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April 2008
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Here's a story I did on Ben Looney. He is an amazing guy and has such an inspirational story of the work that he is doing with the young teenage girls at Willoughby House in Fort Worth. You'll be touched by his story. One girl that I met whose mother was on the run for prostituting her out at a young age, talked about how she used to think about killing herself every day. Now because of the influence of Ben Looney being a mentor to her, she feels like someone cares for her for the first time in her life. Gone are the thoughts of suicide. They've been replaced with hope. Oh and Ben is also a gifted artist. He is not only known for the great dishes that he creates, but also for his artistic sculptures and designs using food. He'll be showcasing his work at Taste of Addison on May 9th and 10th. Be on the lookout for him!
12:00 AM CDT on Friday, April 25, 2008
The girls are bused from the halfway house to celebrate what for many will be the first birthday party ever held in their honor. The teens at Willoughby are serving sentences for crimes like drug possession and assault while learning independent living skills. For four years, Mr. Looney, a North Dallas private residence chef, has been making the drive to Fort Worth dishing up cooking lessons and much more. He believes that more than $200 a month on gasoline and birthday parties and hundreds of volunteer hours are well-spent. "I let them know that in their dark lives that people won't give up on them," said the graduate of Lakewood Presbyterian School and the Art Institute of Dallas. "I do it because I was them and people went out of their way to help me." Mr. Looney, 29, openly shares his past addiction to drugs and alcohol. He hit rock bottom five years ago during a drinking binge with childhood friend Grant Bortnem. "We poured the alcohol out and prayed," Mr. Looney said. "The next morning that strong dependency was gone. It was like God's signal that he had things for us to do." The two became active at Chase Oaks Church. There he met a counselor from Willoughby who encouraged him to volunteer. Since then he's been a twice monthly staple in the kitchen, inspiring many to become chefs, according to DeAnn Spence, the Fort Worth school district teacher at Willoughby. "He teaches them about cooking," she said. "But it's his commitment that shows he's there for them. A lot of people in their lives don't come through for them. He does." The Texas Youth Commission recently recognized Mr. Looney for the difference he's making with the teens. He shared credit with his church outreach group. "Ben shows these girls hope with no strings attached," Mr. Bortnem said. "He feels like his life has been redeemed and wants to give back to people in the same place." As the party ended Saturday, a teen brags that she can now make a cake from scratch. "Chef Ben taught me the reward of seeing patience pay off in cooking and in life," she said. "I used to think about killing myself every day. Not any more." Mr. Looney credits the love from his parents for getting him through his tough times. "I want these girls to have the same blessings in their lives," he said. "It's letting them know that everyone deserves a second chance."
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