected ways. The Los Angeles Rams first visited the Ventura Youth Correctional Facility in May 2018, when a high-profile “Cleats for Character” session brought current and former players from the NFL team to the campus for […]

• January 2, 2020 | Dallas

  CowBuzz: A Closer Look At My Cause, My Cleats’

  For three years, the NFL’s My Cause, My Cleats campaign has given players the opportunity to shine light on charitable causes each player is passionate about. The #MyCauseMyCleats campaign lets the players collaborate with shoe designers to fashion a pair of priceless cleats that you might have seen during Week 14’s game against the Chicago Bears. The […]

• January 2, 2020 | Dallas

  A first for industry of second chances: Corrections Department teams up

  Irina Erickson looked at home serving up mulligatawny at the final lunch at HospitalityMaine’s annual summit at Sugarloaf in early November. Dressed in a black tunic, she chatted and served up cups of soup with the comfort of a food service industry veteran. But she and four other servers at the Nov. 5 lunch were […]

• January 2, 2020 | Dallas

  Dallas Observer: THE 100 BEST DALLAS RESTAURANTS OF 2020 /// CAFE MOMENTUM

  When we first visited Cafe Momentum, we were concerned the restaurant gets graded on a curve. A nonprofit, the business employs juvenile offenders and pays them fair, living wages to help teach them life skills, leadership and, of course, how to work in a restaurant. How could a food writer be objective about the quality […]

• January 2, 2020 | Dallas

  Serving Up Opportunity

  “The idea here is to create an ecosystem of support for the kids on all the issues and barriers that have prevented them from achieving their full potential in life,” founder and chef Chad Houser says. The program started in 2009 when Houser taught some kids in detention to make ice cream for a competition. […]

• January 2, 2020 | Dallas

  #SomethingGood: North Texas Food Truck Employs At-Risk Kids

  She’s a food truck owner doing something good in the community. “We are a small business with a social mission,” said Ashlee Kleinert, owner of Ruthie’s Food Trucks. “I’ve had a grilled cheese food truck business for nine years. The business has grown each year and it became more of a grind each year rather […]

• January 2, 2020 | Dallas

  7 Spots To Casually” Bump Into The Dallas Cowboy Players In Dallas

  The Dallas Cowboys are America’s team, and when they are not on the field, they always seem to be training. Even though they are super dedicated to bringing home W’s, they find a little spare time to hit the city. Here are a few places the Dallas Cowboys Players have been spotted. Read More

• November 19, 2019 | Dallas

  Merry Watson: Starting a School for Cafe Momentum

  STORY BY MARY MARTIN. PHOTOS BY KATIE KELTON. Link to original story here.  For 30 years Merry Watson served as a guidance counselor in Chicago’s suburbs and inner-city school districts. Her role blurred the lines between parent, teacher, and college admissions representative—and she loved it. Raised in a family with nine brothers and sisters, her […]