BACK TO SCHOOL: VOLUNTEERING IN DENTON

Sara Button

““We cannot always build the future for our youth, but we can build our youth for the future.””
— Franklin D. Roosevelt

 

It is that time of year again, y’all. Students are moving in, kiddos are loading busses, teachers are stressing out, and local bars are filling up again (well, on Thirsty Thursday’s at least..wait, is that really a thing?). Denton will soon wake up from its summer slumber and resume normal speed as it is Back to School time yet again. I can hear the townies crying from miles away... With all of that said, we wanted to highlight some ways that you and your friends can get involved in the Denton Community or be charitable without dumping ice water on your head. These are all different entities that will allow you to help out and give back to our community in the form of volunteering. 

Volunteering is not only a great way to feel good about your place in life, but it's also a great way to meet people, network and learn about the community in which you are currently residing. Denton has plenty of opportunities for you to volunteer. Below, we've highlighted a few of our favorite Denton organizations that are in need of able bodies, but there are several more beyond this list and we encourage you to do your research and find one that speaks directly to you. 

A poster for Mentor Denton

A poster for Mentor Denton

Mentor Denton – One kid. One hour a week. One year. This organization is one of my favorites in town. You can sign up, get trained & really impact an at-risk student in Denton ISD. If you are not a fit for the hours needed, that is ok! You can donate monetarily to sponsor a child. For more information and the sign up forms, check this out.

 

Bank On Denton County – Are you good with math? What about finances? Do you like helping people? If you answered yes to the aforementioned questions, Bank on Denton County seems like a good match for your volunteerism. Volunteer for a few hours a month conducting financial workshops for low income families in Denton County. To sign up, click here.

 

Denton Community Food Center – Did you know that 19% of our community population lives in poverty? That is 1 in 5 families in Denton County. Denton Community Food Center actively seeks donations year round to help feed our families. The top 3 items they ask for are: peanut butter, breakfast cereal, and canned fruits. They ask that you try to avoid glass containers when possible. If you choose to donate monetarily, you can find can click here for info. DCFC feed approximately 35-50 families a day and provided 240 TONS of food to local families last year.

 

Keep Denton Beautiful – You can join the KDB organization for dues as low as $10 (for students) and help out in an array of beautiful ways. Help our community stay clean by volunteering for a litter pickup day, gardening at different places around town, or you could even be a yard of the month judge! To learn more, check out their website here.

 

The volunteer photography crew from Help-Portrait: Denton 2013. 

The volunteer photography crew from Help-Portrait: Denton 2013. 

Help-Portrait: Denton – Denton’s second annual Help-Portrait event is just right around the corner! We posted a video earlier this year that shares more information and takes you behind the scenes at the first annual event that was actually held earlier this year (no thanks to  Icemageddon 2k13). We here the volunteer application will open up very soon, and hope to see you all on December 6, 2014 at Calhoun Middle School. Follow Help-Portrait: Denton on facebook to stay up-to-date on what is happening this year! If you are able to donate photo paper, food, make up, or hair products please contact Sara Button.

Festivals - While you may not be serving the needy, we always love having festivals around town and in order to keep them going, they need help! Oaktopia, 35 Denton, Thin Line and more (we have a lot of festivals in town if you didn't already know) all need volunteers. The best part is that volunteering with these festivals normally gets you a free pass. Check out their various websites for more info. 

If you want to stay hip on other volunteer opportunities in Denton, check out the sites below:

Serve Denton

Denton County United Way

City of Denton

Our Daily Bread

Habitat for Humanity

Denton Animal Shelter Foundation

Cardo’s Farm Project

Volunteerism is cool. It’s what all of the cool kids in Denton are doing this year. Tell us about your favorite volunteer experience in the comments below!

Sara Button would best be described as a professional homebody. She has been involved in an on again/off again love affair with Denton since the fall of '04, with her most recent choice to be "on again." When she is not adventure thrifting around the metroplex, she can most likely be found giggling to the goings-on of her two small chiweenies, Stevie Butts, and Lindsey Buttingham.


 

WHAT WE DID: AUGUST 25th

Class is back in session and it's officially "Back to School" week here at We Denton Do It. While that means a few of us have much worse schedules for the next nine months of the year, that also means lots of people are back in Denton! To celebrate, we've got a bunch of posts planned for ya this week. To start us off, here's this week's What We Did, our weekly look back at the past seven days of life in Denton. If you'd like to have a picture included, tag your best Denton shots with #WDDI on Instagram and we'll try to include it next week. 

Click on the images to be linked back to the account of the photographer, and hover over the gallery images to see the photographer in the bottom left corner. Have a great week and don't waste too much money on textbooks!

The North Texas State Fair is exactly what you'd expect from a fair in a small town in Texas, and that's not a bad thing at all. Funnel cake, rides and plenty of rodeo-action to satisfy whatever that part inside of you that needs that sort of thing …

The North Texas State Fair is exactly what you'd expect from a fair in a small town in Texas, and that's not a bad thing at all. Funnel cake, rides and plenty of rodeo-action to satisfy whatever that part inside of you that needs that sort of thing is. 

This dress rehearsal looks like something we wanna check out. 

This dress rehearsal looks like something we wanna check out. 

Welcome to Denton, students! Take a free T-shirt!

Welcome to Denton, students! Take a free T-shirt!

The North Texas State Fair

The North Texas State Fair ended it's yearly run on Saturday evening, and with it left a whole heap of fun. It's always a bit hot out when the fair goes on, but the excitement of livestock, funnel cake, and carnies always draws us back. Flip through the images above to get an idea of what this year's fair was like. 

How the hell do you people keep getting up so high? We're jealous. 

How the hell do you people keep getting up so high? We're jealous. 

Oak St. Drafthouse has some great furnishings. 

Oak St. Drafthouse has some great furnishings. 

Sponsor: 

A Denton music festival featuring Aesop Rock, Neon Indian, Baths and more. September 19th - 20th. 

A Denton music festival featuring Aesop Rock, Neon Indian, Baths and more. September 19th - 20th. 

Mellow Mushroom celebrated their 40th birthday last week by dropping prices down to 1974 levels. 

Mellow Mushroom celebrated their 40th birthday last week by dropping prices down to 1974 levels. 

Jade Wintersee Chessman and a fence. 

Jade Wintersee Chessman and a fence. 

Compost Denton is a new operation in town that we're really excited about. Click here to learn more about them. 

Compost Denton is a new operation in town that we're really excited about. Click here to learn more about them. 

I Love Texas Photo

WDDI Editor, Will Milne, took the controls of the I Love Texas Photo Instagram account for a few days last week. Flip through the photos above to see what he was able to document in town with his phone camera. 

Oh yeah! Steve Wozniak was in town last week. 

Oh yeah! Steve Wozniak was in town last week. 

We wrote about the post on Friday. You can read more about it here. 

We wrote about the post on Friday. You can read more about it here. 

Denton has some cool kids, y'all. 

Denton has some cool kids, y'all. 

And cool old school trucks parked outside of Denton Camera Exchange, too. 

And cool old school trucks parked outside of Denton Camera Exchange, too. 

Three Tacos

Taqueria Monterrey

Taqueria Monterrey

La Sabrocita

La Sabrocita

...and shrimp tacos from Hoochie's. 

...and shrimp tacos from Hoochie's. 

THE WIZARDRY OF WOZ

Danielle Longueville

This past Monday, Dentonites young and old made their way down the microchip road to see the great and powerful Woz. Over three thousand students, faculty, and community members filled the UNT Coliseum to hear the Silicon Valley icon (and long time philanthropist) share his thoughts on education, the future of technology, and his personal aspirations in a program put together by the UNT Division of Student Affairs and Distinguished Lecture Series.  

Deborah Hoddick, Steve Wozniak and UNT President Neil Smatresk

Deborah Hoddick, Steve Wozniak and UNT President Neil Smatresk

The evening kicked off in the most logical way when each audience member was asked to raise their Apple or smart phone high in the air for all to see. Within moments, thousands of hands shot into the air accompanied by a bout of applause and cheers. It was plain to see that this man had some serious fans here. 

For an hour that felt like minutes, UNT Student Adam Hasley facilitated a Q&A session featuring a series of tweets provided by audience members who used the hashtag #untwoz to ask their greatest – and often silliest – questions. They talked of the importance of integrating technology into education from a young age, the taboo topic of net neutrality and the developmental stages of Apple and its impact on his life as a whole. He shared many wonderful quotes that were both sincere and heart warming. He adamantly expressed his belief in “sticking up for the little guy” in regards to net neutrality, that “wealth is choice,” choosing to protect those who need it the most will create the most wealth in one’s life both in and out of the business world. His passion for education shined through as he shared his steadfast aspiration from a young age to be a fifth grade teacher. He “knew what he wanted to be from that very moment, and decided that that was the person [he] wanted to be for the rest of his life,” a discovery rarely found at such a young or even old age. 

Overall, Wozniak left us with an invigorating sense of motivation to go out and pursue our dreams just as this great man has done. For him, and now for us, all we really need is to believe in ourselves. We believe in you, Woz, thank you for believing in us. 

WHAT WE DID: AUGUST 18TH 2014

We got into an unnecessary argument this weekend with a man who said, "Denton is most famous for it's horses and horse folk." While we really enjoy the term "horse folk," we felt the need to argue in favor of Denton's international notoriety for it's music/art. We still resent having this argument in public. After this weekend, we know at least one thing Denton is good at, though, and that is drinking... oh, and partying. But, let's see some of them famous horse photos, y'all. Whatcha got? We had a heck of a good time at Armadillo Ale Works' launch for their new WunderMelon brew on Friday and it looked like you did, too. Especially the girl that repeatedly tried to take selfies of herself drinking the beer, only to have to go back to the drawing board for more selfies when the initial photos didn't work out for whatever reason. Selfie-on, lady! 

Click on the pictures, themselves, to be linked back to that photographer's Instagram page and tag your adventures with #WDDI throughout the week to be included in next week's What We Did. 

Here's the beer in question. Sadly, anytime we went up for one, they were out of watermelon slices. It was delicious anyway. Just wish we had it earlier in the summer!

Here's the beer in question. Sadly, anytime we went up for one, they were out of watermelon slices. It was delicious anyway. Just wish we had it earlier in the summer!

The North Texas State Fair opened this past weekend and there was a parade to get it launched properly. 

The North Texas State Fair opened this past weekend and there was a parade to get it launched properly. 

Cups and Crepes does it right with carbs big and small (and bacon...always bacon). 

Cups and Crepes does it right with carbs big and small (and bacon...always bacon). 

Yes, we agree. The Dime Store is pretty. 

Yes, we agree. The Dime Store is pretty. 

Jerkagram at Rubber Gloves last week. 

Jerkagram at Rubber Gloves last week. 

Here are a few more photos from Friday's launch of Armadillo Ale Works' new brew, WunderMelon, at Oak St. Drafthouse. 

Dalton Gregory giving the new Leadership Denton crew a pep talk. 

Dalton Gregory giving the new Leadership Denton crew a pep talk. 

Holy cow. This key lime cheesecake is available for a limited time at Cafe Brazil and that means we better get our butts over to the breakfast district ASAP. 

Holy cow. This key lime cheesecake is available for a limited time at Cafe Brazil and that means we better get our butts over to the breakfast district ASAP. 

This is how one dances at a 90's party. 

This is how one dances at a 90's party. 

We must know where this mural is in town. Like now. 

We must know where this mural is in town. Like now. 

This is how Cultivar Coffee does team building/gets fatter. 

This is how Cultivar Coffee does team building/gets fatter. 

The courthouse in purple. 

The courthouse in purple. 

Shadows and cowboy feet. 

Shadows and cowboy feet. 

The Casket Girls at Dan's Silverleaf last week. 

The Casket Girls at Dan's Silverleaf last week. 

Only super good light can make stool legs look good. This makes the cut. 

Only super good light can make stool legs look good. This makes the cut. 

More fun with Denton's hidden beautiful spots. 

More fun with Denton's hidden beautiful spots. 

Small town friends at their finest. 

Small town friends at their finest. 

Oh yeah. It stormed for a while there, didn't it? 

Oh yeah. It stormed for a while there, didn't it? 

Pastrana Studio studies the right way - with Topo Chico in hand. 

Pastrana Studio studies the right way - with Topo Chico in hand. 

We haven't ended with a taco photo as amazing as this one in a while. Thanks El Taco Rico (and Shaina Sheaff). 

We haven't ended with a taco photo as amazing as this one in a while. Thanks El Taco Rico (and Shaina Sheaff). 

FRIDAY VIDEO THREESOME: AUGUST 2014

Friday's can sometimes be the doldrums at work. If you work in an office, you're probably sneaking in some Reddit or Youtube time (or your personal favorite time waster) in between spreadsheets and .psd's. Heck, maybe you work retail and have to do all of that on your mobile device. Maybe you're actually getting work done (bless you, hard worker). We're gonna focus on the lazy ones, though. Here are three local videos for your watching pleasure. One is about local handmade furniture makers, Pastrana Studio, another is about the UNT Short Film Club, and the final one is a video from local band Criminal Birds. Let's get to it. 

Local Makers is a new project from the creative crew of Ryan Polly, Daniel Routh and Grant Wakefield. They have another cool video up at their site featuring an interview of Clint Wilkinson of Bell and Oak. In this video, however, you can an inside view into the creative process of Julian and Katie Pastrana and their little world filled with some pretty sweet goods. They mention eventually opening up a store in the video and we hope they do. Follow their Instagram to see more shots of Pastrana Studios. 

Sponsor: 

CrossFit 940 is the premier strength and conditioning facility in Denton, TX. They offer daily group CrossFit training and personal training to those just starting out on their journey to health and …

CrossFit 940 is the premier strength and conditioning facility in Denton, TX. They offer daily group CrossFit training and personal training to those just starting out on their journey to health and fitness as well as elite athletes who desire to take their game to the next level. CrossFit 940 is raising the bar on functional fitness.

We often highlight videos from UNT short film club and there's a good reason why. We really respect all of the work they do (one of us even helped judge in their last short documentary contest last spring). This short video shows what work is like in the short film club. If you're a UNT RTVF student (or even if you're not, but have an interest in video production), give it a watch and consider joining. 

Lastly, one of our favorite bands, Criminal Birds, has a Kickstarter up to raise money for the release of a new EP and to raise some funds to tour. They're about halfway there and you can score some pretty good digs by donating. We wrote a little about them in our 3 Songs column back in January. You can read that post here. Consider donating to their Kickstarter here. 

THE DEN10: AUGUST 13th, 2014

wee beasties.jpg

Ramping up to back to school week, there's a lot of stuff going on in town. We won't waste any time and get right to it. 

Thursday, August 14th

UNICORN LAKE SUMMER CONCERT SERIES - with Gravity Feed
Here's a good reason to make it over to the Unicorn Lake area and grab an ice cream from the other Beth Marie's. 

Denton Does Waylon Jennings | Dan's Silverleaf | Doors at 8pm, show at 9pm | 18+ | Free
The Raised Right Men paying tribute to Waylon Jennings.

Live Jazz at Wine Squared | 8pm | Free
This happens every Thursday and is a great excuse to check out Wine Squared's great new patio. 

Sponsor: 

Twisted Bodies Pilates & Yoga on South Elm. 

Twisted Bodies Pilates & Yoga on South Elm. 


Friday, August 15th

Armadillo Ale Works Release Party of Wundermelon Watermelon Kolsch | Oak St. Drafthouse | 7pm | Free
Armadillo Ale Works is releasing their fourth signature beer, dubbed WunderMelon. It is a, "5.2% Watermelon Kölsch brewed with real watermelon juice." That they say will help you beat the summer heat, which Friday is sure to bring plenty of. Go early and grab a free glass. Also, The Waffle Wagon will slingin' waffled (can we verb that?) dough outside, and our buds at Pan Ector will be makin' shirts like they do. 

Oaktopia Presents: The Wee-Beasties featuring Brave Combo | Hailey's | $8 - over & $15 - under | 9pm
The Wee-Beasties featuring members of Brave Combo with Fab Deuce opening? They call this show extrememly "Denton" and it sure as heck sounds like a good crash course for all sorts of Denton music. Haven't been to Hailey's in a while? This might be a good reason to go check it out after the change in owners. This is presented by Oaktopia. Speaking of, have you checked out their lineup for the 2014 festival yet? If not, check it out here. 

Bludded Head / SUR / Filth / Cerulean Giallo | Macaroni Island | Free | 8pm
Dirty, good show at Denton's favorite house show venue/island (it'll still be shark week, so be careful getting to the island). No jerks, as always. 


Saturday, August 16th

We've Done It Again: A Mixtape with Sundown Collaborative Theatre | Green Space Arts Collective | 8pm | $8/$10
This is pretty dang cool. Sundown has been performing their "mixtape" compendium of different plays, acts and pieces at various venues around North Texas (and even recently got highlighted by the Dallas Observer). This will be a great introduction to some of the creative minds working in local theatre. 

Legally Blonde | Campus Theatre | Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday at various times | $20/$18/$10
Interested in the story of a southern blonde who becomes a lawyer, but hate Reese Witherspoon like we do? Then this is the show for you. Unless Reese Witherspoon somehow shows up, then you're out of luck. 

Hank Williams: A Tribute | Banter | 8pm | Free
Another free tribute show to a great this week. 


Monday, August 18th

Distinguished Lecture Series Presents: Steve Wozniak | UNT Coliseum | 7pm | $Various
Now this is cool. Steve Wozniak, computer designer and one of the founders of Apple is visiting the University of North Texas to give a lecture on "Inventing, Entrepreneurship, and Philanthropy." We love it when UNT grabs awesome speakers to come and talk to students and are happy that citizens can grab some tickets, too. The Woz is guaranteed to be a good time.