For 31st Year, Shoppers Can Help The Family Place
As Partners Card returns for its 31st year benefiting service agency The Family Place, the need for housing family violence survivors is great.
Liz Robinson of the Family Place said a nearby shelter, Brighter Tomorrows, serving Irving and Grapevine, closed this year, and the Family Place has seen increased demand for services as a result.
“Year over year, we saw a 24% increase in calls just because we are now who their phone line was diverting to,” Robinson said.
Artist, designer, and Krane Home founder Sharon Lee Clark is co-chairing Partners Card this year with Katy Mendelsohn Brooks, who has led strategic communication initiatives for Children’s Health, Motorola, and GM, among others, and Kameron Westcott, a former Real Housewives of Dallas cast member, entrepreneur, and philanthropist.
“This year, the need for space at the Family Place to give shelter to these domestic violence survivors has been extremely great,” Clark said. “I think that really motivated me to fundraise and break records and sell as many Partners Cards as we can this year.”
She said she moved to Dallas about three years ago and quickly became involved with supporting the Family Place.
Brooks said her mother-in-law has been involved with the Family Place since 2011 and helped lead the ReuNight fundraiser. In addition to the Family Place, Brooks is an active member of the Cattle Baron’s Ball Committee, serves on the Children’s Medical Center Auxiliary Board, and co-chairs the Bradfield Elementary Auction.
“It’s just been a family tradition and something that our hearts have just really bled for and been something that we believed in for a long, long time,” she said.
Westcott said she learned about the Family Place through a Junior League of Dallas community tour years ago.
“I loved their facility, I loved everything they did, I love their mission, and I just couldn’t wait to get involved,” she said.
Together, “the trifecta,” as Clark calls herself and her co-chairs, have worked to get new retailers involved in Partners Card, including Clark’s Krane Home and designer Ese Azenabor, as well as partners for events leading up to the start of Partners Card. Diamonds Direct at 8127 Preston Road is hosting an event from 5-7 p.m. Oct. 30.
The trio also worked with influencers, including Gracie Hunt, the daughter of Kansas City Chiefs owner Clark Hunt, and Jennifer Houghton, known for her Turtle Creek Lane Instagram page, to spread awareness for Partners Card.
“It’s exciting because we’ve also been able to spread more awareness for Partners Card,” Clark said.
This year, Partners Card is returning to Terra at Eataly Dallas from 10 a.m. to noon Oct. 27 for a kickoff brunch (rather than a lunch as in the past) and a preview of fashions from Partners Card-participating retailers at NorthPark Center.
By the Numbers:
750+
participating locations in Dallas-Fort Worth
31st
year of Partners Card fundraising
$75
donation to the Family Place to get a card
20%
discount at participating retailers
10%
discount at participating restaurants
10
days of shopping from Oct. 27 to Nov. 5
One
night of safety for a victim of family violence provided with the purchase of a Partners Card
Partners Card Timeline
1993
The Family Place launched Partners Card with 175 participating stores. Gene Jones served as the first honorary chair. Sally Hoglund and Sally Johnson founded the inaugural event, which raised $90,000.
1998
Partners Card revenue exceeded half a million dollars with more than 10,000 cards sold.
2000
Partners Card grew to more than 500 participating stores.
2007
Partners Card celebrated 15 years, raising $905,000 to help battered women, children, and men.
2010
For the first time, Partners Card raised more than $1 million. The Family Place opened its school facility for K-2nd grade students.
2017
Partners Card celebrated 25 years and launched the Partners Card Mobile App and e-commerce.
2020
Retailers, sponsors, and supporters adapted to the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. Partners Card raised almost $1 million and provided more than 12,000 nights of shelter at The Family Place.
2022
Partners Card raised $1.2 million, which equates to 15,350 nights of shelter and safety for survivors of domestic violence.
