Community Spotlight: Valerie Shares Her Passion For Helping Others

Valerie is the founder of the Brain Injury Network of Dallas (BIND), a nonprofit that serves the DFW area. After graduating from UNT Denton with a Master’s Degree in Speech Language Pathology, Valerie was leading support groups when she noticed a gap in the social services that were available to adults with brain injuries. She decided to do something about it. From there, BIND was born.

Our firm has a special connection to the organization — Attorney Russell Button serves as the vice president for the board of directors for BIND. Valerie is grateful to have him on board. “He’s fantastic!” she says. “He is intelligent and witty and always available when I reach out. He is very compassionate in everything he does. This shows in what he does with BIND.”

Last month, we sat down with Valerie to learn more about her and her life-changing organization.

How did BIND start? The starting point was when the people who came to my monthly support group kept telling me how much the group meant to them and that it was the highlight of their month. The “wow” moment came when I realized that during the other days of the month, they were isolated. Many were depressed and confined to their homes. The only place they felt safe was at my group. I had many clients who needed extra support, and I was frustrated there wasn’t a place I could refer them. When you’re confronted with a gap in the community, you’re so inspired to create a solution that you’re going to work until you make it happen.

What’s been your favorite moment? The day we opened, everything about BIND felt real. We pulled together the resources and had people who wanted to see this work, not for themselves, but for others. We designated our core values on that day: Service, Quality, Respect, Teamwork, and Determination. We still follow these values today and constantly survey our members to be sure we are holding true to them.

Tell us about your family. I’ve been married for 16 years, and we have two kids. My husband is a graphic designer. He works in the gaming industry! Our daughter is 9, and my son is 7. Both have birthdays in August! (Happy birthday!)

A huge thanks to Valerie and the team at BIND for all the great work they are doing!