Meet Justin – Grant Halliburton Foundation’s 2023 summer intern. Justin will soon be a sophomore at Greenhill School and sees mental health as an important part of life that he believes is not discussed enough in society. Justin is curious about the ways the Foundation helps people with their mental health, and he wants to make a difference in how mental wellness is viewed in the world.
As May marks Mental Health Awareness Month, the national movement to raise awareness about mental health, Grant Halliburton Foundation has launched HereForTexas.com/espanol to ensure that mental health information and a provider database are available in Spanish. Already available in English at HereForTexas.com, this free community tool offers easy access for North Texans seeking mental health, addiction and suicide prevention resources.
Grant Halliburton Foundation Young Professionals or GHF YP, a personal and professional development organization, will host its first fundraiser, Bet on Hope: Casino Night, on April 20 at The Hall on Dragon (1500 Hall St., Dallas) from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. The event will feature casino tables, a silent auction, raffle, entertainment by DJ Lucy Wrubel, small bites and beverages. Co-chairs are Sarah Cornelia, Emily Sandler and Michelle Schwarz. Tickets and sponsorships are on sale at GrantHalliburton.org/bet.
Meet Lindsey – Grant Halliburton Foundation’s Thrive Strategy and education manager. Lindsey thrives on thoughtful connection through writing and speaking about her personal experiences with mental health conditions. She communicates with purpose and authenticity about losing her father, who died by suicide, when she was a teenager.
Sharing stories about personal issues is tough, yet two NFL football greats, Dak Prescott of the Dallas Cowboys and Solomon Thomas of the New York Jets, who are tough on the gridiron, told their stories at Grant Halliburton Foundation’s 14th annual Beacon of Hope Community Luncheon. The fundraising luncheon, held on March 7 at the Omni Dallas Hotel, supports Grant Halliburton Foundation’s work providing education, resources and support for children, teen and young adult mental health and suicide prevention in North Texas. Both young men are on a mission to raise awareness about mental health and suicide through their foundations off the field.
NFL football greats, Dak Prescott of the Dallas Cowboys and Solomon Thomas of the New York Jets, are the featured speakers for Grant Halliburton Foundation’s Beacon of Hope Community Luncheon on Tuesday, March 7 at the Omni Dallas Hotel. Both young men are on a mission to raise awareness about mental health and suicide prevention.
As we gather with family and friends for the holidays, I want you to know that we're grateful for all the ways you've supported our mission and work this year. The future looks looks bright for Grant Halliburton Foundation. We've never been better positioned to make a positive impact on youth mental health in North Texas.
Meet Marenid – Grant Halliburton Foundation’s newest outreach and education manager. With more than 10 years of nonprofit experience providing services to multicultural families, Marenid is passionate about serving communities in North Texas. She’s committed to creating opportunities to educate and raise awareness about mental health and suicide prevention.
The holidays can be hard for a myriad of reasons––family discord, grief, isolation, or loneliness to name a few. This holiday season, there’s no shortage of things that could make it an even harder time to manage. The seasonal shift to winter is a big change, especially in Texas where we are accustomed to having the sun’s heat for most of the year. The days are shorter, nights are longer, and the sun plays it coy.
On Thursday, October 20, more than 1,000 Hope Squad members across North Texas attended the first ever Texas-Sized Hope Squad Conference to learn how to break the stigma of mental health and provide help and hope to their fellow students and communities. Collaborating for this important event is The Jordan Elizabeth Harris Foundation, Grant Halliburton Foundation and The Grace Loncar Foundation, all local nonprofits founded in memory of a loved one lost to suicide.
Meet Cerena Collins – Grant Halliburton Foundation’s office manager. Cerena manages a broad range of office and administrative functions, which allows the Foundation to operate efficiently. In general, she’s the office “go-to” person. With a background in fundraising and large events coordination, Cerena works closely with the events team and manages the Foundation’s donor database.
Meet Laura Montgomery Peña, M.Ed., BCBA – Grant Halliburton Foundation’s community engagement manager. Laura leads community engagement for the Foundation. She has a master’s degree in education specializing in early intervention and is a board-certified behavior analyst. After a personal loss to suicide, she is dedicated to cultivating strong community involvement surrounding mental health awareness and suicide prevention.
Meet Shauna Barnes – Grant Halliburton Foundation’s mental health education manager. Shauna’s background in child psychiatry research has given her a passion for mental health awareness and advocacy. She’s motivated by the desire for adolescents, parents, teachers, and community members to have the knowledge and resources to recognize and support those struggling with a mental health condition.
Grant Halliburton Foundation recently launched Grant Halliburton Foundation Young Professionals or GHF YP, a personal and professional development organization. Open to young professionals in their 20s and 30s, GHF YP is a home for the next generation of philanthropists to learn and grow while also supporting the organization’s work to advocate for stronger mental health education and suicide prevention in North Texas.
Meet Blanca N. Garcia, LCSW-S – Grant Halliburton Foundation’s director of mental health resources. Blanca’s leads the Foundation’s Here For Texas program. A licensed clinical social worker, she has worked with children, teens, and families for more than 10 years as a bilingual mental health clinician. Blanca understands that navigating mental health services is a challenge and was critical in implementing the Foundation’s Here For Texas Mental Health Navigation Line to increase access to mental health resources in North Texas.
Today marks the first day the Grant Halliburton Foundation staff officially begins working at Pegasus Park —the new home of the Foundation. The Foundation was selected to be part of the renovation development off Stemmons Freeway – named in homage to the old ExxonMobil building with the iconic red-winged Pegasus symbol at its top.
Grant Halliburton Foundation continues to experience organizational growth propelled largely by the continued need for mental health education and mental health resources in North Texas. The education and outreach team welcomed several new staff members last fall and early this year to reach more people with vital mental health and suicide prevention training.
