Friends with Benefits

Friends With Benefits (FWB) is a 501(c)(3) in Denton, Texas that benefits North Texas charitable organizations that better our local communities, schools and/or neighborhoods. Our goal is to organize fun events in Denton, Texas to raise funds and awareness to north Texas charitable organizations and causes. Our First Friends Friends With Benefits (FWB) is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization founded in 2013 by three friends, Kiara Helgesen, Mindy Arendt and Charlie Hunter, in Denton, Texas.  In 2013 an F5 tornado devastated a part of the small town where Kiara went to high school. In an effort to use her skills as a veterinary technician, Kiara decided to volunteer her time to help any way she could. Unfortunately, she and other volunteers were being turned away on site. It wasn’t long after that she found out the town was not receiving government assistance to rebuild. So, Kiara reached out to her friends at Pan Ector Industries who designed a shirt she would sell to raise funds for the tornado victims and she sold the shirts at his bar Oak St. Drafthouse and Cocktail Parlor. But more needed to be done and in true Mindy fashion she said "Well, then let's do it." A few months later, with the help of Charlie Hunter and Dallas Guill, Friends with Benefits • Denton was born! The group’s first event was successful in raising $4,000 for Habitat for Humanity of Hood County! After the check presentation, the group stayed and helped build homes with the HFH volunteers.