February 13, 2025 • 42 mins
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:02):
Good afternoon, Southeast Texas. Welcome to the Roy West Show
on this Sunday afternoon. No, I am not Roy West.
I am April Tolbert filling in for Roy today. I'm
so grateful that he asked me to be the host
today because there is an amazing lineup of guests. There
are so many things that are happening in Southeast Texas.
(00:25):
We've got some events coming up with the Chamber of
Commerce that we're going to be talking about addressed for
a success event, a clay shoot with the Hope Clinic
that's coming up on February twenty second. We've got Kaylee
Henry with Girls Haven that's talking about a golf tournament
that's coming up on May the fifth. So there is
(00:45):
always something exciting to do in Southeast Texas, and the
Roy West Show is the place to hear about those things.
So stay tuned for our next segments because they will
all be coming up in the next hour.
Speaker 2 (01:00):
So we're so glad that you joined us. We're going to.
Speaker 1 (01:03):
Start the show today with a dear friend of mine
and someone who does a lot of really fantastic works
behind the scenes for Southeast Texas.
Speaker 2 (01:16):
You may know him.
Speaker 1 (01:17):
You may not know him, but you should because what
he does in his every day is something that helps
us as citizens, as consumers. We are all consumers and
we all buy products, and we all patronize businesses. Have
you ever heard of the BBB, the Better Business Bureau? Well,
(01:42):
Darren Irwin, who is our local CEO of BBB Southeast Texas,
is joining us today.
Speaker 2 (01:47):
Welcome Darren.
Speaker 3 (01:48):
Thank you very glad to be here, April, and thank
you for inviting me.
Speaker 2 (01:52):
We are so glad to have you.
Speaker 1 (01:54):
I really wanted to visit with Darren on the show
today because I think that it's something that we don't
talk about a lot.
Speaker 2 (02:02):
We don't talk enough about. What does that seal mean?
Speaker 1 (02:06):
My business is accredited with the Better Business Bureau. As
a matter of fact, we won the Torch Award for
a Marketplace Trust in twenty fifteen, and that is a
symbol that we are so so proud of. And I
know that a lot of businesses display that BBB accredited business.
Speaker 2 (02:28):
But what does that mean to a consumer? Darren?
Speaker 1 (02:31):
What does the BBB do and what does being a
BBB accredited business mean for a consumer trying to make
a choice of who they want to spend their dollars.
Speaker 3 (02:41):
With all right, So to answer that question, April, you know,
the Better Business Bureau has been around since nineteen twelve,
so a lot of our grandparents and great grandparents were
very familiar with our organization. But since nineteen twelve, the
Better Business Bureau has been trying to advance marketplace trust,
to create an environment in the marketplace where consumers and
(03:04):
businesses can trust each other. And it's all about fostering
a culture of honesty and fairness integrity in business transactions.
You asked me, you know, why would a consumer want
to do business with an accredited business? Why would they
choose an accredited business? You know, the answer for me
is very simple because I see it every day, I live,
(03:27):
I breathe it. But I accredited businesses in Southeast Texas.
Not only do they support our organization that does such
great things in Southeast Texas, but those businesses they commit
to upholding ethical business practices. What does that mean to
a consumer? They're committing to building trust, advertising, honestly, telling
(03:49):
the truth, being transparent, honoring promises, being responsive, safeguarding that
customer privacy, and then embodying embodying integrity. Those are just
basic foundational components, components of just good business practices, and
our accredited businesses in Southeast Texas they agree to uphold
(04:10):
those standards, which is very very important when you're looking
to drop money on a product or service.
Speaker 2 (04:17):
That's right.
Speaker 1 (04:18):
And so the Better Business Bureau actually accredits the business.
They go through some kind of a screening process to
be able to be accredited, and they're.
Speaker 2 (04:29):
Making a commitment to do what wants.
Speaker 1 (04:34):
Let's say that a complaint is filed. Let's say that
someone had a bad experience with a business and that
business is accredited with the Better Business Bureau.
Speaker 2 (04:44):
What what does that process look like?
Speaker 3 (04:47):
Okay, so you know, once a business agrees to become
accredited and they go through the process of accreditation, it's
not simply a I'm going to pay you this amount
of money for an accreditation and now I get to
use a logo. That's not at all how the Better
Business Bureau operates. First off, there are businesses in our
area that would love to be accredited, but they do
(05:08):
not meet the criteria and the Better Business Bureau just
would not want to put our seal of trust on
that business. However, there are a lot of incredible businesses
in Southeast Texas, and they go through the process through accreditation,
they submit an application, they provide information about their business.
They're transparent with our organization so that we have a
(05:31):
better understanding about their business practices, about who they are,
how long they've been in business, if they are licensed,
are they supposed to be licensed, are they operating without
a license. We go through this long checklist to make
sure that these businesses are worthy of the BDB Seal
of Trust before they are approved by our board of Directors. Now,
(05:52):
you mentioned if a consumer has an experience good or
bad with a consumer has an experience with a big business,
so there's a couple of things they can do. We
always encourage consumers to submit a customer review. So here's
something that people may not realize. If they have a
good experience or a bad experience in some cases which
(06:14):
does happen, they can go on and they can submit
a review for a business. Now, the difference between BBB's
customer reviews and other review sites is that we verify
that that customer actually had a marketplace transaction with that
business before we publish that. And that is just one
step that we take to make sure that those reviews.
(06:38):
When a consumer comes to our website and goes to
your BBB page, we want to make sure that those
reviews are legitimate. That's not just a bot or a
bogus review where somebody has paid to have those reviews
placed for their business. So we make sure that that
there is an actual marketplace transaction. Now, if somebody has
a bad experience and they're looking for resolution, they can
(07:02):
go through our dispute resolution process. I will say that
we have probably one of the best dispute resolution teams
across the United States here in our office. Our team,
they are committed to being fair, honest, and ethical throughout
the process. We try to make sure that we communicate
with both the business and the consumer. The consumer, they
(07:25):
get to communicate with us what their issue was. We
then send that to the business. The business has the
opportunity to talk to us about that they can submit
their response. So we go through this whole process of
making sure that each party understands what the other party
is wanting, and it helps resolve a lot of complaints
(07:45):
that could otherwise end up in the courts local court system,
which costs everyone money and time. So it's a great
benefit that we offer that, and we are only able
to offer that April because our accredited businesses support the
Better Business Bureau and the things that we stand for
in Southeast Texas, so we're very appreciative of that. I
(08:07):
encourage everyone to utilize the BBB service. Go to BBB
dot org April. You'll probably mention that in a few
minutes talking about our local website. This is something that
I find very interesting. Last year, we had nearly half
a million page views on our local BBB dot org sites.
(08:28):
Over half a million. That means that consumers are looking
for businesses, and they're looking for trusted, reputable businesses. That's
about an average of thirty six thousand views per month.
It's pretty impressive thirty six thousand a month. And then
something that is probably not as common, but something I
(08:52):
think worth noting, is that we had over sixteen thousand
phone calls to our office last year, and most of
them are looking for information about companies in Southeast Texas
and looking for a reputable company that they can do
business with that they know will not take their money, because,
let's be honest, the economy is not great right now,
(09:13):
and if you have resources to spend the last thing
you want is to be taken advantage of by company
that you don't know anything about.
Speaker 2 (09:22):
That's exactly right.
Speaker 1 (09:23):
That's right, And I can tell you I tell my
customers when they're looking for whether it be contractors, a
lot you know, in the insurance world, we have people
who are dealing with people after their claim of whatever kind,
and they're looking for reputable contractors. And so I always
tell people start with the BBB because the BBB is
(09:44):
truly a symbol of trust. It means that that business
has said they've gone through number one, the screening process,
but number two, they have committed to making sure if
you're not happy with the service that they have offered,
that they have provided for you, that they have agreed
to go through a process to make sure you're satisfied.
Speaker 2 (10:06):
In the end.
Speaker 1 (10:07):
And you cannot say that about just any business, which
I think we've probably all had a bad experience or
two or ten or one hundred with a contractor. But
that happens with all It happens when you're buying products, right,
it happens whenever you're getting service in a store. So
(10:27):
going to the BBB website, which I do recommend going
actually doing a Google search for BBB Southeast Texas because
it's a very long.
Speaker 2 (10:40):
Extension to the to the BBB dot Org.
Speaker 1 (10:43):
If you just go to BBB dot org, it's going
to take you to the national BBB site. You can
still search local there, but there are some great things
that are very specific to us here in Southeast Texas
that you can if you hit our landing page on
the BBB dot org Southeast Texas, then you're gonna see
(11:04):
some other things that are happening with BBB and very
specific here to Southeast Texas as well.
Speaker 3 (11:09):
That's right, Thank you, Darren.
Speaker 2 (11:10):
I appreciate you there. There's a whole lot to the BBB,
but we.
Speaker 1 (11:16):
Really wanted to hit the consumer education side today and
so I appreciate you coming on and talking about why
it's important number one for a b for a business
to BBBBB accredited, and number two for consumers to use
that free resources out there. People they look at Google
reviews and I have been in the past a victim
(11:38):
of Google reviews where someone Google reviewed me that wasn't
even anything to do with me and never done business
with me, and it brought my star writing down. So
BBB does definitely you know verify those things, so it's
important to use.
Speaker 2 (11:54):
That So Google BBB Southeast Texas. Thank you again for
being on, Darren, and we'll be.
Speaker 3 (11:59):
Back right out for this my pleasure.
Speaker 1 (12:01):
Thank you, April, and welcome back to the Roy West Show.
I am April Tolbert filling in for Roy West on
this Sunday afternoon, and in this segment of Roy's show,
we have Kaylee Henry from Girls Haven.
Speaker 2 (12:24):
Hi, Kaylee, welcome, Hi.
Speaker 4 (12:28):
Thank you so much for having me.
Speaker 1 (12:31):
Absolutely, we thank Roy for always making sure that those
that are doing wonderful things in the community have an
opportunity to come on his show and talk about those things.
And Girls Haven does some amazing work in our community.
So I want to talk a little bit about what
(12:54):
girls Haven does first of all, and then we're going
to get into the excitement of this golf tournament that
you guys are hosting on May the fifth coming up.
So tell us a little bit about what the money
raised as we give to Girls Haven.
Speaker 2 (13:10):
Where does that go exactly?
Speaker 5 (13:15):
Yes, So girls Haven, if you don't know, we are
located in Beaumont. We house girls between the ages of
six and eighteen at our facility.
Speaker 4 (13:25):
So all of our residents are in the CPS system.
Speaker 5 (13:29):
They've been pulled out of their homes due to abuse, neglect, homelessness, exploitations,
severe family dysfunction, and they've been pulled out of their
homes at no fault to their own and put into
the CPS system. So they'll go to foster homes or
foster group homes like Girls Haven, and so we can
house up to twenty two residents at a time at
(13:50):
our facility right here on campus, and we have girls
that stay anywhere from a few weeks several years with us,
and we'll age out in the foster care system, and
so all of our residents here, we try to create
as much of a homelike environment as we can while
also giving them the therapeutic needs.
Speaker 4 (14:13):
Meeting their therapeutic.
Speaker 5 (14:14):
Needs, we have a licensed clinical therapist that's on staff,
we have a case manager, we have twenty four hour
care staff, and so we do individual and weekly therapy
with the girls, and so that helps to kind of
meet their therapeutic needs as well as creating that homelike environment.
So most of them have their own bedrooms and it's
(14:37):
decorated however they want, so they goot twinkling lights and
fuzzy rugs and all kinds of stuff to make it
their own. And then most of them have their own bedrooms,
but some do share if they're siblings. And we have
a big living room area they watch TV and movies,
and we have a basketball room that they actually mostly
(14:58):
dance and then play basketball. We have a soccer feel,
we have a playground, We have all kinds of stuff
for the girls to really try and give them that
home and that stability. And so whenever we do fundraisers
and we do things like that, our community comes together
and helps to give us financial support so that we
can continue this mission of hope and healing for our residents.
(15:22):
Like I said, we can house up to twenty two
girls for anywhere from a few weeks to several years.
Speaker 4 (15:27):
So that's a lot.
Speaker 5 (15:29):
That's a lot of girls, and especially teenage girls require
a lot of stuff, so we do. We're very blessed
to get lots of donations. We get clothing and shoes
and things like that donated. We actually have a clothing boutique,
so we'll take those donations and move them into our
boutique so the girls can go in and try on clothing.
So that's really nice. But sometimes we don't have clothing
(15:53):
that fits the girls perfectly, especially if they come in
with just what they're wearing and that's it. They have
to get a whole new wardrobe before they start at school.
So we'll go in and they'll get whatever they can
out of the clothing boutique and then we have to
go shopping. So that's where the help from the community
comes in, the financial help, because we're able to buy
everything that they need so that they can be comfortable
(16:14):
and confident and feel good whenever they're starting school when
they're not really in a great place so mentally, so
we're able to provide that for them, and that's really important.
So all of our community help and these fundraisers help
to support our mission at Girls SA.
Speaker 1 (16:31):
Then well it is an incredible mission, that is for sure.
I know that you require support of the community financially,
but what you guys provide is more than just clothing
and food and housing, and what you provide is a
full well rounded care for these girls, as you said,
(16:56):
that are in not the best place when they it
to you. So I've heard some amazing success stories about
the girls that have come through Girls Haven so tell
us a little bit about the support other than the
clothes in the food and the.
Speaker 2 (17:16):
Roof over their head.
Speaker 1 (17:18):
You guys have counselors, you have big sister. What is
it you guys call that, You have some other support
for them as well.
Speaker 5 (17:29):
Yes, we have a mentor program, so other than our
you know, basic hitting the basic needs, we have our
licensed therapists who's on staff, so she does individual, group
and weekly therapy with the girls, and so that's really important.
Whenever they've suffered some pretty severe trauma, it's important for
them to be able to talk about that and to
learn coping skills to be able to get through those
(17:54):
traumas and also their triggers, kind of learning what those
triggers are and how to cope with them.
Speaker 4 (17:59):
And we provide weighted blankets and different.
Speaker 5 (18:02):
Therapeutic tools, fidget toys, things that can really help with
depression anxiety.
Speaker 4 (18:08):
So we provide them with that.
Speaker 5 (18:09):
We have case managers on staff that can help them
as well. We have our mentorship program, so we volunteers
can sign up to become a mentor and they get
partnered with one of our residents who becomes their mentee
and they can come and speak with the girls in person.
They can take them off campus because we do background checks,
(18:33):
and so they're able to take them out to eat
or to the movies and just give them those experiences
that every teenager gets to have. And also whenever they
are at Girls Haven, we are we help them out
so much. They also know that we work here. And
so whenever we have volunteers who come up and do
(18:53):
the mentor program, who don't have to be here, who
don't have to call, who don't have to visit, the
girls know that. And so they know that those people
are here because they want to be here, because they
want to see the girls, and that makes a really
big impact on the girls.
Speaker 4 (19:07):
And each person that can, you know, make.
Speaker 5 (19:09):
An impact on the girls is so amazing, and it
helps our girls to grow in their self, esteems to
heal from, you know, being from families that might not
have given them the love and attention that they should
have had.
Speaker 4 (19:24):
So I'm thankful to all volunteers who.
Speaker 1 (19:27):
Yes, it's a beautiful, well rounded program. So what I'd
love to say to everyone listening today that if you're
looking for a give back, if you are looking for
a way to really have impact in the life of
young ladies and maybe you come from struggles, maybe you've
(19:51):
overcome and you want a chance to have real impact.
Get with Girls Haven because they're they're they're out there
doing it. You guys are out there doing it, so
we appreciate you so much. Now talk to us about
this golf tournament that you've got going on on May
the fifth.
Speaker 4 (20:08):
Correct, Yes, ma'am, Yes we have.
Speaker 5 (20:12):
Our golf tournament is on May fifth at the Beaumont
Country Club. This is an annual golf tournament that we
have the first Monday of every May, and so the
Penlan Foundation always puts this on on our behalf. So
we're very blessed that they've been so involved with Girls Haven,
and so we're needing more teams.
Speaker 4 (20:32):
We're needing sponsors.
Speaker 5 (20:34):
So if you're interested, you can visit our website it's
girls Haven Inc.
Speaker 4 (20:38):
Dot org.
Speaker 5 (20:39):
On there we have our sponsorship packets and more details
about the event, how to sign up. It's a lot
of fun we have. You can go to the practice
range starting at eleven. We have lunch served at eleven thirty.
We've got snacks and all kinds of fun stuff drinks
throughout the event.
Speaker 4 (20:57):
So it's a lot of fun. It's very laid back.
Speaker 5 (21:00):
So if you just love golfing and just kind of
a laid back atmosphere.
Speaker 4 (21:05):
That's really how it is.
Speaker 5 (21:06):
It's just a you know, every event that I've been to,
it's always just been a beautiful day and it's it
never feels well, not gonna win, but in the past
it's always been beautiful weather and a beautiful event. So
if you want to be involved, like I said, the
Girls Haven our facebook page I'm constantly posting, and then
also on our website you can find that fundraiser as
(21:28):
well as any other fundraisers on there that you can
sign up to be a team or a sponsor or
just to learn more about.
Speaker 4 (21:35):
What we do.
Speaker 5 (21:35):
If you want to come take a tour, we do
tours of Girls Haven as well, just to kind of
learn more about what we do here.
Speaker 1 (21:42):
Excellent and can is there a phone number they can
call or is the website the best way to get
that schedule?
Speaker 5 (21:54):
Oh?
Speaker 4 (21:54):
Sorry, cut out for a second, that's all right.
Speaker 2 (21:57):
Is there a phone number for them to call?
Speaker 4 (22:01):
Yes? So four O nine eight three two six two
two three.
Speaker 1 (22:05):
For Girls Haven our girlshavenet dot org.
Speaker 2 (22:08):
We'll be right back and we are back on.
Speaker 1 (22:17):
The Roy West Show on Sunday afternoon. Thank you so
much for joining us. Obviously, I am not Roy West.
I am April Tolbert filling in for Roy today with
a fantastic lineup of guests talking about some great things
that are happening in and around our community. Southeast Texas
is never boring. There are always things to do, there
(22:41):
are always great causes to support, and this one is
definitely a perfect example of that. We have Jeanette Harvey.
She is with Hope Clinic and they have their big
clay shoot coming up on February twenty second. Jeanette, thank
you for being with us.
Speaker 6 (22:59):
Sure, thanks, thank for having me.
Speaker 1 (23:01):
Absolutely we are glad that you joined us because these
clay shoots are extremely popular and I know they are
something that raise a good amount of money for the
Hope Clinic. So tell us, first of all, tell us
some details about how can people get involved with the
clay shoot on February twenty second.
Speaker 6 (23:21):
Okay, great, well we really need There's some teams and
you can register a team at Hope Clinic Partners dot
com slash Aim for Life. We have several different levels
of teams, but all the teams include a party of
four and then the actual tournament that day, which we
call Aim for Life, where you'll shoot to win trophies
(23:43):
and bragging rights. We also have free breakfast in lunch
for all the teams sponsored by Valero, and they do
know what they're doing. They do some good cooking out there.
And then of course we'll have some prizes and some
raffle tickets to sell and they'll be game shooting games
other than the actual tournament.
Speaker 1 (24:05):
That sounds like a fun day. And you talk about
those guys from Valero, those guys and gals, I should say,
they know how to cook up some grub, don't they
They do?
Speaker 6 (24:14):
They do, Yes, for sure. It's it's not only a
fundraiser for us, but it's a great way for us
to get exposure to to people whom we normally don't
get exposure with.
Speaker 2 (24:24):
You know, some of.
Speaker 6 (24:25):
The refinery guys and you know some of the hunters
and things like that that we normally don't get to
mix and mingle with.
Speaker 1 (24:32):
And there are sponsorships still available as well as teams
of four.
Speaker 6 (24:37):
Correct, there are some sponsorships. We're really cutting it down
to the wire because of needing to get the you know,
the merch that goes along with it. But if you
just want to get your name out there, we'll take
your money up to the last day so and you
can go to that same website Hope Clinic Partners dot com,
slash aim for.
Speaker 1 (24:56):
Life Okay, Hope Clinic Partner dot com slash aim.
Speaker 2 (25:02):
For fo r life correct excellent.
Speaker 1 (25:06):
And I always have to make my note of that
because when we finish, I'm going to go check it
out myself. I'd love to maybe put a team together
for this for sure, so I know, and I know
a lot of people do know what the Hope Clinic
does here and where this money raised goes, how it
supports the community, but there may be some people who don't.
(25:30):
So we tell us a little bit about what we're
raising money for and how it's going to impact our community.
Speaker 6 (25:36):
Sure all of the money goes into our programming. We
are a crisis pregnancy center. We offer medical services such
as pregnancy testing, ultrasound, STD testing and treatment, as well
as walking alongside the mothers and the fathers. We serve
the men to to provide material resources and educational resources
until the baby turns one. We're in the process right
(25:58):
now of building a four hundred square foot parenting center,
which we hope we'll open in this next couple of
weeks that will allow us to serve these babies until
they turn three with diapers, wifes, baby beds, car seats,
all the things. We also have a mobile unit that
serves silsby Port Arthur, Orange and Crystal Beach every week.
(26:20):
And we just began work on a clinic in Port Arthur,
so we'll be doing exactly what we do here in Beaumont,
we'll be doing in Port Arthur, and then down the
road we have property to build a homeless shelter for
pregnant women, so women who already have children and are
pregnant or have a baby under the age of one
(26:41):
will have a safe place to stay for a night
or up to two years where we help them finish
all of our programs and get to become self sufficient.
I like to tell people if somebody walked in with
a million dollars, So if they showed up at the
clay shoot and said, I have a million dollars for you,
all of this stuff would be happening in about three months.
But the way it stands right now, it's little by little,
(27:04):
we're getting it done.
Speaker 1 (27:07):
Right, and it takes support. You don't every day have
someone walk in with the dollars, so you know, my
fifty dollars and someone else's one hundred dollars and someone
else's one thousand dollars.
Speaker 2 (27:20):
It really does make a difference.
Speaker 1 (27:24):
In your organization and what you're able to actual impact
that you're able to have in the families, the mothers
and fathers that you are able to serve. Did I
hear something about a resale shop as well.
Speaker 6 (27:38):
Yes, that's another way for us to raise the funds.
We opened a resale shop just this past year at
Gateway Shopping Center here in Beaumont. We are open pretty
much every day ten to four Tuesdays and Thursdays we
open a little later till six, and we're open Saturday mornings.
So come and buy us out. We have plenty of
(27:59):
stuff to refill. We do take donations, not at the store,
they're not really equipped. They can bring it here to
the clinic at thirty seven forty Laurel and we'll get
it processed and over there to the store for them
to buy. But that's what we really need. We need
you to come and buy the stuff and there's some
really great and unique things in there.
Speaker 1 (28:20):
Well you'll definitely find some of my donated items in there,
because you know, and last time I was in the
resale shop, there were some fantastic things and that was
right before Christmas even so please stop buy there if
you're looking for some unique items you need, home goods
you need.
Speaker 2 (28:39):
They don't just.
Speaker 1 (28:40):
Have home goods. They don't just have clothes. They they
don't just have knick knacks.
Speaker 2 (28:44):
They have a beautiful selection of things.
Speaker 1 (28:47):
So stop by the Gateway Shopping Center and support the
Hope Clinics resale shop there as well, or you can
drop donations buy the clinic not by this resale shop Gateway,
but by the clinic at thirty seven forty Laurel. And
we're going to recap this clay shoot because I know
my people out there that enjoy these clay shoots.
Speaker 2 (29:10):
They're so much fun. It's a day of camaraderie.
Speaker 1 (29:14):
You've got, you know, some good food and some things
that are going to be going on out there so
they can get involved.
Speaker 2 (29:20):
Tell them that website one more time. What's the best
way to sign.
Speaker 6 (29:24):
Up Hope Clinic Partners dot com slash Aim for Life
and all the informations there, including the phone number if
they want to call and talk to a person, will
help them that way too. Well.
Speaker 1 (29:36):
We appreciate what all you guys do to serve those
with crisis pregnancies, mothers, fathers, and it sounds like your
mission is really expanding to cover even more of a
need that is not being filled currently in our community.
Speaker 2 (29:55):
So thank you so much. We appreciate you.
Speaker 1 (29:58):
The Hope Clinic there Layshoot is coming up on February
the twenty second, so that's only a couple of days
away if you look at a calendar, So go to
the website now at Hope Clinic Partners dot com slash.
Speaker 2 (30:10):
Aim for Life. We'll be right back after this break.
Speaker 6 (30:14):
Thank you.
Speaker 2 (30:21):
Welcome back to the.
Speaker 1 (30:22):
Roy West Show on KLV I AM five sixty and
the podcast on iHeart, and we are glad to have
you with us this afternoon. I am April Tolber filling
in for Roy West today and you know, we are
talking in these segments today about some great things that
(30:43):
are happening in Southeast Texas. There are a lot of events,
there are a lot of things to support, there are
a lot of things to go and do, and one
of those things that's coming up on April the eighth
is a Closing the Deal Dressed for Success style show.
It's actually being hosted by the Greater Beaumont Chamber of Commerce.
(31:05):
They have a committee called the Women Entrepreneurs Network Committee,
and I'm honored to be a part of that committee.
And today joining me for this segment is Sharita Gardner,
and Sarita is chairing the Dress for Success style show
coming up on April the eighth.
Speaker 2 (31:25):
So I'm going to.
Speaker 1 (31:26):
Turn it over to you, Sarita, and let you tell
everyone what it's all about, how it came to be,
and how they can get involved.
Speaker 2 (31:34):
Thank you for being with us.
Speaker 7 (31:35):
By the way, thank you for having me today April
so WIN is a event series and we are here
to support women in business by providing resources, mentorship, and
networking in support of women who are in business. The
Closing the Deal Dress for Success Luncheon is just one
of the four lunches that the WHEN Network will have
(31:56):
this year in the series. As you've already mentioned, it's
April eighth, It's going to be at the Holiday Inn
and if people are interested in attending We would love
for them to purchase a ticket or a table for
their company, their team, and they can do that by
contacting the chamber four zero nine eight three eight six
five eight one and ask for Mike Simpsons. It's going
(32:18):
to be a great event. It kind of came about
because we thought about what does every woman want to
know in business? In addition to your business acumen in
your industry, it's how do I show up and impress?
How do I show up and look like that I
am setting myself up for success? And we thought an
event like this would be really fun in addition to informatives,
(32:40):
So some of the objectives are just to educate on
proper dress attire, to kind of showcase some transitional pieces
in your business attire. We also want to tell people
what not to wear. We want to support local businesses
and boutiques in our area and showcase what they do.
And so this is going to be a fun event
that is led by women, hosted by women, and hopefully
(33:04):
we get a lot of women to participate, although gentlemen
are welcome as well.
Speaker 1 (33:10):
It is definitely going to be something that's unique that
you don't see a lot of here in Southeast Texas
and as a woman in business. I don't know if
everyone feels the way I do, but sometimes I don't
feel supported.
Speaker 2 (33:25):
I don't feel like there.
Speaker 1 (33:26):
Are things out there that are specifically target me. And
what is unique to me as a woman business owner
or an executive or just a woman that actually.
Speaker 2 (33:39):
Is a part of a business.
Speaker 1 (33:42):
How do we how do things affect us differently, What
do we need to do that's a little different for
us to make sure that we are set for success,
and the way that we dress in our appearance and
those things have something to do with that. So I
think that this is an amazing event that was really
(34:03):
your brain child. So thank you for bringing this to us.
I know you've done some of these before closing the Deal.
When I wrote that down, it's actually tell us how
that came about because it's closed clotes.
Speaker 2 (34:20):
I closing the deal. I thought that was really unique.
Speaker 4 (34:25):
Yeah.
Speaker 7 (34:26):
So, even though this event is mimicked after a Dress
for Success event, we wanted a catchy title that just
kind of showed people we were trying to do something
different and innovative. And I think when we are talking
about business deals, whether we're a board member, whether we
are trying to sell a home insurance. Whether you're in industry,
(34:46):
there are going to be instances where you are sitting
across the table from individuals and you need to close
the deal. You need to let them know why you're there.
And when you leave that table, you want to feel
good about the message that you've left. So of course,
how you show up, how you look, how you feel
that confidence is a part of that. So hopefully we
can help some ladies to put some tools in their
(35:08):
toolkits where they are able to leave the table feeling
like they were able to close the deal and they
look good while they were doing it.
Speaker 2 (35:15):
Look good while you're doing it.
Speaker 1 (35:16):
So I love the other piece of this that you mentioned,
which is we're tying in local store owners, local boutiques,
local people who can help you dress for success and
close the deal. So tell us about what to expects
(35:37):
whenever we show up for the luncheon and who's involved.
Speaker 7 (35:40):
So I think you may have mentioned it, but we
are going to have a style or fashion show. So
we have some celebrity models that some of you may know.
Some of them are local on air personalities, or they
are business owners, or they're just kind of instrumental women
in our community that we would love to see their
(36:00):
take on what they would wear in the boardroom. And
so some of those models consist of shot a chip
from the board of bone Erica Hears and so it's
going to be really fun. We're going to showcase a
few different looks. We're going to showcase how to transition
those looks from day to maybe an evening of it
or social afterwork, and so it's going to be fun.
(36:22):
Debbie Bridgeman is going to be our MC and she's
going to do a great job. Everybody knows that she's
a great on air personality, and so it is going
to be fun. It is going to be innovative. Those
local boutiques will be there. They will have table set
up where you can buy some of the clothing or
pieces afterwards. So not only are you coming to learn
(36:44):
and explore, you're also probably coming to shop a little
bit and add some things to your kind of business
attire in your closet.
Speaker 1 (36:52):
So how much are the boutiques, the local store owners
that are that are being showcased there and their their
and their outfits are being showcase.
Speaker 2 (37:02):
How much input did they have into what to wear
and what not? To wear.
Speaker 1 (37:07):
Are we going to see a little influence of those
particular store owners boutique owners as well.
Speaker 7 (37:15):
I think you will see some influence. We've asked a
couple of local boutiques in the area to pull some
looks for us, and we want those looks to be
able to fit any style, any size that people would
feel comfortable. In addition to that, we may have a
station where someone is able to get their professional headshots done.
(37:37):
So we want this to be a one stop shop
for everything fashion, everything attire. Everything You need to notice
that you're up for success when you are sitting around
that borderom table, or when you're going on an interview
possibly and when you're closing those deals with your customers
or clients.
Speaker 1 (37:56):
One of the things that I love about being involved
in when the Women Entrepreneurs Network, which is the committee
of the Chamber of Commerce that we talked about, we
shorten it by calling it WIN w E N because
we talk about how we win with win, right. We
want to help women win with win And one of
(38:17):
the things that I love about being a part of
WIN is just being in the room with other women
who have faced some of the same challenges as we do.
It really gives you the feeling of you're not alone,
You're not the only one that's struggling with this or that.
(38:38):
And so I anticipate that this room on April the eighth,
at this luncheon will be filled with those women, women
who can help inspire, nurture and mentor and there'll be
some great connections to be made if there as well.
Speaker 7 (38:54):
Correct, I agree April this is going to be a
great event for networking, for meeting some of them influential
women in Southeast Texas. It is definitely an event you
want to get a ticket to. Like I said, it's
going to be multifaceted. We're going to have a lot
of different things that you can add to your either
resume or you can just add to your closet. And
(39:15):
so I think that there's nothing currently done like this
in Southeast Texas. We talked about a couple of shows
we may have seen around town for a few different audiences,
but I've never seen an event like this in Southeast Texas.
So I think it's going to be something special. This
is our first year doing it, so there's a lot
of room for growth and we are looking forward to
it and we are hoping that women are looking forward
(39:37):
to it as well.
Speaker 1 (39:38):
Well. Thank you so much Rita for leading the charge
on this and sharing this event and bringing it to
us here in Southeast Texas.
Speaker 2 (39:46):
Again. It's April the eighth.
Speaker 1 (39:48):
It's going to be at the Holiday Inn out on
Walden Road.
Speaker 2 (39:52):
They have a beautiful facility and setup.
Speaker 1 (39:54):
We're going to have a runway setup and we're gonna
have a lot of fun.
Speaker 2 (39:57):
We're going to have some good food there for the luncheon.
Speaker 1 (40:00):
But if you would like tickets, what is the phone
number there for the chamber that they can call to
get tickets for the events.
Speaker 7 (40:08):
We're zero nine eight three eight sixty five eight one
and asks for Mike Simpson for tickets, tables and even
if you'd potentially want to be one of those vendors
that is set up around the room with our local boutiques,
we will love to have you. If you're a woman
owned business there.
Speaker 2 (40:24):
As well, we hope to see you there.
Speaker 7 (40:26):
See you April eighth.
Speaker 1 (40:30):
We're back on the Roy West Show. I'm April Tolbert's
good to be with you this afternoon. Thank you for
tuning in on News Talk five sixty KLVI and on
the podcast on iHeart Media. So we had a fantastic
show today. We had guests from the Better Business Bureau
(40:51):
of Southeast Texas. Thank you Darren Erwin for being with us,
the CEO at BBB Southeast Texas, talking about consumers and
how you can use the BBB website and how the
value of using BBB accredited businesses when you're looking to
make purchases of do business with people and spend money
(41:13):
here in Southeast Texas. So a great resource there. And
we had Kaylee Henry with Girls Haven. They've got the
golf tournament coming up on Made the fifth at the
Beaumont Country Club, So reach out to Girls Haven about
how to get involved in.
Speaker 2 (41:29):
Their golf tournament that's coming up. Charita Gardner was with us.
Speaker 1 (41:34):
She was representing the Women Entrepreneur Network of the Greater
Beaumont Chamber of Commerce. They have a style show, a
Dressed for Success event on April eighth. Reach out to
the Beaumont Chamber for more information about that. And then
Jeannette Harvey was with us with Hope Clinic and they
have a clay shoot happening on February the twenty second.
Speaker 2 (41:54):
Lots to do in Southeast Texas. Do not say it
is boring here. There is nothing to do.
Speaker 1 (42:02):
There are lots of great things happening, and so many
wonderful people giving back and helping make our community better.
So thank you for joining us. Tune in again next
week to the Roy West Show right here on News
Talk five sixty kl V.
Speaker 2 (42:16):
I have a great rest of your day.
Good afternoon, Southeast Texas. Welcome to the Roy West Show
on this Sunday afternoon. No, I am not Roy West.
I am April Tolbert filling in for Roy today. I'm
so grateful that he asked me to be the host
today because there is an amazing lineup of guests. There
are so many things that are happening in Southeast Texas.
(00:25):
We've got some events coming up with the Chamber of
Commerce that we're going to be talking about addressed for
a success event, a clay shoot with the Hope Clinic
that's coming up on February twenty second. We've got Kaylee
Henry with Girls Haven that's talking about a golf tournament
that's coming up on May the fifth. So there is
(00:45):
always something exciting to do in Southeast Texas, and the
Roy West Show is the place to hear about those things.
So stay tuned for our next segments because they will
all be coming up in the next hour.
Speaker 2 (01:00):
So we're so glad that you joined us. We're going to.
Speaker 1 (01:03):
Start the show today with a dear friend of mine
and someone who does a lot of really fantastic works
behind the scenes for Southeast Texas.
Speaker 2 (01:16):
You may know him.
Speaker 1 (01:17):
You may not know him, but you should because what
he does in his every day is something that helps
us as citizens, as consumers. We are all consumers and
we all buy products, and we all patronize businesses. Have
you ever heard of the BBB, the Better Business Bureau? Well,
(01:42):
Darren Irwin, who is our local CEO of BBB Southeast Texas,
is joining us today.
Speaker 2 (01:47):
Welcome Darren.
Speaker 3 (01:48):
Thank you very glad to be here, April, and thank
you for inviting me.
Speaker 2 (01:52):
We are so glad to have you.
Speaker 1 (01:54):
I really wanted to visit with Darren on the show
today because I think that it's something that we don't
talk about a lot.
Speaker 2 (02:02):
We don't talk enough about. What does that seal mean?
Speaker 1 (02:06):
My business is accredited with the Better Business Bureau. As
a matter of fact, we won the Torch Award for
a Marketplace Trust in twenty fifteen, and that is a
symbol that we are so so proud of. And I
know that a lot of businesses display that BBB accredited business.
Speaker 2 (02:28):
But what does that mean to a consumer? Darren?
Speaker 1 (02:31):
What does the BBB do and what does being a
BBB accredited business mean for a consumer trying to make
a choice of who they want to spend their dollars.
Speaker 3 (02:41):
With all right, So to answer that question, April, you know,
the Better Business Bureau has been around since nineteen twelve,
so a lot of our grandparents and great grandparents were
very familiar with our organization. But since nineteen twelve, the
Better Business Bureau has been trying to advance marketplace trust,
to create an environment in the marketplace where consumers and
(03:04):
businesses can trust each other. And it's all about fostering
a culture of honesty and fairness integrity in business transactions.
You asked me, you know, why would a consumer want
to do business with an accredited business? Why would they
choose an accredited business? You know, the answer for me
is very simple because I see it every day, I live,
(03:27):
I breathe it. But I accredited businesses in Southeast Texas.
Not only do they support our organization that does such
great things in Southeast Texas, but those businesses they commit
to upholding ethical business practices. What does that mean to
a consumer? They're committing to building trust, advertising, honestly, telling
(03:49):
the truth, being transparent, honoring promises, being responsive, safeguarding that
customer privacy, and then embodying embodying integrity. Those are just
basic foundational components, components of just good business practices, and
our accredited businesses in Southeast Texas they agree to uphold
(04:10):
those standards, which is very very important when you're looking
to drop money on a product or service.
Speaker 2 (04:17):
That's right.
Speaker 1 (04:18):
And so the Better Business Bureau actually accredits the business.
They go through some kind of a screening process to
be able to be accredited, and they're.
Speaker 2 (04:29):
Making a commitment to do what wants.
Speaker 1 (04:34):
Let's say that a complaint is filed. Let's say that
someone had a bad experience with a business and that
business is accredited with the Better Business Bureau.
Speaker 2 (04:44):
What what does that process look like?
Speaker 3 (04:47):
Okay, so you know, once a business agrees to become
accredited and they go through the process of accreditation, it's
not simply a I'm going to pay you this amount
of money for an accreditation and now I get to
use a logo. That's not at all how the Better
Business Bureau operates. First off, there are businesses in our
area that would love to be accredited, but they do
(05:08):
not meet the criteria and the Better Business Bureau just
would not want to put our seal of trust on
that business. However, there are a lot of incredible businesses
in Southeast Texas, and they go through the process through accreditation,
they submit an application, they provide information about their business.
They're transparent with our organization so that we have a
(05:31):
better understanding about their business practices, about who they are,
how long they've been in business, if they are licensed,
are they supposed to be licensed, are they operating without
a license. We go through this long checklist to make
sure that these businesses are worthy of the BDB Seal
of Trust before they are approved by our board of Directors. Now,
(05:52):
you mentioned if a consumer has an experience good or
bad with a consumer has an experience with a big business,
so there's a couple of things they can do. We
always encourage consumers to submit a customer review. So here's
something that people may not realize. If they have a
good experience or a bad experience in some cases which
(06:14):
does happen, they can go on and they can submit
a review for a business. Now, the difference between BBB's
customer reviews and other review sites is that we verify
that that customer actually had a marketplace transaction with that
business before we publish that. And that is just one
step that we take to make sure that those reviews.
(06:38):
When a consumer comes to our website and goes to
your BBB page, we want to make sure that those
reviews are legitimate. That's not just a bot or a
bogus review where somebody has paid to have those reviews
placed for their business. So we make sure that that
there is an actual marketplace transaction. Now, if somebody has
a bad experience and they're looking for resolution, they can
(07:02):
go through our dispute resolution process. I will say that
we have probably one of the best dispute resolution teams
across the United States here in our office. Our team,
they are committed to being fair, honest, and ethical throughout
the process. We try to make sure that we communicate
with both the business and the consumer. The consumer, they
(07:25):
get to communicate with us what their issue was. We
then send that to the business. The business has the
opportunity to talk to us about that they can submit
their response. So we go through this whole process of
making sure that each party understands what the other party
is wanting, and it helps resolve a lot of complaints
(07:45):
that could otherwise end up in the courts local court system,
which costs everyone money and time. So it's a great
benefit that we offer that, and we are only able
to offer that April because our accredited businesses support the
Better Business Bureau and the things that we stand for
in Southeast Texas, so we're very appreciative of that. I
(08:07):
encourage everyone to utilize the BBB service. Go to BBB
dot org April. You'll probably mention that in a few
minutes talking about our local website. This is something that
I find very interesting. Last year, we had nearly half
a million page views on our local BBB dot org sites.
(08:28):
Over half a million. That means that consumers are looking
for businesses, and they're looking for trusted, reputable businesses. That's
about an average of thirty six thousand views per month.
It's pretty impressive thirty six thousand a month. And then
something that is probably not as common, but something I
(08:52):
think worth noting, is that we had over sixteen thousand
phone calls to our office last year, and most of
them are looking for information about companies in Southeast Texas
and looking for a reputable company that they can do
business with that they know will not take their money, because,
let's be honest, the economy is not great right now,
(09:13):
and if you have resources to spend the last thing
you want is to be taken advantage of by company
that you don't know anything about.
Speaker 2 (09:22):
That's exactly right.
Speaker 1 (09:23):
That's right, And I can tell you I tell my
customers when they're looking for whether it be contractors, a
lot you know, in the insurance world, we have people
who are dealing with people after their claim of whatever kind,
and they're looking for reputable contractors. And so I always
tell people start with the BBB because the BBB is
(09:44):
truly a symbol of trust. It means that that business
has said they've gone through number one, the screening process,
but number two, they have committed to making sure if
you're not happy with the service that they have offered,
that they have provided for you, that they have agreed
to go through a process to make sure you're satisfied.
Speaker 2 (10:06):
In the end.
Speaker 1 (10:07):
And you cannot say that about just any business, which
I think we've probably all had a bad experience or
two or ten or one hundred with a contractor. But
that happens with all It happens when you're buying products, right,
it happens whenever you're getting service in a store. So
(10:27):
going to the BBB website, which I do recommend going
actually doing a Google search for BBB Southeast Texas because
it's a very long.
Speaker 2 (10:40):
Extension to the to the BBB dot Org.
Speaker 1 (10:43):
If you just go to BBB dot org, it's going
to take you to the national BBB site. You can
still search local there, but there are some great things
that are very specific to us here in Southeast Texas
that you can if you hit our landing page on
the BBB dot org Southeast Texas, then you're gonna see
(11:04):
some other things that are happening with BBB and very
specific here to Southeast Texas as well.
Speaker 3 (11:09):
That's right, Thank you, Darren.
Speaker 2 (11:10):
I appreciate you there. There's a whole lot to the BBB,
but we.
Speaker 1 (11:16):
Really wanted to hit the consumer education side today and
so I appreciate you coming on and talking about why
it's important number one for a b for a business
to BBBBB accredited, and number two for consumers to use
that free resources out there. People they look at Google
reviews and I have been in the past a victim
(11:38):
of Google reviews where someone Google reviewed me that wasn't
even anything to do with me and never done business
with me, and it brought my star writing down. So
BBB does definitely you know verify those things, so it's
important to use.
Speaker 2 (11:54):
That So Google BBB Southeast Texas. Thank you again for
being on, Darren, and we'll be.
Speaker 3 (11:59):
Back right out for this my pleasure.
Speaker 1 (12:01):
Thank you, April, and welcome back to the Roy West Show.
I am April Tolbert filling in for Roy West on
this Sunday afternoon, and in this segment of Roy's show,
we have Kaylee Henry from Girls Haven.
Speaker 2 (12:24):
Hi, Kaylee, welcome, Hi.
Speaker 4 (12:28):
Thank you so much for having me.
Speaker 1 (12:31):
Absolutely, we thank Roy for always making sure that those
that are doing wonderful things in the community have an
opportunity to come on his show and talk about those things.
And Girls Haven does some amazing work in our community.
So I want to talk a little bit about what
(12:54):
girls Haven does first of all, and then we're going
to get into the excitement of this golf tournament that
you guys are hosting on May the fifth coming up.
So tell us a little bit about what the money
raised as we give to Girls Haven.
Speaker 2 (13:10):
Where does that go exactly?
Speaker 5 (13:15):
Yes, So girls Haven, if you don't know, we are
located in Beaumont. We house girls between the ages of
six and eighteen at our facility.
Speaker 4 (13:25):
So all of our residents are in the CPS system.
Speaker 5 (13:29):
They've been pulled out of their homes due to abuse, neglect, homelessness, exploitations,
severe family dysfunction, and they've been pulled out of their
homes at no fault to their own and put into
the CPS system. So they'll go to foster homes or
foster group homes like Girls Haven, and so we can
house up to twenty two residents at a time at
(13:50):
our facility right here on campus, and we have girls
that stay anywhere from a few weeks several years with us,
and we'll age out in the foster care system, and
so all of our residents here, we try to create
as much of a homelike environment as we can while
also giving them the therapeutic needs.
Speaker 4 (14:13):
Meeting their therapeutic.
Speaker 5 (14:14):
Needs, we have a licensed clinical therapist that's on staff,
we have a case manager, we have twenty four hour
care staff, and so we do individual and weekly therapy
with the girls, and so that helps to kind of
meet their therapeutic needs as well as creating that homelike environment.
So most of them have their own bedrooms and it's
(14:37):
decorated however they want, so they goot twinkling lights and
fuzzy rugs and all kinds of stuff to make it
their own. And then most of them have their own bedrooms,
but some do share if they're siblings. And we have
a big living room area they watch TV and movies,
and we have a basketball room that they actually mostly
(14:58):
dance and then play basketball. We have a soccer feel,
we have a playground, We have all kinds of stuff
for the girls to really try and give them that
home and that stability. And so whenever we do fundraisers
and we do things like that, our community comes together
and helps to give us financial support so that we
can continue this mission of hope and healing for our residents.
(15:22):
Like I said, we can house up to twenty two
girls for anywhere from a few weeks to several years.
Speaker 4 (15:27):
So that's a lot.
Speaker 5 (15:29):
That's a lot of girls, and especially teenage girls require
a lot of stuff, so we do. We're very blessed
to get lots of donations. We get clothing and shoes
and things like that donated. We actually have a clothing boutique,
so we'll take those donations and move them into our
boutique so the girls can go in and try on clothing.
So that's really nice. But sometimes we don't have clothing
(15:53):
that fits the girls perfectly, especially if they come in
with just what they're wearing and that's it. They have
to get a whole new wardrobe before they start at school.
So we'll go in and they'll get whatever they can
out of the clothing boutique and then we have to
go shopping. So that's where the help from the community
comes in, the financial help, because we're able to buy
everything that they need so that they can be comfortable
(16:14):
and confident and feel good whenever they're starting school when
they're not really in a great place so mentally, so
we're able to provide that for them, and that's really important.
So all of our community help and these fundraisers help
to support our mission at Girls SA.
Speaker 1 (16:31):
Then well it is an incredible mission, that is for sure.
I know that you require support of the community financially,
but what you guys provide is more than just clothing
and food and housing, and what you provide is a
full well rounded care for these girls, as you said,
(16:56):
that are in not the best place when they it
to you. So I've heard some amazing success stories about
the girls that have come through Girls Haven so tell
us a little bit about the support other than the
clothes in the food and the.
Speaker 2 (17:16):
Roof over their head.
Speaker 1 (17:18):
You guys have counselors, you have big sister. What is
it you guys call that, You have some other support
for them as well.
Speaker 5 (17:29):
Yes, we have a mentor program, so other than our
you know, basic hitting the basic needs, we have our
licensed therapists who's on staff, so she does individual, group
and weekly therapy with the girls, and so that's really important.
Whenever they've suffered some pretty severe trauma, it's important for
them to be able to talk about that and to
learn coping skills to be able to get through those
(17:54):
traumas and also their triggers, kind of learning what those
triggers are and how to cope with them.
Speaker 4 (17:59):
And we provide weighted blankets and different.
Speaker 5 (18:02):
Therapeutic tools, fidget toys, things that can really help with
depression anxiety.
Speaker 4 (18:08):
So we provide them with that.
Speaker 5 (18:09):
We have case managers on staff that can help them
as well. We have our mentorship program, so we volunteers
can sign up to become a mentor and they get
partnered with one of our residents who becomes their mentee
and they can come and speak with the girls in person.
They can take them off campus because we do background checks,
(18:33):
and so they're able to take them out to eat
or to the movies and just give them those experiences
that every teenager gets to have. And also whenever they
are at Girls Haven, we are we help them out
so much. They also know that we work here. And
so whenever we have volunteers who come up and do
(18:53):
the mentor program, who don't have to be here, who
don't have to call, who don't have to visit, the
girls know that. And so they know that those people
are here because they want to be here, because they
want to see the girls, and that makes a really
big impact on the girls.
Speaker 4 (19:07):
And each person that can, you know, make.
Speaker 5 (19:09):
An impact on the girls is so amazing, and it
helps our girls to grow in their self, esteems to
heal from, you know, being from families that might not
have given them the love and attention that they should
have had.
Speaker 4 (19:24):
So I'm thankful to all volunteers who.
Speaker 1 (19:27):
Yes, it's a beautiful, well rounded program. So what I'd
love to say to everyone listening today that if you're
looking for a give back, if you are looking for
a way to really have impact in the life of
young ladies and maybe you come from struggles, maybe you've
(19:51):
overcome and you want a chance to have real impact.
Get with Girls Haven because they're they're they're out there
doing it. You guys are out there doing it, so
we appreciate you so much. Now talk to us about
this golf tournament that you've got going on on May
the fifth.
Speaker 4 (20:08):
Correct, Yes, ma'am, Yes we have.
Speaker 5 (20:12):
Our golf tournament is on May fifth at the Beaumont
Country Club. This is an annual golf tournament that we
have the first Monday of every May, and so the
Penlan Foundation always puts this on on our behalf. So
we're very blessed that they've been so involved with Girls Haven,
and so we're needing more teams.
Speaker 4 (20:32):
We're needing sponsors.
Speaker 5 (20:34):
So if you're interested, you can visit our website it's
girls Haven Inc.
Speaker 4 (20:38):
Dot org.
Speaker 5 (20:39):
On there we have our sponsorship packets and more details
about the event, how to sign up. It's a lot
of fun we have. You can go to the practice
range starting at eleven. We have lunch served at eleven thirty.
We've got snacks and all kinds of fun stuff drinks
throughout the event.
Speaker 4 (20:57):
So it's a lot of fun. It's very laid back.
Speaker 5 (21:00):
So if you just love golfing and just kind of
a laid back atmosphere.
Speaker 4 (21:05):
That's really how it is.
Speaker 5 (21:06):
It's just a you know, every event that I've been to,
it's always just been a beautiful day and it's it
never feels well, not gonna win, but in the past
it's always been beautiful weather and a beautiful event. So
if you want to be involved, like I said, the
Girls Haven our facebook page I'm constantly posting, and then
also on our website you can find that fundraiser as
(21:28):
well as any other fundraisers on there that you can
sign up to be a team or a sponsor or
just to learn more about.
Speaker 4 (21:35):
What we do.
Speaker 5 (21:35):
If you want to come take a tour, we do
tours of Girls Haven as well, just to kind of
learn more about what we do here.
Speaker 1 (21:42):
Excellent and can is there a phone number they can
call or is the website the best way to get
that schedule?
Speaker 5 (21:54):
Oh?
Speaker 4 (21:54):
Sorry, cut out for a second, that's all right.
Speaker 2 (21:57):
Is there a phone number for them to call?
Speaker 4 (22:01):
Yes? So four O nine eight three two six two
two three.
Speaker 1 (22:05):
For Girls Haven our girlshavenet dot org.
Speaker 2 (22:08):
We'll be right back and we are back on.
Speaker 1 (22:17):
The Roy West Show on Sunday afternoon. Thank you so
much for joining us. Obviously, I am not Roy West.
I am April Tolbert filling in for Roy today with
a fantastic lineup of guests talking about some great things
that are happening in and around our community. Southeast Texas
is never boring. There are always things to do, there
(22:41):
are always great causes to support, and this one is
definitely a perfect example of that. We have Jeanette Harvey.
She is with Hope Clinic and they have their big
clay shoot coming up on February twenty second. Jeanette, thank
you for being with us.
Speaker 6 (22:59):
Sure, thanks, thank for having me.
Speaker 1 (23:01):
Absolutely we are glad that you joined us because these
clay shoots are extremely popular and I know they are
something that raise a good amount of money for the
Hope Clinic. So tell us, first of all, tell us
some details about how can people get involved with the
clay shoot on February twenty second.
Speaker 6 (23:21):
Okay, great, well we really need There's some teams and
you can register a team at Hope Clinic Partners dot
com slash Aim for Life. We have several different levels
of teams, but all the teams include a party of
four and then the actual tournament that day, which we
call Aim for Life, where you'll shoot to win trophies
(23:43):
and bragging rights. We also have free breakfast in lunch
for all the teams sponsored by Valero, and they do
know what they're doing. They do some good cooking out there.
And then of course we'll have some prizes and some
raffle tickets to sell and they'll be game shooting games
other than the actual tournament.
Speaker 1 (24:05):
That sounds like a fun day. And you talk about
those guys from Valero, those guys and gals, I should say,
they know how to cook up some grub, don't they
They do?
Speaker 6 (24:14):
They do, Yes, for sure. It's it's not only a
fundraiser for us, but it's a great way for us
to get exposure to to people whom we normally don't
get exposure with.
Speaker 2 (24:24):
You know, some of.
Speaker 6 (24:25):
The refinery guys and you know some of the hunters
and things like that that we normally don't get to
mix and mingle with.
Speaker 1 (24:32):
And there are sponsorships still available as well as teams
of four.
Speaker 6 (24:37):
Correct, there are some sponsorships. We're really cutting it down
to the wire because of needing to get the you know,
the merch that goes along with it. But if you
just want to get your name out there, we'll take
your money up to the last day so and you
can go to that same website Hope Clinic Partners dot com,
slash aim for.
Speaker 1 (24:56):
Life Okay, Hope Clinic Partner dot com slash aim.
Speaker 2 (25:02):
For fo r life correct excellent.
Speaker 1 (25:06):
And I always have to make my note of that
because when we finish, I'm going to go check it
out myself. I'd love to maybe put a team together
for this for sure, so I know, and I know
a lot of people do know what the Hope Clinic
does here and where this money raised goes, how it
supports the community, but there may be some people who don't.
(25:30):
So we tell us a little bit about what we're
raising money for and how it's going to impact our community.
Speaker 6 (25:36):
Sure all of the money goes into our programming. We
are a crisis pregnancy center. We offer medical services such
as pregnancy testing, ultrasound, STD testing and treatment, as well
as walking alongside the mothers and the fathers. We serve
the men to to provide material resources and educational resources
until the baby turns one. We're in the process right
(25:58):
now of building a four hundred square foot parenting center,
which we hope we'll open in this next couple of
weeks that will allow us to serve these babies until
they turn three with diapers, wifes, baby beds, car seats,
all the things. We also have a mobile unit that
serves silsby Port Arthur, Orange and Crystal Beach every week.
(26:20):
And we just began work on a clinic in Port Arthur,
so we'll be doing exactly what we do here in Beaumont,
we'll be doing in Port Arthur, and then down the
road we have property to build a homeless shelter for
pregnant women, so women who already have children and are
pregnant or have a baby under the age of one
(26:41):
will have a safe place to stay for a night
or up to two years where we help them finish
all of our programs and get to become self sufficient.
I like to tell people if somebody walked in with
a million dollars, So if they showed up at the
clay shoot and said, I have a million dollars for you,
all of this stuff would be happening in about three months.
But the way it stands right now, it's little by little,
(27:04):
we're getting it done.
Speaker 1 (27:07):
Right, and it takes support. You don't every day have
someone walk in with the dollars, so you know, my
fifty dollars and someone else's one hundred dollars and someone
else's one thousand dollars.
Speaker 2 (27:20):
It really does make a difference.
Speaker 1 (27:24):
In your organization and what you're able to actual impact
that you're able to have in the families, the mothers
and fathers that you are able to serve. Did I
hear something about a resale shop as well.
Speaker 6 (27:38):
Yes, that's another way for us to raise the funds.
We opened a resale shop just this past year at
Gateway Shopping Center here in Beaumont. We are open pretty
much every day ten to four Tuesdays and Thursdays we
open a little later till six, and we're open Saturday mornings.
So come and buy us out. We have plenty of
(27:59):
stuff to refill. We do take donations, not at the store,
they're not really equipped. They can bring it here to
the clinic at thirty seven forty Laurel and we'll get
it processed and over there to the store for them
to buy. But that's what we really need. We need
you to come and buy the stuff and there's some
really great and unique things in there.
Speaker 1 (28:20):
Well you'll definitely find some of my donated items in there,
because you know, and last time I was in the
resale shop, there were some fantastic things and that was
right before Christmas even so please stop buy there if
you're looking for some unique items you need, home goods
you need.
Speaker 2 (28:39):
They don't just.
Speaker 1 (28:40):
Have home goods. They don't just have clothes. They they
don't just have knick knacks.
Speaker 2 (28:44):
They have a beautiful selection of things.
Speaker 1 (28:47):
So stop by the Gateway Shopping Center and support the
Hope Clinics resale shop there as well, or you can
drop donations buy the clinic not by this resale shop Gateway,
but by the clinic at thirty seven forty Laurel. And
we're going to recap this clay shoot because I know
my people out there that enjoy these clay shoots.
Speaker 2 (29:10):
They're so much fun. It's a day of camaraderie.
Speaker 1 (29:14):
You've got, you know, some good food and some things
that are going to be going on out there so
they can get involved.
Speaker 2 (29:20):
Tell them that website one more time. What's the best
way to sign.
Speaker 6 (29:24):
Up Hope Clinic Partners dot com slash Aim for Life
and all the informations there, including the phone number if
they want to call and talk to a person, will
help them that way too. Well.
Speaker 1 (29:36):
We appreciate what all you guys do to serve those
with crisis pregnancies, mothers, fathers, and it sounds like your
mission is really expanding to cover even more of a
need that is not being filled currently in our community.
Speaker 2 (29:55):
So thank you so much. We appreciate you.
Speaker 1 (29:58):
The Hope Clinic there Layshoot is coming up on February
the twenty second, so that's only a couple of days
away if you look at a calendar, So go to
the website now at Hope Clinic Partners dot com slash.
Speaker 2 (30:10):
Aim for Life. We'll be right back after this break.
Speaker 6 (30:14):
Thank you.
Speaker 2 (30:21):
Welcome back to the.
Speaker 1 (30:22):
Roy West Show on KLV I AM five sixty and
the podcast on iHeart, and we are glad to have
you with us this afternoon. I am April Tolber filling
in for Roy West today and you know, we are
talking in these segments today about some great things that
(30:43):
are happening in Southeast Texas. There are a lot of events,
there are a lot of things to support, there are
a lot of things to go and do, and one
of those things that's coming up on April the eighth
is a Closing the Deal Dressed for Success style show.
It's actually being hosted by the Greater Beaumont Chamber of Commerce.
(31:05):
They have a committee called the Women Entrepreneurs Network Committee,
and I'm honored to be a part of that committee.
And today joining me for this segment is Sharita Gardner,
and Sarita is chairing the Dress for Success style show
coming up on April the eighth.
Speaker 2 (31:25):
So I'm going to.
Speaker 1 (31:26):
Turn it over to you, Sarita, and let you tell
everyone what it's all about, how it came to be,
and how they can get involved.
Speaker 2 (31:34):
Thank you for being with us.
Speaker 7 (31:35):
By the way, thank you for having me today April
so WIN is a event series and we are here
to support women in business by providing resources, mentorship, and
networking in support of women who are in business. The
Closing the Deal Dress for Success Luncheon is just one
of the four lunches that the WHEN Network will have
(31:56):
this year in the series. As you've already mentioned, it's
April eighth, It's going to be at the Holiday Inn
and if people are interested in attending We would love
for them to purchase a ticket or a table for
their company, their team, and they can do that by
contacting the chamber four zero nine eight three eight six
five eight one and ask for Mike Simpsons. It's going
(32:18):
to be a great event. It kind of came about
because we thought about what does every woman want to
know in business? In addition to your business acumen in
your industry, it's how do I show up and impress?
How do I show up and look like that I
am setting myself up for success? And we thought an
event like this would be really fun in addition to informatives,
(32:40):
So some of the objectives are just to educate on
proper dress attire, to kind of showcase some transitional pieces
in your business attire. We also want to tell people
what not to wear. We want to support local businesses
and boutiques in our area and showcase what they do.
And so this is going to be a fun event
that is led by women, hosted by women, and hopefully
(33:04):
we get a lot of women to participate, although gentlemen
are welcome as well.
Speaker 1 (33:10):
It is definitely going to be something that's unique that
you don't see a lot of here in Southeast Texas
and as a woman in business. I don't know if
everyone feels the way I do, but sometimes I don't
feel supported.
Speaker 2 (33:25):
I don't feel like there.
Speaker 1 (33:26):
Are things out there that are specifically target me. And
what is unique to me as a woman business owner
or an executive or just a woman that actually.
Speaker 2 (33:39):
Is a part of a business.
Speaker 1 (33:42):
How do we how do things affect us differently, What
do we need to do that's a little different for
us to make sure that we are set for success,
and the way that we dress in our appearance and
those things have something to do with that. So I
think that this is an amazing event that was really
(34:03):
your brain child. So thank you for bringing this to us.
I know you've done some of these before closing the Deal.
When I wrote that down, it's actually tell us how
that came about because it's closed clotes.
Speaker 2 (34:20):
I closing the deal. I thought that was really unique.
Speaker 4 (34:25):
Yeah.
Speaker 7 (34:26):
So, even though this event is mimicked after a Dress
for Success event, we wanted a catchy title that just
kind of showed people we were trying to do something
different and innovative. And I think when we are talking
about business deals, whether we're a board member, whether we
are trying to sell a home insurance. Whether you're in industry,
(34:46):
there are going to be instances where you are sitting
across the table from individuals and you need to close
the deal. You need to let them know why you're there.
And when you leave that table, you want to feel
good about the message that you've left. So of course,
how you show up, how you look, how you feel
that confidence is a part of that. So hopefully we
can help some ladies to put some tools in their
(35:08):
toolkits where they are able to leave the table feeling
like they were able to close the deal and they
look good while they were doing it.
Speaker 2 (35:15):
Look good while you're doing it.
Speaker 1 (35:16):
So I love the other piece of this that you mentioned,
which is we're tying in local store owners, local boutiques,
local people who can help you dress for success and
close the deal. So tell us about what to expects
(35:37):
whenever we show up for the luncheon and who's involved.
Speaker 7 (35:40):
So I think you may have mentioned it, but we
are going to have a style or fashion show. So
we have some celebrity models that some of you may know.
Some of them are local on air personalities, or they
are business owners, or they're just kind of instrumental women
in our community that we would love to see their
(36:00):
take on what they would wear in the boardroom. And
so some of those models consist of shot a chip
from the board of bone Erica Hears and so it's
going to be really fun. We're going to showcase a
few different looks. We're going to showcase how to transition
those looks from day to maybe an evening of it
or social afterwork, and so it's going to be fun.
(36:22):
Debbie Bridgeman is going to be our MC and she's
going to do a great job. Everybody knows that she's
a great on air personality, and so it is going
to be fun. It is going to be innovative. Those
local boutiques will be there. They will have table set
up where you can buy some of the clothing or
pieces afterwards. So not only are you coming to learn
(36:44):
and explore, you're also probably coming to shop a little
bit and add some things to your kind of business
attire in your closet.
Speaker 1 (36:52):
So how much are the boutiques, the local store owners
that are that are being showcased there and their their
and their outfits are being showcase.
Speaker 2 (37:02):
How much input did they have into what to wear
and what not? To wear.
Speaker 1 (37:07):
Are we going to see a little influence of those
particular store owners boutique owners as well.
Speaker 7 (37:15):
I think you will see some influence. We've asked a
couple of local boutiques in the area to pull some
looks for us, and we want those looks to be
able to fit any style, any size that people would
feel comfortable. In addition to that, we may have a
station where someone is able to get their professional headshots done.
(37:37):
So we want this to be a one stop shop
for everything fashion, everything attire. Everything You need to notice
that you're up for success when you are sitting around
that borderom table, or when you're going on an interview
possibly and when you're closing those deals with your customers
or clients.
Speaker 1 (37:56):
One of the things that I love about being involved
in when the Women Entrepreneurs Network, which is the committee
of the Chamber of Commerce that we talked about, we
shorten it by calling it WIN w E N because
we talk about how we win with win, right. We
want to help women win with win And one of
(38:17):
the things that I love about being a part of
WIN is just being in the room with other women
who have faced some of the same challenges as we do.
It really gives you the feeling of you're not alone,
You're not the only one that's struggling with this or that.
(38:38):
And so I anticipate that this room on April the eighth,
at this luncheon will be filled with those women, women
who can help inspire, nurture and mentor and there'll be
some great connections to be made if there as well.
Speaker 7 (38:54):
Correct, I agree April this is going to be a
great event for networking, for meeting some of them influential
women in Southeast Texas. It is definitely an event you
want to get a ticket to. Like I said, it's
going to be multifaceted. We're going to have a lot
of different things that you can add to your either
resume or you can just add to your closet. And
(39:15):
so I think that there's nothing currently done like this
in Southeast Texas. We talked about a couple of shows
we may have seen around town for a few different audiences,
but I've never seen an event like this in Southeast Texas.
So I think it's going to be something special. This
is our first year doing it, so there's a lot
of room for growth and we are looking forward to
it and we are hoping that women are looking forward
(39:37):
to it as well.
Speaker 1 (39:38):
Well. Thank you so much Rita for leading the charge
on this and sharing this event and bringing it to
us here in Southeast Texas.
Speaker 2 (39:46):
Again. It's April the eighth.
Speaker 1 (39:48):
It's going to be at the Holiday Inn out on
Walden Road.
Speaker 2 (39:52):
They have a beautiful facility and setup.
Speaker 1 (39:54):
We're going to have a runway setup and we're gonna
have a lot of fun.
Speaker 2 (39:57):
We're going to have some good food there for the luncheon.
Speaker 1 (40:00):
But if you would like tickets, what is the phone
number there for the chamber that they can call to
get tickets for the events.
Speaker 7 (40:08):
We're zero nine eight three eight sixty five eight one
and asks for Mike Simpson for tickets, tables and even
if you'd potentially want to be one of those vendors
that is set up around the room with our local boutiques,
we will love to have you. If you're a woman
owned business there.
Speaker 2 (40:24):
As well, we hope to see you there.
Speaker 7 (40:26):
See you April eighth.
Speaker 1 (40:30):
We're back on the Roy West Show. I'm April Tolbert's
good to be with you this afternoon. Thank you for
tuning in on News Talk five sixty KLVI and on
the podcast on iHeart Media. So we had a fantastic
show today. We had guests from the Better Business Bureau
(40:51):
of Southeast Texas. Thank you Darren Erwin for being with us,
the CEO at BBB Southeast Texas, talking about consumers and
how you can use the BBB website and how the
value of using BBB accredited businesses when you're looking to
make purchases of do business with people and spend money
(41:13):
here in Southeast Texas. So a great resource there. And
we had Kaylee Henry with Girls Haven. They've got the
golf tournament coming up on Made the fifth at the
Beaumont Country Club, So reach out to Girls Haven about
how to get involved in.
Speaker 2 (41:29):
Their golf tournament that's coming up. Charita Gardner was with us.
Speaker 1 (41:34):
She was representing the Women Entrepreneur Network of the Greater
Beaumont Chamber of Commerce. They have a style show, a
Dressed for Success event on April eighth. Reach out to
the Beaumont Chamber for more information about that. And then
Jeannette Harvey was with us with Hope Clinic and they
have a clay shoot happening on February the twenty second.
Speaker 2 (41:54):
Lots to do in Southeast Texas. Do not say it
is boring here. There is nothing to do.
Speaker 1 (42:02):
There are lots of great things happening, and so many
wonderful people giving back and helping make our community better.
So thank you for joining us. Tune in again next
week to the Roy West Show right here on News
Talk five sixty kl V.
Speaker 2 (42:16):
I have a great rest of your day.
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