Author: lakehillprep

Week 32: The Magdalen House

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August 6, 2018

The Magdalen House, or Maggie’s House, as it is known, is a cost-free recovery community for women. Started in Dallas more than 30 years ago, Maggie’s House has called East Dallas’s Little Forest Hills neighborhood home for 22 years.

The Magdalen House is not a treatment center, but a supportive educational environment, providing an intensive orientation to the solution of recovery embodied in the Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous.

Maggie’s House offers three distinct programs: Social Detox, Peer Recovery, and Community Outreach. All of their programs and services are offered at no cost. The Magdalen House accepts no government funding and is solely supported by private donations and strong community partnerships.

Trader Joe’s and the North Texas Food Bank donate food for the women to cook for themselves. The For the Love of the Lake board (on which I have served since January) often donates fruit after our Second Saturday events. In turn, the women of Maggie’s House scheduled a special lake clean-up with For the Love of the Lake in May. I enjoyed getting to know the women and was impressed by what they are doing in our community. I also appreciated their efforts to give back to the local organizations that are supporting them. It’s a win-win for the entire community.

The Bar Method (White Rock), where I have been taking barre classes since June, has also teamed up with Maggie’s House. The shared goal of building healthy bodies and minds in East Dallas is the perfect partnership. Bar Method is hosting special donation-based classes to support Maggie’s House, and is also holding a supply drive for much needed items. This week I selected several items off the “donations list” to bring to class.

The Magdalen House has a wide array of volunteer opportunities that include working directly with women in their Social Detox Program as sponsors, providing administrative support to staff, and helping out with house maintenance.

What organization is helping people in your neighborhood, and how can you assist them in their mission?

 

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Week 31: The Wilkinson Center

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July 30, 2018

Nothing says “back-to-school” like a new pair of shoes. But for many families, it’s an expense they just can’t afford.

Wilkinson Center volunteer Carlin Morris saw need in East Dallas, and in 1985, started a shoe drive to help provide children with new shoes to start the school year. Since then, this volunteer-founded and volunteer-led program has supplied more than 36,000 children with new shoes and socks.

I have met the dynamic Carlin Morris before, and for many years have wanted to participate in the event that she started and continues to coordinate for the Wilkinson Center, an agency that combines food and emergency assistance to families with multi-generational educational opportunities that can change their lives.

I was thrilled this week to finally participate in the Carlin Morris Shoe Distribution, and to have my son Anders, and my husband Johan, with me. I love it when the three of us volunteer together, and think we will make this one of our annual projects.

We arrived at the Payless Shoes store where we were greeted by Carlin. After a brief orientation, we were ready for our assignment. Once families checked in, and the children received socks and were measured for their shoe size, we led them to the stacks to assist each child in selecting the perfect pair of back-to-school shoes. For many of the children, these are the only shoes they will receive during the entire school year.

We loved chatting with the families, hearing about where the children went to school, and seeing their faces light up when they found their new shoes.

During this 32nd annual shoe distribution, volunteers helped to give away more than 1300 pairs of shoes for children in need. According to the Wilkinson Center, over the course of the distribution, 120 volunteers gave more than 300 hours of service this year–a gift that allows this event to continue year after year.

Volunteers are vital to the success of Wilkinson Center, serving as partners with the organization and assisting in their goal to provide quality programs and services to their clients. I have taken several Lakehill Preparatory School groups to volunteer over the years, and have worked on a variety of projects. My Community Connections campers love partnering with the Wilkinson Center to work in the food pantry or in the resource center.

Individuals or small groups may sign up for volunteer assignments in the Wilkinson Center’s various programs, including food and emergency services, adult education, and family enhancement programs. Corporate and large group should inquire here about projects.

Week 30: Community Connections Camp

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July 23, 2018

This week was my second Community Connections Camp of the summer, during Lakehill Summer Camps. This one was for students in third grade through high school, and we had 32 students! Each day of the camp, we partner with two different organizations (one in the morning, one in the afternoon). Many of these organizations have already been covered in my blog (and are linked to my original posts), while a several others I am writing about for the first time.

I love returning to volunteer with favorite organizations, as well as introducing campers to new places to channel their altruistic energy. I was honored to have Sue Stretcher with me again for this camp, and Rob Vaughn and John Trout helping to get us around town in the big Lakehill bus. Many of our campers return every year to volunteer with us, and they often return with friends. This year, the camp sold out in 45 minutes. I really wish I could lead a camp every week of the summer!

In the morning, we visited The Brady Center, an organization dedicated to improving the lives of seniors through daily meals, information, exercise, and social activities. We visited with the seniors, played 30 rounds of highly competitive Bingo, and passed out prizes. We even did a little dancing at the end of our visit (picture a giant, slow-moving conga line with our 30 campers and more than 100 seniors!)

In the afternoon, we traveled to Crossroads Community Services, where our campers did an amazing job sorting shoes and clothing, organizing donations, stocking food, and packing produce. Crossroads provides much needed services to those living below the poverty line in Dallas. They are always needing donations of men’s and boys’ shoes and clothing – please think of them when clearing out closets! We also learned that as the North Texas Food Bank (NTFB) makes its move to the Perot Family Campus in Plano, Crossroads Community Services has been chosen to operate a regional hub for Southern Dallas out of the Pollock Campus on Cockrell Hill Road.

On Tuesday, we began our day at Hope Supply Co., where our campers packed 2250 diapers and 475 bags of children’s paints to be distributed in back-to-school backpacks. Hope Supply distributes over 40,000 diapers each week to more than 65 partner organizations.

In the afternoon, we traveled to The Furniture Bank, an organization that helps families who are transitioning out of homelessness acquire furniture. Their clients actually purchase the furniture at a reduced cost in most cases, thus helping them in their process of becoming more self-sufficient. We vacuumed, dusted, and cleaned furniture. We also made Welcome Home cards for the families who would receive furniture.

On Wednesday, we traveled to Brother Bill’s Helping Hand in West Dallas, to help in their grocery store and with a special project. We bagged produce, sorted shopping bags, flattened boxes and crates, and prepared for the approximately 100 guests who visited the grocery store. We also sorted boxes and boxes of school supplies and helped prepare backpacks for children for a special event next week.

We spent the afternoon at White Rock Lake for a Shoreline Spruce-up at Lakehill’s adopted shoreline through For The Love of the Lake. It was definitely a day of interesting finds: one group found a wallet, complete with ID and credits cards (a phone call did not turn up the owner, so I will try to deliver to the owner’s home tomorrow); a second group unearthed a large traffic cone from the muddy water; and a third group hauled in a not-so-pristine Air Jordan sneaker and a china plate. You never know what you will find!

Our activities on Thursday really centered on hunger, from the “hidden hungry” served by Meals on Wheels, to the “food insecure” served by Hunger Busters.

In the morning, we headed to the VNA Meals on Wheels headquarters for an orientation and to pick up our food. We then traveled to Potter’s House/Primrose Oaks in South Dallas to deliver.

After lunch, we headed to Hunger Busters, where we made sandwiches and packed 280 sack lunches to be distributed to DISD children who are food insecure. This was my first time to work with this organization and I knew this year’s group was up to the challenge of trying out a new service partner. Our campers were amazing – making sandwiches, wrapping each in a special machine, and creating an impressive assembly line to prepare all the sack lunches.

At the end of the day, we voted to add a special project to our week. Dallas has been hit hard by the heat wave. The most vulnerable are the homeless men and women living on the streets. They have limited access to water and no air-conditioning. Staying out of the heat just isn’t an option if you are homeless. For the last several weeks, the SoupMobile has been pulling out all stops to collect bottled water for the homeless, but they need more. We decided to conduct an emergency water drive for the SoupMobile, to distribute to the homeless.

On Friday, we traveled to Bonton Farms. Located in a federally-recognized food desert, the farm grows and provides produce to this low income neighborhood. The farm extension, where we volunteered, is the larger of their two farms, where the eggs, meat, and produce is sold at the Dallas Farmers Market and to local restaurants to support their efforts in the community. We enjoyed a tour of the farm, picked Mad Hatter and Shishito peppers (sampling some along the way), and enjoyed the goats, pigs, hens, and the friendly farm dog. We learned how this community farm is turning lives around for the residents in this neighborhood.

We also visited the For the Love of the Lake (FTLOTL) office and participated in a focus group with the President of the organization. FTLOTL is starting an group called Kids Love the Lake (like a teen board, but for kids 9-13 years old) and wanted input from our volunteers. If your child is interested in becoming a charter member, attending monthly meetings and leaning more about the lake, they can write an email about why they would like to participate and send it to info@whiterocklake.org. If they prefer, they can write a letter and send it to PMB 281 – 381 Casa Linda Plaza, Dallas, TX 75218.

Our next stop was to the SoupMobile to deliver the nearly 2,000 bottles of water that we collected for the homeless. David Timothy, the “Soup Man” himself, came aboard our bus to thank the campers for their generosity.

We finished our week by writing thank you notes to our service partners throughout the week and debriefing on our experiences.

Together, we gave 1,225 combined hours of service to ten wonderful organizations dedicated to the environment and to those affected by poverty, homelessness, and hunger. I can hardly wait for my Community Connections camp next year. Registration opens in February.

 

Week 29: School Supplies in Honduras

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July 21, 2018

I confess. I had a hard time this summer keeping up with my weekly service. Not the actual service part; I actually managed to stick to that. It was the follow up that got me–actually writing the blog posts. I am slowly catching up, so please bear with me!

In July, I spent a week in Guanaja, one of the Bay Islands of Honduras in the Caribbean. Many years ago, when I was travelling extensively in Central and South America, I visited Utila, another of the three Bay Islands (the other being the more developed Roatan), and I was thrilled to return to these beautiful islands after 25 years.

My brother recently moved to Honduras, and is managing a charming small resort, Cabanas on Clark’s Cay, located just off the coast of the main island. In preparation for my trip, I needed to find a project I could complete while on the island. After speaking with my brother, we decided that school supplies would be a huge benefit to the local children. I packed the largest suitcase I could legally carry, and filled all the remaining space with pencils, pens, note cards, pencil pouches, folders, and other supplies.

Once in Guanaja, I learned that Bonacca Cay is the municipal hub and home to most of the approximately 10,000 people who live in Guanaja. The other two main settlements on Mangrove Bight and Savannah Bight.

Savannah Bight, with just over 1,000 residents, is the closest settlement to where my brother is living, and is home to many of his employee’s at Clark’s Cay. On my first day in Honduras, we attended a spirited soccer match there. The soccer team we were cheering for is sponsored by Clark’s sister resort, Villa on Dunbar Rock. During a break in the soccer match, we walked around the town, ending up at the small school. We decided that this school should be the recipient of the supplies I had brought with me.

When you are traveling, why not look for a way that you can give back to the local community? You’ll feel connected with the place and the people long after you return home.

Week 28: Ronald McDonald House

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July 13, 2018

At Lakehill, our students have been collecting pull tabs for many years. Saving those little tabs that you pull to open soda, soup, or other aluminum cans, is a small project that can make a big difference for a non-profit organization. A couple of years ago, I took a group of Community Connections campers to visit the Ronald McDonald House of Dallas, take a tour, and deliver our pull tabs. Our collection bin at school filled up this summer, and I decided to visit the House again and deliver them.

The Ronald McDonald House of Dallas (RMHD) provides temporary housing in a caring home-like atmosphere to families whose children are receiving essential medical care. The goal is to lessen the burden, reduce stress, keep the family intact, and enhance the quality of life for the families they serve. The program is designed so that families can concentrate on helping their children heal, without having to worry about what they are going to eat or where they are going to sleep.

With approximately 60,000 square feet, RMHD offers 52 private bedrooms and six transplant apartments. There are several playrooms, a library, media room, craft room, chapel, meditation garden, and outdoor play areas. Communal kitchens and a dining room allow families to share a meal, which is provided three times a day by community volunteers, or to prepare their own food if they choose.

Families are asked to contribute $15 per family per night, but no one has ever been turned away because they couldn’t pay. The actual cost per night to house a family is about $130— a cost mostly covered by individual and corporate donors, community organizations, and special events. Since it opened in 1981, RMHD has served more than 38,000 families.

Hundreds of volunteers offer support by serving families, preparing meals, and hosting organized activities. Each month, it takes approximately 140 cooking groups to fulfill RMHD’s mission. Volunteer organizations and individuals host organized family activities on a regular basis, with most activities taking place in the evenings or on the weekends. Groups are typically limited to 12 people, and volunteers must be 15 years of age or older.

Individual volunteers must commit to volunteering at the House for at least three months. There are three main categories that are worked in weekly, three-hour shifts, including Front Desk, Kitchen, and Family Activity Volunteers. All individual volunteers must be 18 years of age or older.

Collecting pop tabs, like we did at Lakehill, is a great way for children, schools, and other large groups to get involved with RMHD. Children of all ages can participate in this easy and fun project. The funds generated from recycling the aluminum tabs help offset RMHD’s expenses.

On my recent visit, I discovered that there is a bin located right outside the entrance to the House, so that tabs can be dropped off any day. Staff members were also happy to give me a large cardboard collection container that was shaped like a house. This will be perfect to keep in our school cafeteria, where students can easily donate during their lunch period.

With 364 Ronald McDonald Houses, in 43 countries and regions, it should be easy to get involved in your area and make a difference!

 

Week 27: Lakewood July 4 Parade

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July 4, 2018

The Fourth of July brings to mind fireworks, block parties, good food, and, of course, parades.

This year, neighbors in the Lakewood area of east Dallas celebrated America’s birthday with their annual parade, traveling to another era in “Lakewood’s Time Machine.”

This year’s parade also paid tribute to Vickie Thompson, an amazing woman, dedicated volunteer, and dear friend who passed away last July 4.

Lakewoood’s parade began more than 50 years ago with three families on Lakewood Boulevard. Since then, the event has grown exponentially and today spans many blocks with thousands of spectators and participants. Schools, scouting groups, neighborhood associations, and other community groups all take part in the festivities.

Lakehill Preparatory School has participated in the parade for the past 10 years. This year, our students and parents pulled together to create a “time machine” and build a float. More than 80 students, parents, and teachers joined us at the parade–riding bikes, walking, and riding on the float. It was a great way to come together as a school and celebrate our special community.

So many neighborhoods host parades and other events. Why not volunteer to help celebrate a special holiday or a neighborhood you love?

Here is a short video from the parade.

 

 

Week 26: Network of Community Ministries

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June 15, 2018

This week marks the halfway point in my 52 Weeks of Service. I have enjoyed getting to work with so many wonderful organizations, and am amazed at how quickly these 26 weeks have flown by.

I first read about Network of Community Ministries (Network) in The Dallas Morning News, and decided to find out more.

Founded in 1985, Network was formed during an economic downturn, when hundreds of well-established families in the Richardson area were struggling. Several churches and community organizations came together to assist these families and the “Network” of Community Ministries was formed.

Based in Richardson, Network serves fourteen zip codes in Dallas County, with over 70% of those served coming from Lake Highlands and Garland. A non-denominational, community-based organization, Network offers three core programs: Emergency Services, providing food, clothing, and utility services to children, adults, and seniors; the Adolescent and Children’s Clinic, meeting the acute medical care and dental needs of uninsured children; and Seniors’ Net, dedicated to providing those ages 60 and above with the resources to live independently in their own homes.

Last year, Network assisted more than 38,000 individuals, children, and seniors. Since its founding, Network has impacted the lives of more than 300,000 individuals.

I attend Network’s Volunteer Orientation, held every Thursday at 4:00 p.m. for interested individual volunteers. Orientation typically lasts around one hour and no appointments are required. We received a tour of the facilities, and an overview of volunteer positions and responsibilities. I completed of an application, and, as a “non-regular” volunteer, paid $10 to have a background check. (Individuals who volunteer on a regular schedule do not need to pay). Once these steps were completed, I was able to sign up for my first volunteer shift!

Network supports their eight paid employees with 215 regular volunteers, but they still need more. Opportunities are available in the following areas: Food Pantry, Clothing Closet, Reception, Drivers, Interviewers, Seniors’ Net, and Handy Men. Volunteers must be 14 years of age or older. Groups of up to 15 volunteers can be accommodated.

I found Network to be a positive place with a mission of self-empowerment for the neighbors they serve. I look forward to returning on my own and to bringing groups to volunteer.

Find out more about volunteering at Network.

Week 25: Little Free Library

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June 18, 2018

One of the most significant ways to improve reading skills in children is to increase their access to books. Little Free Library is a nonprofit organization that inspires a love of reading, builds community, and sparks creativity by fostering free neighborhood book exchanges around the world. Their motto is “Take a book. Share a book.”

Little Free Libraries play an essential role in improving literacy by providing access to books and encouraging a love of reading. This grassroots movement has continued to grow since its founding in 2009, and now boasts more than 70,000 libraries in 85 countries, with millions of books exchanged annually.

Anyone can be a steward of a Little Free Library. There are an abundances of resources available to get started, including building instructions, access to free or discounted books, and an online store that offers Library kits and pre-built Library models.

My Lakehill Community Connections campers became Little Free Library stewards in 2013. Students in Lakehill’s woodworking summer camp (taught by my husband Johan) built our libraries, and one of my amazing campers, Kate Langley, painted them for us. (I can’t believe that Kate will be a senior in high school next year, and will be my student intern!) We set up our first Library at the back of Lakehill’s Main Campus, on Westlake Avenue. Shortly after, we added a second Little Free Library at our Roger L. Perry Campus on Ferguson Road.

Over the years, we have sourced books for our Little Free Libraries through on-campus book drives and donations. In summer, when kids are out of school, it is especially important to make sure they have access to a variety of books. This week, for my 25th week of service, I went through my bookshelves at home and collected dozens of books to add to our Little Free Library. I spent some time organizing and cleaning the Library and made sure it was well stocked.

Both of our Little Free Libraries at Lakehill are located outside in the elements, and the weather has definitely taken its toll. As a follow-up project, I plan to do a bit of sanding and get a fresh coat of paint on both of them. I’d like them to look good when we start the new school year in August.

Why not bring a Little Free Library to your own neighborhood? Find out how to get started here.

My Community Connections campers, our first group of Little Free Library stewards, in 2013.

Our Little Free Libraries, under construction in 2013. (That’s Kate on the back row, third from the left).

 

 

Week 24: Community Connections Camp

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June 11, 2018

This week was the week of my Community Connections Camp  at Lakehill for middle and high school students. It is without a doubt one of the highlights of my year! Each day of the camp, we partner with two different non-profit organizations (one in the morning, one in the afternoon). I love returning to volunteer with long-time favorites, as well as introducing campers to new places to channel their altruistic energy. I was honored to have my colleagues Kaye Hauschild and Jo Cayme-Mosley with me again for this camp. Many of our dedicated campers return every year to volunteer with us.

We began our week at Crossroads Community Services, where our campers did an amazing job sorting linens, stocking food, organizing donations, and shopping with clients. Crossroads provides much needed services to those living below the poverty line in Dallas. They are always needing donations of men’s and boys’ shoes and clothing – please think of them when clearing out closets!

In the afternoon, we visited Voice of Hope, where we worked with their first and second grade students. We led an arts and crafts activity in their classrooms and some competitive games of balloon tennis in their gym. Voice of Hope is dedicated to serving families in West Dallas, focusing their efforts on the children of the community.  Our campers did an amazing job engaging the young students, keeping them on task, and making sure everyone had fun.

On Tuesday, we began our day with CitySquare’s Food on the Move program. We helped set up, passed out food, organized activities for the children, and stayed and played at four different locations in the community. Our campers did a great job interacting with the children we served. CitySquare is a broad community development organization that offers a wide range of social services that address four key areas related to the persistence of poverty: hunger, health, housing, and hope. Their Food on the Move program helps provide free food and fun to impoverished children across Dallas in the summer when school is out.

From there, we went directly to our afternoon project at Jewish Family Service (JFS), a nonsectarian mental health and social services agency that impacts over 13,000 lives a year. We were able to participate in an amazing simulation they call the Food Pantry Experience. Our group was divided into teams and each given a family profile and scenario. They were charged with creating a budget for their family, dealing with unexpected setbacks along the way, and preparing a list of food they could purchase. They then went through the intake process at JFS, filling out the needed forms, before being allowed to shop in the food pantry. It really was an amazing experience, and gave us some insight into the food pantry clients we served the next day.

On Wednesday, we traveled to Brother Bill’s Helping Hand in West Dallas. Brother Bill’s brings not just a legacy of 75 years of service to West Dallas, but hope for a better life to the more than 25,000 people living in the 75212 zip code. This is always a favorite project for my students, as they love getting to help in the grocery store. We bagged produce, sorted plastic bags, and prepared for the approximately 100 guests who visited the grocery store. When the doors opened, our campers were ready to greet the guests, help them with their selections, provide food (and sometimes recipes), sack groceries, and help guests to their cars. This is the first post I have written on Brother Bill’s, and I highly recommend volunteering here. It’s fun, engaging, and always busy! The students were amazing – chatting with the guests, carrying bags of groceries, and making every person feel special.

In the afternoon, we cleaned Lakehill’s adopted shoreline at White Rock Lake (through For The Love of the Lake). The campers did a great job despite the heat, finding a lot of trash in a short amount of time.

We spent Thursday morning at Community Partners of Dallas, an organization that assists CPS caseworkers in helping abandoned, abused, or neglected children who have been removed from their homes. After a tour of the facility, we got to work on a seemingly monumental task – sorting, packing, and shelving row after row of backpacks. Our campers were absolutely amazing – they didn’t take a minute’s break, “power sorting” backpacks into a variety of categories and getting them into boxes and onto the shelves in beautiful order.

After lunch, we traveled to the North Texas Food Bank where we packed cereal boxes for distribution, broke down cardboard boxes, and stacked a lot of pallets.

On Friday, we headed to the VNA Meals on Wheels headquarters for a quick orientation and to pick up our food. We then traveled to Potter’s House/Primrose Oaks in South Dallas to deliver. The campers did a great job greeting clients and delivering meals with a big side of smiles. I loved seeing how they interacted with the residents.

After lunch, we prepared Bingo bags for Austin Street Center to be delivered later in the summer.

Together, our group gave 762 combined hours of service to ten wonderful organizations dedicated to the environment and to those affected by abuse, poverty, homelessness, and hunger. I am so proud of our campers and their engagement with our community this week.

I can hardly wait for my next Community Connections camp later in the summer!

 

Week 23: Community Partners of Dallas

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June 8, 2018

This week, I volunteered with Community Partners of Dallas, a nonprofit organization dedicated to ensuring safety, restoring dignity, and inspiring hope for the abused and neglected children served by Dallas County Child Protective Services.

I have volunteered with Community Partners of Dallas numerous times over the past 10 years: collecting items at Lakehill Preparatory School for one of their four major drives (Easter basket, Toy, Coat, and Back-to-school) and bringing groups to work in the warehouse. Some of our Lakehill teachers have recorded stories for their Storyline program. Community Partners is the type of organization that makes volunteering easy. There is always plenty to do, and it is always well organized and well managed.

Friday was the first time I have ever volunteered at Community Partners on my own. As always, it was easy to sign up and I was welcomed with open arms when I arrived. My task during my two-hour shift was similar to those I have completed when I attended with a large group: to sort, count, box, and label supplies (pencil pouches this time), in preparation to fill the thousands of backpacks they will need for back-to-school.

I enjoyed volunteering on my own, but am looking forward to being back next week with my Lakehill Community Connections campers. I love the energy when we volunteer as a large group! I’ll be back with them next week and again in July.

Community Partners of Dallas serves more than 20,000 children a year through four unique programs. The Rainbow Room is an emergency resource center providing critically-needed items for children in the care of CPS. The cheerful room is filled with new toys, clothing, and supplies which are available for caseworkers to help children who come into protective care. Founded in 1993, it has served more than 168,000 children. I love that Community Partners only accepts new items for the Rainbow Room, operating on the credo that “abused and neglected children don’t need abused and neglected clothes.”

Other initiatives include Kids in Crisis (provides funds for children’s clothing, transportation, therapy, enrichment activities, housing, and medical expenses); Caseworker Appreciation (events that are held to show appreciation and gratitude to caseworkers); and Storyline (a dedicated phone line, 214-446-2222, that children can call 24 hours a day to hear a story).

With a staff of only 12, Community Partners of Dallas relies on the support of dedicated volunteers. There are several ways to get involved in helping the abused and neglected children they serve. There are opportunities for individuals, families, and groups to volunteer, from one-time events to regularly-scheduled volunteer hours. Be aware that Community Partners of Dallas does not work directly with the children in care of Child Protective Services due to confidentiality and safety requirements.

Teens can join THANKs (Teens Helping Abused and Neglected Kids), a volunteer program that gives them the opportunity to learn more about nonprofit operations and issues facing the community and participate in meaningful community service.

After 10 years in the Wilson Historic District, Community Partners of Dallas is moving to a new location in January 2019. With three times the space available, the organization will be able to continue to grow to meets the needs of abused and neglected children in Dallas Country.