Sixty-plus tables filled the Midway Church sanctuary for the Denton Freedom House’s 12th annual gala.
Each table had a vibrant green plant at the center, with seed packets beside every plate. The theme this year was “Where Fresh Starts Take Root.”
“This year is all about people getting a new chance,” said Chad Eskew, director of Development and Growth at Denton Freedom House. “We believe that the gospel is the fresh seed that is implanted into the men and women, and then that seed takes root. And Psalm 1:3 says that ‘in everything we do, we prosper.’” Fresh starts took place in many ways, as Eskew described how the men and women in the program shared their testimonies at different tables before the service and guided guests to their seats.
Some alumni returned as sponsors, hosting their own tables.
Three of the alumni from the men and women’s program delivered their testimonies on stage.
Stefan Web performed a song on guitar related to the theme.
Skylar Westbrook shared how he overcame his battle with addiction.
Cheryl Athey shared her story, about being saved from a broken place and how the program helped her.
“Denton Freedom House is where I learned to sit quietly in God’s presence,” Athey said. “It’s where I learned how to read his word. It’s where I was able to stop long enough to learn the difference between worldly love and Godly love. I am now 862 days free from addiction.”
Good news continued as she shared how she met her fiancé, Kyle Foster, through the Freedom Food Pantry.
Foster received good news the day before the gala from his Dallas probation officer, where he learned he was released 2 ½ years early from probation due to his participation in the program.
“That’s somebody that’s never walked into the Freedom House,” he said. “He’s seen the fruit and the roots. They were planted just through phone conversations.”
The pair said they will continue to build a Christcentered relationship and plan to get married in October.
Another couple planting roots is Hannah and Anthony Stavinoha, who met after Hannah joined the program in 2023 and got involved in the DFH’s home group church following a DWI.
After Hannah completed the program, the couple started chatting more.
“When I came into Freedom House, I learned what it really looked like and what it took to walk out that relationship with Christ and learn what real love really was,” she said. “And I had no idea what I had been missing the entire time. … I found a joy that I never knew existed, and I found where I belonged.”
The two married in 2025, the same year they attended their first gala together.
They have since welcomed their first baby boy, James.
“He’s only 10 weeks old, born on Christmas night—7 pounds, 7 ounces, 7:57 p.m.,” Hannah said.
The gala holds a special place in their hearts.
“To see the residents while I was in the program, and now that I’m outside of the program, just seeing them come together and just share what God has done for them, and just seeing how many lives he touched, … just feeling the Holy Spirit in the room—it’s always beautiful,” Hannah said.
The money from the fundraiser supports different sectors of DFH.
CFO Ken Willingham discussed the stats and provided updates on the strides the program is making in the 2025-26 year.
Out of the 88 men who entered the program last year, 36 graduated.
Although the women’s program has a waitlist, he said, 27 women joined, eight graduated and four were baptized.
Willingham also discussed the Freedom Food Pantry, which served 5,800 families last year.
He spoke, too, about Zera Coffee & Events.
“We run it as a business, with best business practices, however [it’s] important that we are unapologetically Christian,” Willingham said.
