In last Monday's debut episode of the Real Housewives of Dallas, we saw two of the shows stars go head to head over what it means to be of value in the Dallas charity world. Brandi Redmond declared that if you can't write a big check, you just need to stay home and that spending money on food and drinks for Kickoff Parties and such is a waste of cash. Housewife LeeAnne Locken argued that the donation of her time and talents were just as valuable as money. "In Dallas, you can play in charity in a lot of different way, says Locken during an interview scene in episode one of RHOD. My way is not so much writing the big checks. I volunteer There's little things that need to be done. Who's going to provide the champagne? Who's going to provide the tables? Who's going to provide the venue? Well, guess what. Those are all the phone calls I make." Episode One ended in an angry standoff at the O.K. Corral over the topic. The Dallas charity circuit is already a nervous wreck about how this show is going to portray their efforts and I knew this episode would have tongues wagging. As a publicist by profession, I contend that any press is good press. It's all in how you spin it. So, I decided to spin it and use the spotlight given to the Dallas non-profit world as an opportunity for a productive conversation. Personally, I think that they are both right. Someone very wise once told me that there are three "T's" in the charity world: those who give of their Time, their Talents and their Treasures ($$$) and that all three are valuable in different ways. I reached out to all of the charities that you will see featured on #RHOD this season (and a few others) and asked them to weigh in on the debate. This post is rather lengthy, but I wanted to give every organization who took the time to respond a voice in this article. Read on...
