Week 51. Dallas Life

December 22, 2018

I can’t believe I am nearing the end of my 52 weeks of service. It really has been an amazing adventure!

For Week 51, I spent time at Dallas LIFE, one of my favorite places to volunteer. We scheduled our lunch-service shift for the Saturday immediately after school was released for the holiday break. I was joined by 20 members of Lakehill Preparatory School‘s Warrior Outreach Organization.

From its humble beginnings in 1954 as the Dallas Rescue Mission, housing 25 men a night, Dallas LIFE has grown into the largest homeless shelter in North Texas. Its current facility on Cadiz Street in downtown Dallas houses up to 700 men, women, and children, and offers a multitude of programs to serve those experiencing homelessness.

Under the direction of Reverend Bob Sweeney since 2005, Dallas LIFE has continued to grow, adding a computer school and GED program, and establishing long-term programs for senior citizens and those with slight mental health issues. The 10-month New LIFE Program graduates approximately 50 residents each year who are recovered from addition, reconnected with family, and have housing and employment.

All Dallas LIFE guests are served three balanced meals per day. According to their website, the shelter serves an average of 1,000 to 1,200 meals daily. The newly remodeled kitchen and dining area are staffed primarily by residents, and most of the food prepared at Dallas LIFE comes through their in-kind product donation program.

The 100,000 square-foot facility offers dormitory style housing for men and women on separate floors. There are also 50 individual family unit rooms, allowing children to remain with their parents. Additional temporary space can be created during extreme weather.

Clothing donations are sorted, inventoried, and placed in the clothing room, where residents can select outfits for themselves and their children.

The in-house computer center helps residents develop computer skills and use email. The New LIFE Program incorporates basic office software training and resume preparation classes. Residents can also complete GED requirements. A state-of-the-art clinic provides free medical, dental, and vision treatment. Free individual and group counseling is available, as well as play therapy for children. A full-time chaplain is on staff to oversee the spiritual program, including daily chapel services, Sunday worship, prayer meetings, and Bible study. Children and teens are welcome at Dallas LIFE, and parents can take advantage of a wealth of resources, including supplies, parenting classes, and childcare referrals.

It is extremely easy to volunteer at Dallas LIFE. You must first fill out a Volunteer Application for an individual or a group (one person may complete the application for all members in the group). Once you pass a background check and are approved, you can log in under the schedule tab to see the daily needs. You can schedule yourself or your group online, according to your availability. A variety of opportunities are available, from serving meals to sorting donations in the clothing closet.

Over the years, I have taken several groups to volunteer for the lunch service at Dallas LIFE, and always find it a wonderful experience. It is a great way to interact directly with the residents.

All volunteers serving in food service must be 10 years of age or older. Those 10-12 years of age can serve cold foods, desserts, and drinks in the dining room. Volunteers 13 years of age or older can join the adults in the kitchen to help serve hot foods and keep the food line stocked. Volunteers will be provided with aprons, gloves, and hair nets. A typical shift is about two hours.

Volunteers are given instructions from the Food Service Staff upon arrival, and are assigned a position. Working on the food service line, serving water, cleaning tables, carrying trays, and washing dishes are all possibilities. On this visit, we also enjoyed preparing some of the food prior to the meal service.

Dallas LIFE follows a conservative dress code, so be sure to dress accordingly. Jeans or slacks should be worn by volunteers serving in the kitchen. Dallas LIFE asks that volunteers avoid running shorts, leggings, or tights as pants. Shirts must have sleeves, an appropriate neckline, and cover the midriff. Closed-toe shoes are required.

Find out more and get involved here.

 

Week 48. Feed My Starving Children

December 1, 2018

During my 48th week of service, I volunteered for Feed My Starving Children with Upper School members of the Warrior Outreach Organization (WOO) at Lakehill Preparatory School.

I first learned about Feed My Starving Children (FMSC) at Voly in the Park last summer. I spoke to them at length and learned that they were opening a facility in Texas. It was simple to sign up a group with their online registration process.

Feed My Starving Children is a Christian non-profit organization that coordinates the packaging and distribution of food to people in developing nations. Founded in 1987, it has reached out to more than 70 countries. Their process is simple. The organization recruits volunteers, including school children, to assist in packing. They also employ paid staff to supervise the operations.

Volunteers hand-pack scientifically formulated MannaPack meals for undernourished children, which are distributed to a network of missions and humanitarian organizations around the world. FMSC works with food partners who are reaching the most needy and vulnerable in Africa, the Caribbean, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and North, Central, and South America. Donations fund the meal ingredients. Volunteers are encouraged to donate, or shop in the gift shop (or online) for t-shirts and hand-crafted items. A donation of just $80 helps them feed one child for an entire year.

FMSC has permanent sites in Arizona, Illinois, Minnesota and Texas. Opportunities are also available nationwide through FMSC MobilePack events, which allow volunteers to engage in an impactful meal-packing experience, regardless of their location in the United States. These special events provide the opportunity to instill compassion in your own community and improve the lives of malnourished children around the world.

Volunteering with FMSC was a well-organized process from start to finish. It was easy to sign up, the training was thorough, and atmosphere was energetic and fun. I especially appreciated the debriefing after the packing was completed, as well as the opportunity to sample a MannaPack meal. It added a special connection between what we were doing and who we were serving. During our shift, volunteers packed 151 boxes, representing 32,616 meals–enough to feed 89 children for a year.

Sign up to volunteer here or learn more about hosting a MobilePack event.

Week 43.Graffiti Abatement with the City of Dallas

October 27, 2018

Graffiti is the personal act of marking or etching on someone’s property without their effective consent. Painting graffiti, also known as “tagging,” is a crime.

The Dallas Police Department is dedicated to the eradication of graffiti vandalism by pursuing prosecution of the suspects to the fullest extent of the law, as well as providing education and preventive programs though coordinated efforts of city agencies, business organizations, and community groups.

Managed by the Department of Code Compliance, the Graffiti Abatement and Prevention Program (GAPP) aims to to eliminate problematic tagging through community involvement, education, and building sustainable partnerships.

I have partnered with the City several times, taking students of all ages to paint over graffiti. They do great job educating the volunteers about graffiti in our community. They also introduced us to the Fabrication Yard in West Dallas, where the City gives street taggers a canvas where they can legally display their work. Since 2013, when Dallas declared that the building would be a “free wall,” graffiti artists have found a place to paint without fear of arrest.

The City enlists volunteers to maintain the other buildings in the area. On October 27, I volunteered to paint over graffiti with 20 members of our Warrior Outreach Organization (WOO) at Lakehill Preparatory School. We provided a five-gallon bucket of gray paint and the city provided the gloves, brushes, rollers, and other supplies. The graffiti runs the gamut, from impressive artwork to inappropriate tagging. I always enjoy seeing what the graffiti artists have created when allowed to do so legally. When it comes to painting over the tagging, I appreciate that it’s relatively easy to cover it up and make things look better. Just for fun, the City let us do a bit of our own “tagging” (see bottom picture). But don’t worry – we painted over it after we took the picture!

The City of Dallas has established a variety of programs to help control, prevent, and remove graffiti. Volunteers are always needed.

Find out more.

Week 42.Voice of Hope

October 15, 2018

Our Community Connections students at Lakehill Preparatory School and I have been volunteering with Voice of Hope for several years. Spending a day with the children they serve is always a highlight of our Middle School Community Connections camp. Our high school students involved with the Warrior Outreach Organization have participated as well. We love working in the classrooms on arts and crafts projects, or in the gym with physical activities and games. We have also cleaned closets and organized supplies when needed.

Voice of Hope is a wonderful community partner, and always attends our Volunteer Fair at Lakehill. This year, I asked those organizations in attendance to let us know if they ever had any projects we could complete on our campus, from stuffing envelopes to assembling packets.

Voice of Hope needed a group to stuff 2,000 invitations for their Voice of Hope Night at the Winspear Opera House, to be held on December 7. In addition to raising critical funds, the Sing an Irish Christmas event, featuring Keith and Kristyn Getty, also provides the opportunity for children and families to hear the message of Christmas and experience the blessings of the season.

We gathered in the Lakehill Library to form stations, preparing invitations, response cards, and envelopes for mailing. The students really took ownership of the project, and were determined to get all 2,000 invitations ready.The energy and focus the students put into the project was amazing. They completed the task, and felt a tremendous sense of accomplishment.

Voice of Hope has a rich history in the West Dallas community, giving children the resources and individual attention they need to grow into productive citizens and strong leaders. Founded in 1982, Voice of Hope has grown to serve over 300 children daily in their ASPIRE after-school program and Summer Day Camp. Their vision is to see inner-city families equipped with the resources and skills needed to overcome and break the poverty cycle.

Voice of Hope depends on volunteers to achieve their mission. Some volunteers work directly with children in the ASPIRE After-School Program or Summer Day Camp, while others serve behind the scenes in support roles and garnering in-kind donations. Find out how you can get involved.

Volunteering doesn’t have to mean traveling to another location. There are many things you can do to help local non-profits from your home or school. Just ask!

 

 

Week 14: Kite Day for Bayles Elementary School

April 7, 2018

Kite Day is an annual celebration that brings students from Bayles Elementary to Lakehills nearby campus on Ferguson Road. Lakehill has hosted this event for many years, with attendance usually near 400 or 500. Braving unseasonably cold temperatures this year, our Lakehill volunteers welcomed the students and their families for the annual celebration on April 7.

The fields at Lakehill’s Roger L. Perry Campus provided the perfect location, as an old-school pastime became a new favorite for those who attended. Volunteers handed out kites and offered guidance to novice kite fliers and their families. The Lion’s Club fired up the grill to serve a hot dog lunch to all who attended. This year, the grill also provided welcome relief from the cold, and a place to warm up from the chilling winds. Despite the dropping temperatures, the children’s spirits soared as high as the kites they were flying.

Bayles Elementary was established by the Dallas Independent School District in 1956 and has educated thousands of children in the Ferguson Road community for more than 50 years. The administration and staff at Bayles work closely with neighborhood organizations to create strong community partnerships to support their students and help them reach their fullest potential.

Communities work best when the local schools are supported. Why not offer your support for a school in your community?

 

Week 12: East Lake Pet Orphanage (ELPO)

March 24, 2018

Volunteering with animals is always a favorite project with my students. In the past, however, I have had trouble finding suitable venues where large groups of students can actually interact with the cats and dogs. I was thrilled when East Lake Pet Orphanage (ELPO) agreed to let me volunteer on a Saturday with a group of 20 high school members of our Warrior Outreach Organization (WOO).

We took a tour of the facility, including the animal hospital, the pet orphanage, and the cat care center. We also heard from a veterinarian at the hospital. The best part, of course, was spending time interacting with the orphan kittens.

ELPO is a non-profit organization dedicated to the rescue and rehabilitation of unwanted and abandoned pets in order to prevent their eventual euthanasia. Their goal is to place these animals in stable, loving homes after they are health screened, spayed/neutered, current on vaccinations, and generally in good health.

ELPO partners with both public and private like-minded organizations to educate the general public on the importance of spaying/neutering and responsible pet ownership through classes, media, and public activities.

Volunteers must attend a volunteer orientation meeting or meet personally with the volunteer coordinator before beginning volunteer duties with East Lake Pet Orphanage.

Opportunities include walking dog, socializing with the cats, and helping with fundraising events. Volunteers may also work with Second Chance Treasures, a resale shop benefiting the homeless pets of ELPO, by sorting donations, organizing displays, moving furniture, cleaning, and caring for pets onsite for adoption. Children are welcome to volunteer, but those under 16 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian at all times.

Those who are interested in spending time with the animals and helping out at ELPO should start by filling out the Volunteer Application.

Week 8: Crossroads Community Services

February 24, 2018

During my eighth week of service, I volunteered with Crossroads Community Services in downtown Dallas. I worked with 15 Lakehill high school students as part of our Warrior Outreach Organization (WOO). I have volunteered several times before, with both high school students and with younger children, and always appreciate how organized, efficient, and group-friendly their projects are.

Crossroads Community Services was founded in 2001 as an urban outreach ministry of First United Methodist Church of Dallas. In 2015, the organization began operating as an independent nonprofit organization in order to gain wider community support. Their mission is to nourish low-income families by providing nutritious food and supportive education.

In addition to providing staples to families through their food pantry, Crossroads offers gently-used clothing to their food pantry clients, as well as 20-25 Stewpot clients each day. The organization also supplies diapers and wipes, new socks and underwear, household items such as linens and small appliances, and children’s toys and books. These items help to significantly supplement household incomes, allowing clients to spend the money they save on housing, utilities, or medical bills.

Crossroads Community Services needs 20-25 volunteers each day to ensure that they are serving clients quickly and efficiently. Volunteers are needed to assist clients with food and clothing selection; to receive, sort, and display donated items; to sort and package produce for distribution; and to sort and prep clothing for their Clothing Closet. When we volunteered on Saturday, we sized donated shoes and set them out for display. We also sorted and displayed coats, and bundled diapers to be ready for distribution.

Individuals and groups are encouraged to volunteer, and both weekday and weekend opportunities are available. Group sizes of 12 or less are ideal for the space, but they can make it work even for larger groups. More volunteer information and applications can be found here.

Donations of food, household items, and clothing, with a particular need for men’s shoes, are always appreciated. Donations are accepted from 8:30 a.m. until 2:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, at 1822 Young Street in Dallas.