Rob Kepple
This month the Texas District and County Attorneys Foundation kicks off its 2014 Annual Campaign. You will find an envelope stapled into this edition of The Texas Prosecutor, and we hope that you may take a moment to show your support for the advancement of our profession by sending in a donation. There are lots of different contributions people and organizations make: in honor of someone, in memory of someone, or a gift targeted to a specific purpose. A gift in response to the Annual Campaign is an important show of support and goes a long way toward our goal of strengthening our profession well into the future.
We know that folks reading this are government workers without deep pockets. But with the Annual Campaign, we think of the old saw “a mile wide and an inch deep.” We have over 5,800 members now and a modest contribution—even $25—from a majority of our membership would be a significant show of support. So please consider a contribution!
Randalls and Tom Thumb partner with TDCAF
Recently Randalls and Tom Thumb grocery stores agreed to include the Texas District and County Attorneys Foundation in their Good Neighbor programs. It is one way they give back to non-profits like the TDCAF, and it is a way you can support the Foundation without pulling out your checkbook.
Those who shop at Randalls need only stop by Customer Service with your Randalls card (the store’s loyalty program card), and give them the Texas District and County Attorneys Foundation Good Neighbor Number, which is 13232. Customer Service will connect this number to your Randalls/Tom Thumb card, and from then on, the stores will donate 1 percent of your purchases to the Foundation. It is just that simple. So next time you are in your grocery store, think of the Foundation and take a minute at the Customer Service desk.
If this process sounds familiar, that’s because it is: For a short stretch in the last year, we had partnered with the Giving Tree Network to send a percentage of your online purchases at certain retailers to the Foundation. While it was a promising partnership at first, it unfortunately did not pan out, and we have terminated the partnership. But we look forward to offering our members more opportunities to give to the Foundation by their everyday purchases.
The Brady webinar
By now everyone knows of a prosecutor’s duty to take a one-hour mandatory course on our duty to disclose exculpatory and mitigating evidence (Brady training). TDCAA is developing a webinar that will be available on our website, www. tdcaa.com, toward the end of this summer to provide that training. With grant funding already dedicated to other worthy projects, the Foundation is supporting the production of that webinar and is actively working to bring in support from others in the community.
Stay tuned!