Emmy Award-winning actress Patricia Heaton, best known for her role as Debra Barone on the series “Everybody Loves Raymond,” talked about the importance of faith, family and service to those in need during the Buckner Hope for Children benefit May 7 in Dallas.
 
Never shy about proclaiming her Christian faith, Heaton shared about her experience with family and how she uses her influence to help vulnerable people around the world by highlighting the work of nonprofits during a question-and-answer interview format with WFAA Channel 8 news anchor Cynthia Izaguirre.
 
“In order to sustain a commitment to an organization, it helps if you can be hands-on and see results in real time,” Heaton said. “I always recommend that if someone is looking to share their gifts with a charitable organization to start in your own community …. There’s no shortage of organizations that could use great volunteers, and it’s a great way to meet people and feel really connected to the place you live.”
 
During his keynote address, Buckner President and CEO Albert Reyes spoke on the importance of volunteers and friends of Buckner who are helping vulnerable children in foster care.
 
“There are 443,000 children in the United States living in foster care,” Reyes said. “Where will they go? Who will be there for them? We must ask ourselves that question because the answer has eternal consequences for boys and girls.
 
“I want to say thank you to each of you here tonight. Thank you for being a blessing to children and shining hope into their lives. You are changing the world one child at a time. Because of you, children know they are welcomed by Jesus.”
 
Heaton also spoke during a luncheon prior to the Hope for Children benefit, honoring foster mothers for their service and National Foster Care Month.
 
“Patricia Heaton has long used her platform as an acclaimed actress to help inspire change in the world through advocacy and philanthropy,” Reyes said. “We hope her words on the importance of family and service to others will likewise inspire those in our community to become involved with Buckner, whether it be through volunteering, annual gifts or spreading our message of hope and ministry.”