Attorney Delia Parker-Mims

Attorney De i P r er-Mim Of Parker Lega

by Dru Murray, Parker Legal

ALewisville family-law attorney, Parker-Mims is passionate about helping her clients. This passion for helping the community is also what’s calling her to run for Denton County Commissioner of District 3.

Says Parker-Mims, “Family law is about your family. Parker Legal advocates for you in divorce matters including child support, custody, property division, spousal maintenance, termination of parental rights and Child Protective Services.” She does that so well that in 2016 she was named one of 10 Best Female Attorneys for client satisfaction by the American Institute of Family Law Attorneys, then again in 2019.

Family law is not her only passion. “I love working with juveniles. Parker Legal provides juveniles representation in all levels from school violations through the juvenile court system,” notes Parker-Mims. “Frequently, children with disabilities exhibit delinquent behavior in school and end up in the juvenile court system with criminal records.”

While Denton County’s juvenile-law system seeks to reform delinquent children, Parker-Mims feels the lack of resources in the community fosters an environment where criminalizing mental disabilities is the easiest way to provide resources. “We must ensure that our juvenile system is not a schoolto-prison pipeline. Currently, punishment of juveniles with mental-health issues that includes solitary confinement worsens their problems.”

Parker-Mims’ concern about the vulnerable in the community has prompted her to become a candidate for Denton County Commissioner District 3. If elected, Parker-Mims will support everyone in the community and fight to create more mental-health resources for both juveniles and adults in the county.

An SMU Law School graduate trained in economics, Parker-Mims has practiced in Denton County for 25 years.

469.464.5789 www.theparkerlegalcenter.com attorney@parkerlegalcenter.com

2303 S. Hwy. 121, Ste. 104, 102 Lewisville, TX 75067

We Got Your Six Stands Tall For homeless veterans

by Steve Gamel

Five years ago, veteran David Johnson was homeless and contemplating suicide. Today, he’s the owner of a thriving sandwich shop in Denton that he hopes will help get his new veteran relief program off the ground.

The sandwich shop is aptly called Patriot Sandwich Company. It opened in February and is a military-themed restaurant that honors each branch of the U.S. military by displaying memorabilia throughout the shop and having a menu that includes fun sandwich names such as the Fiery Napalm, Into The Wild Blue Yonder, and In the Trenches. A portion of all profits go to Johnson’s nonprofit called We Got Your Six that supports homeless veterans in their transition to civilian life.

“With the nonprofit, we don’t get grants or anything like that,” Johnson said. “All of our money comes from private donations and fundraisers. I started Patriot Sandwich Company to help get We Got Your Six the money it needs.”

Though We Got Your Six is still in its infancy stages in terms of needing money, the organization has been around since 2015 and has helped 29 families in four years. It was created to help homeless veterans who think they have been forgotten or abandoned. Johnson started it with fellow veterans Angela Messerlie and James Lopez with the long-term goal of building two facilities in Dallas, one in Houston, and another in San Antonio. involved in a two-year process that includes everything from housing and job placement assistance to debt management and credit repair, job skills and training, money management, team building, and community events.

Hence the name, We Got Your Six. In the military, that means, “I’ve got your back.” The saying originated with World War I fighter pilots referencing the rear of an airplane as the six o’clock position. On the battlefield, your six is the most vulnerable position. So, when someone tells you, “I’ve got your six,” it means they are watching your back.

“I had a family member who moved me from Kentucky to Texas and helped me get back on my feet,” Johnson said of his own trials as a former veteran living on the streets. He is a proud 12-year veteran with the National Guard. He earned two Army Commendation Medals, one Army Achievement Medal, one Army Good Conduct Ribbon, and the Iraq Campaign Ribbon. “But not everyone has that. Once

many of them become homeless, their families don’t want anything to do with them. The fact is that the average homeless vet is homeless for four to seven years. But you can’t expect to take them in and prepare them to reenter society in three to six months. It might take that long just to get to the root of why they got to where they are and the psychological aspect.”

He added, “Our process is two years, and it involves hands-on training and conditioning. It means a lot to me.”