Lots of ladies wearing hats and carrying wreaths were spotted in Highland Village last Friday afternoon as they came and went from the annual High Noon Tea and Wreath Auction benefiting Youth and Family Counseling. The Celebrity Auctioneer was The Honorable Bobbie Mitchell, Denton County Commissioner, and her entertaining efforts onstage helped to raise some very important funds for the non-profit organization. “It was a very profitable event and surpassed our expectations as we had all cautioned each other to temper our goals in view of the current economy. I think our success was due to an outstanding team effort by a committed Board of Directors and the fact that this is a wonderfully generous community,” said Youth and Family Counseling Executive Director Dana Slater.         

     Youth and Family Counseling has served the residents of Denton County since 1981. The counseling center is one of the few in the area that offers professional “family systems” based psychological counseling with services available to all income levels. The goal of Youth and Family Counseling is to aid the families and youngsters of Denton County, thereby creating healthy and productive individuals, families and communities which will benefit the quality of life for all. At the event, Board President Nelda Calleri spoke of the many success stories the organization sees through their efforts. “They tug at our hearts and they make us so happy,” she said. Slater said their center deals with the emotional aspects of a child’s development. “It’s an investment in our community,” she told the crowd. Children who receive counseling at the center are less likely to have to repeat school grades and less likely to get arrested, while they are more likely to become productive citizens, according to Slater. “If issues are treated early, the entire community benefits,” she added.         

    The agency was founded to implement one of the earliest First Offender Programs in the state, which documents that 83% of youngsters are not arrested a second time. The therapists at Youth and Family Counseling address a wide range of family, marital, relationship, and individual problems and enjoy a track record of success in helping people in our community overcome difficult developmental and mental health challenges. Slater also pointed out that Youth and Family Counseling has a great reputation for fiscal responsibility, so people can feel comfortable making contributions. “We will squeeze every nickel til it squeaks,” she said, adding that the group has had 27 years in a positive cash flow position.

     Prizes were given in two categories, and Lee Clark won for the most beautiful hat, and Dara Biegert won for the most unique hat. The event chairman was Nelda Calleri and the Marketing Chairman was Carole Waugh. “They both gave countless hours of hard work to make it a perfect tea for our guests.  Also, we are indebted to Bobbie Mitchell who was the most original auctioneer we have had in our long history. We were entertained and delighted!” Slater said. Mitchell did everything in her power to boost the money raised at the auction by singing, dancing and keeping everyone laughing. For more information about this non-profit organization, visit youthandfamilycounseling.org or call 972-724-2005. Youth and Family Counseling is located at 601 Cross Timbers, Suite 120, in Flower Mound. ?