Men of Nehemiah is an All-Male Residential Recovery Program in South Dallas

Ervin Lee of Southlake is a successful marketing executive, author, and DFW radio personality. He co-hosts the radio program and podcast “From Beer to the Bible” on 100.7 FM The Word every Saturday at 8 p.m. 

Lee also works as a spiritual coach and consultant for Fortune 500 executives, leaders, and pastors. Lee is the picture of success. He is also a recovering alcoholic. The former liquor store owner has been sober for eight years. And he uses lessons he has learned to help other men who are battling addiction. 

“Being a Mentor is one of the most rewarding things I’ve done in my life,” said Lee. “I know what it’s like to need help. This is my opportunity to give back. The main obstacle to building trust is getting a man to be real and authentic. You have to be a good listener.”

Lee currently mentors two men who are in treatment at Men of Nehemiah, a nine-month long, all-male addiction treatment center that combines Biblical discipleship with professional counseling and military discipline. Lee isn’t the only man who has faced addiction. 

Originally from Lake Charles, Louisiana, Kenneth is not a typical down and out addict. “I didn’t come from under a bridge,” Kenneth said recently. In fact, he has a bachelor’s degree in theology. “I’ve been married for 15 years. My wife and I met in church. We grew together in church. I have grandkids. I had a drug problem that I tried to hide from my wife and children. It ain’t so easy to quit. I’ve been through rehab before. I went to one in San Antonio, but they didn’t have the resources Men of Nehemiah does. This organization gives me the tools I need and the opportunity to use the God in me.”

Lee said, “The first time I hung out with Kenneth, I knew I needed to establish a relationship with him. I wanted him to know he wasn’t just talking to a guy who read about life in a book. You’re sitting across from a man who’s made all the mistakes you have, and most times a few that you haven’t made.”

“We’ve been like glue ever since,” Kenneth says of Lee as a mentor. “He gave me what I need, man. He’s been through some things just like I have. So, he ain’t telling me nothing he ain’t been through himself.”

Lee’s other mentee, Blake, came to Texas from Chicago. “I came to Men of Nehemiah because I was struggling with meth. But what I was struggling with more than drugs was an identity. I didn’t know who I was or who I wanted to be. As crazy as it sounds, I let my culture and rap music raise me. I got all my values from places that weren’t sound. I was just lost.”

Blake looks at Lee and sees a life he wants. “One day we were in his car and he started talking about our future like it was already here. I know he’s going to put me in a community and I know he’s going to be around. I didn’t say anything about it. I just let it flow. But that was a big deal to me. He’s just a random man. But he’s a man of God. And he started treating me like family without even knowing it. It just flowed so naturally. I knew it was real. Being able to have a community with him is important. Because the community I created for myself was no good.”

Men of Nehemiah offers men a nine-month residential recovery program that seeks to restore lives that have been derailed by drug and alcohol addiction. The objective is to help each man become the person God intended him to be and reunite him with his loved ones and community.

“Mentorship is huge,” said Jim Ramsey, CEO at Men of Nehemiah. “A lot of men have rebuilt the values they held. Mentors give them confidence. They are good listeners. A mentor is really just a friend with a purpose.”

In 1994, Pastor Louis Harrell, a former US Army Colonel, founded Men of Nehemiah in New Orleans to deliver his wayward son, Louis Harrell, Jr., from the grip of addiction. After being restored, Louis Jr. relocated to North Texas, where he launched Men of Nehemiah in South Dallas with the help of Roger McCasland, President and CEO of Operation Relief Center.

Today, Men of Nehemiah has helped more than 1,500 men find paths to recovery. Research compiled in 2022 affirmed that 61% of men who graduated from Men of Nehemiah prior to 2020 stayed sober for at least two years. Of the men who graduated from the program in 2022, 100% were employed when they left the program, and each man had a savings account. More information is available at menofnehemiah.org.

An Incredible Blizzard Treat is Coming to Texas

A delicious new Blizzard® Treat is the perfect way to kick off the new year. The Caramel Fudge CheesecakeBlizzard Treat will be in DQ® restaurants in Texas in January. For a limited time, fans can enjoy creamy cheesecake pieces and fudge-covered salty caramel pieces blended with our world-famous soft serve.

Perfect for dine-in, take-out or delivery where available, the Caramel Cheesecake Blizzard Treat is only available through the end of January while supplies last at DQ restaurants in Texas.

Fans can order all their favorite Treats and Eats through the DQ Texas mobile app. Sign up for the “Best Treats & Eats in Texas,” learn about great deals and earn rewards. New users receive a free Blizzard Treat (any size) or a Hungr-Buster® just for signing up.

For more than 75 years, DQ restaurants in Texas have been friendly, gathering spots where fans enjoy delicious treats and eats and create fond memories. To be the first to learn about Blizzard of the Month flavors, new product news from the Texas Dairy Queen Operators’ Council or find a store location, follow us on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook or visit dqtexas.com.

About Texas Dairy Queen Operators’ Council 
There are few brands as iconic as the DQ brand. Innovative DQ treats and eats, along with the unique DQ restaurant concepts, have positioned DQ restaurants in Texas as a leader in the quick service restaurant industry. The Texas Dairy Queen Operators' Council is a nonprofit organization made up of DQ franchisees operating in Texas. The Council develops the advertising and marketing program for DQ franchisees in Texas and controls the Texas Country Foods menu along with managing supply/distribution for the nearly 600 DQ restaurants in Texas. The DQ restaurants in Texas are franchised by American Dairy Queen Corporation and the DQ franchise system includes approximately 7,000 franchised locations in the United States, Canada, and more than 20 other countries, including the nearly 600 DQ restaurants in Texas. 

Men of Nehemiah, a local nonprofit working to rebuild the lives of men who have been torn apart by drug and alcohol addiction, recently presented an uplifting Christmas concert at Park Cities Baptist Church featuring a 50-man choir comprised of men who are currently in recovery. Video of the full concert is online at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aXJwVUFOK14.

While some of these men came from successful careers and previously lived with their families in gated communities, many were living on the streets. Some were even incarcerated prior to coming to Men of Nehemiah. Addiction respects no zip code.

The Men of Nehemiah program helps each man deal with his addiction towards the goal of reuniting a mentally healthy man with his family and community. Men of Nehemiah uses a structure based on Biblical discipleship, clinical counseling, and military structure. More information about Men of Nehemiah is available at menofnehemiah.org.

Park Place Dealerships Delivers Grants to 18 North Texas Non-Profits

Eighteen North Texas non-profits received an early holiday gift through a Season of Giving grant from Park Place Dealerships. The dealership group awarded $100,000 to the non-profits who serve the greater Dallas/Fort Worth area.

Park Place received applications from more than 400 North Texas area non-profits. They selected the recipients for a Season of Giving grant that aligns with one of Park Place’s Four Pillars of Giving: Education; Medical Research; Advocacy; or the Arts.

“It was wonderful to learn about so many different non-profits who are doing great work across Dallas/Fort Worth,” said Tony Carimi, managing director of Park Place Dealerships. “In addition to providing end of year grants, Park Place Members will be actively engaged in volunteering with these non-profit partners throughout 2024. It’s inspiring to see the impact our Members make in the community.”  

Under Park Place Cares, Park Place Dealerships’ philanthropic arm, the Season of Giving program provides a one-time grant ranging from $2,500 to $10,000. This is the third year of the program which has now donated $300,000 to 65 charities since the inaugural Season of Giving.  The Park Place Cares program has donated millions to charities in the last 36 years.

The chosen organizations are diverse in their missions and the areas they serve throughout North Texas. The charities receiving a grant for the 2023 Season of Giving include:

Education

• Academy 4 (Fort Worth)
• Primo’s (Dallas)
• Vogel (Dallas)

Medical 

• Mammogram Poster Girls (Dallas)
• Hope Center 4 Autism (Fort Worth)
• Evan’s Avengers (Denton)

Advocacy

• Annie’s Place (Dallas)
• Camp Summit (Dallas)
• The Vitamin Bridge (Coppell)
• Carry The Load (Dallas)
• Airborne Angel Cadets of Texas (Farmers Branch)
• Canine Companions (Irving)
• Community Caring Center (Azle)
• Heroes For Children (Plano)
• Children’s Advocacy Center for North Texas (Lewisville)
• Apollo Support and Rescue (Justin)
• Ability Connection (Irving)

Arts

• Sixty & Better (Arlington)

“For more than 35 years, Park Place has partnered with local charities that serve Dallas/Fort Worth and surrounding areas,” said Kara Connor, Park Place Dealership’s Experiential Marketing Manager. “We have developed relationships with many amazing organizations who serve North Texas in meaningful ways. We are excited to learn more about these new recipients and learn how we can work together going forward to help them achieve their goals.”

A committee comprised of Park Place members from the nine dealerships across North Texas selected the non-profits to receive Season of Giving grants.

Park Place Dealerships was founded in 1987 and has been engaged in the community through its support of the arts, medical research, children’s advocacy, and education. Park Place employs more than 1,400 members and operates eight full-service dealerships representing luxury brands including Lexus, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Volvo, Acura, and Land Rover. Park Place BodyWerks Collision Centers in Fort Worth and Dallas, and the Park Place Auto Auction, round out the company’s offerings. Park Place was acquired in 2020 by Asbury Automotive Group, Inc., a Fortune 500 company headquartered in Duluth, GA. For more information, visit parkplace.com. 

NSX Owners of Texas Bring Rare Supercars to the Celebration

Children who are patients at Cook Children’s Medical Center in Prosper are the beneficiaries of Park Place Acura’s first anniversary celebration, held at the exquisite 68,000 square-foot facility just south of Spring Creek off the Dallas North Tollway in Plano. Guests brought new toys and games to donate to the children’s hospital.

During the event, members of the NSX Owners of Texas showcased their many different models of the rare Acura NSX supercar. Tracing its origins back to 1984, the NSX was the world’s first mass produced car with an all-aluminum body. At its peak in 1992, less than 2,000 NSX models were sold in the U.S. Acura discontinued the NSX last year, with only 300 NSX Type S models sold in the U.S in 2022.

Guests enjoyed music by DJ Chris with Inkredible Sounds, celebratory sips featuring a bubbly bar, hand-made donuts by Li’l Bits Mini Donuts, and Boba drinks provided by Bobaddiction.

“We’re proud of the relationships we’ve developed over the past year,” said Jason Feuerberg, Park Place Acura General Manager. “We’ve had the opportunity to give back to our community in many ways, including Park Place Members volunteering their time with several non-profit agencies across Collin County. Park Place has established a great reputation over the past 35 years for taking care of our Members, clients and the community.”

Feuerberg began his journey more than 23 years ago as a porter at the original Park Place Lexus dealership on Preston Road while attending college at the University of North Texas. After graduating in 2001, he joined Park Place as a sales consultant. Feuerberg was named General Manager of the Park Place Acura dealership last year.

Located off the Dallas North Tollway, just south of Spring Creek Parkway, Park Place Acura is one of the largest Acura dealerships in the country with a six-car showroom and a 37-bay service center. 

Cook Children’s Health Care System has been recognized as one of the best children’s hospitals in the nation, earning five rankings in the U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Children’s Hospitals” list for 2023-2024. Based in Fort Worth, Cook Children’s 8,000+ dedicated team members care for more than 1.5 million patient encounters each year at its two medical and surgery centers, a physician network, home health services and a health plan.

Park Place Dealerships was founded in 1987 and has been engaged in the community through its support of the arts, medical research, children’s advocacy, and education. Park Place employs more than 1,400 members and operates eight full-service dealerships representing luxury brands including Acura, Lexus, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Volvo, Jaguar, and Land Rover. Park Place BodyWerks Collision Centers in Fort Worth and Dallas, and the Park Place Auto Auction, round out the company’s offerings. Park Place was acquired in 2020 by Asbury Automotive Group, Inc., a Fortune 500 company headquartered in Duluth, GA. For more information, visit parkplace.com. 

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