The beautiful bride glowed in her pink dress. The groom looked sharp in his black tux. The guests assembled, but few brought gifts. And that’s exactly how newlyweds Frank and Linda wanted it.
Bride and groom Linda and Frank Padgett opted out of the traditional wedding registry, asking friends and family to donate to the Denton County Homelessness Barriers Fund instead.
“We had what we need,” said Frank. “We didn’t need a toaster or that sort of thing. So, we thought a fundraiser would be a way to give back to the community while celebrating us.”
As a Deputy Chief for the Denton Police Department, Frank serves as an appointee to the Denton County Homelessness Leadership Team, a county-wide consortium under the direction of United Way of Denton County with one shared goal: to make homelessness rare, brief and nonrecurring.
The Denton County Homelessness Barriers Fund is a tool to do just that.
The innovative fund strengthens local nonprofits working to promote housing stability and self-sufficiency for families across Denton County. It is a fund of last resort -- after all existing community resources have been exhausted -- to remove barriers for individuals and families facing homelessness.
“This is a housing stability fund,” explained Courtney Cross, Director of Mental Health and Housing Initiatives for United Way of Denton County. “With help from the Barriers Fund, individuals and families experiencing homelessness, or on the brink of crisis, receive nominal funds to overcome what might seem like trivial obstacles: an application fee, government ID, or minor car repair so they can keep their job and ultimately maintain their housing.”
The Padgetts set a modest goal to raise $500 for the Barrier’s Fund. Instead, their friends and family celebrated their union to the tune of over $800!
“When we can give back, it gives us so much joy,” Frank said. This joy is no doubt shared by the handful of families in Denton County who, thanks to the newlyweds, now have the stability of a home.
Double Your Impact – Make a donation to the Barriers Fund today and the City of Denton will match it dollar for dollar up to $40,000 to help our neighbors in need.