Buckner International: News

(DALLAS) — Buckner International, a multi-service ministry dedicated to the restoration and healing of orphans and at-risk children, families, and senior adults, will honor top contributors at its annual Founder’s Day event Friday, April 13 at the Hilton Anatole. R.C. Buckner Founder’s Award recipients include Ruth and Don Buchholz of Dallas, as Philanthropists of the Year; North Park Baptist Church, Abilene, Texas, for Dedicated Church Service; and Chevron Phillips Chemical Company of Southeast Texas for Dedicated Service.

In 2006, the Buccholzs made a heartfelt donation to Buckner which enabled construction of the Buckner Center for Humanitarian Aid, named after Ruth and Don.

The Center, located at 7410 Samuell Blvd., will serve as the international receiving, processing and sending point for shoes collected through the Shoes for Orphan Souls drive, medicines, food, clothing, and other urgently needed humanitarian aid to orphans and at-risk children and families.

North Park Baptist Church of Abilene is being honored for its collaboration with Buckner to benefit the Buckner Children’s Home in Lubbock and the Bruce Ford Community Center in Amarillo.

The church makes two annual trips to the Ford Center, a summer mission trip with the youth and, most recently, an older-adult trip near Christmas. The Bruce Ford Community Center has served at-risk children in Amarillo since 1999, with the goal of reducing juvenile crime, teen pregnancy and strengthening families. The members of North Park Baptist Church have played a crucial role in the lives of the Ford Center children, investing time and forming meaningful relationships. Through Buckner, pastor Louis Johnson has also traveled with church members to Guatemala and Peruvian orphanages, ministering to orphan children around the world.

“For so long in church life, our vision, our notion of missions has been about writing a check and sending it to the missions agency,” said Pastor Louis Johnson of North Park. “Our relationship with Buckner and the Bruce Ford Community Center [in Amarillo] has given our church the opportunity to understand what mission work is.”

Chevron Phillips Chemical Company will be honored for their dedicated and continual support of Buckner Children and Family Services of Southeast Texas. More than 50 percent the 400 employees are involved with Buckner in some way, either through giving or volunteering or, in most cases, both.

Chevron Phillips has hosted the annual Charity Golf Tournament at the Bayou Din Golf Club in Beaumont for eight years, raising more than $825,000 for at-risk children and families in the Beaumont area. In addition, Chevron assists with Thanksgiving dinner, the annual Bear the Burden campaign, child mentoring and the annual Christmas Giving Tree project where employees purchase up to three gifts for each child on campus.

“It’s more than just giving money and hosting a golf tournament, it’s that personal touch making that connection with the kids. We do this as a company to give back to the community, but the majority of us now are involved personally,” said Dick Cuneo, Chevron Phillip’s Port Arthur Plant Manager.

The 2006 recipients of the R.C. Buckner Founder’s Awards included Jeannette Sadler of Dallas, as Philanthropist of the Year; First Baptist Church, Longview, Texas, for Dedicated Church Service; and Larry Lunsford of Kansas City, Mo., for Dedicated Service.