Hunger

Week 50. Sandbranch

lakehillprepLeave a comment

December 16, 2018

Sandbranch is known as Dallas County’s poorest neighborhood. A small, unincorporated community located just 14 miles southeast of Dallas, the fifth-wealthiest city in the United States, Sandbranch has been fighting for over 30 years to have access to clean running water.

Established in 1878 by the Reverend Allen Hawthorne, a freed slave from Louisiana, along with 11 other freedmen, the community grew around the Mount Zion Baptist Church, which continues to be at the center of this tight-knit community.

At its peak, Sandbranch’s population numbered approximately 500 people, but today only about 80 remain, all of whom live below federal poverty levels. The average age is 68. None of the homes have running water, sewer service, or trash pickup. The water in the community is contaminated, and residents desperately need food and drinkable water.

Sandbranch is also in a food desert, which means that residents – many without transportation – must find a way to travel more than seven miles to the nearest grocery story for healthy food options.

Sandbranch has never had running water in the entire 138 years of its existence, but up until the 1980s, people in the community used well water, which has now either run dry or is too contaminated to drink. Residents now depend on donated water or water purchased in nearby cities and brought in.

Mount Zion Baptist Church, under the leadership of Reverend Eugene Keahey, has been pivotal in helping the residents of Sandbranch maintain a decent quality of life.

For the past 22 years, the Dallas Bar Association (DBA) and special friends have contributed food and distributed it to families in the Sandbranch Community.

This was the third year that my family and I have helped distribute food during the holidays. DBA members raise the money and purchase the food to distribute to approximately 65 families. Volunteers gather at Mount Zion Baptist Church to help distribute the care packages. After unloading the U-Haul trailer and sorting the frozen turkeys, large bags of rice, beans, flour, and sugar, and cases of canned foods, volunteers and community members set up stations for each of the items on the side of the road in front of the church. Once all the items have been arranged, residents drive through the line and the items are loaded directly into their cars. Neighbors with cars help those without, so that everyone can take part.

There is a wonderful camaraderie among volunteers and neighbors, all working together for the benefit of a special community.

Read more about Sandbranch here.

Week 49. Salvation Army Red Kettle

lakehillprepLeave a comment

December 3, 2018

I love the story behind the familiar Salvation Army Red Kettle at the holidays. According to The Salvation Army’s website, the kettle originated back in 1891, when Salvation Army Captain Joseph McFee was distraught because so many poor individuals in San Francisco were going hungry. During the holiday season, he resolved to provide a free Christmas dinner for the destitute and poverty-stricken. He faced a major obstacle, however, in funding the project.

As he pondered how to find the funds to fulfill his commitment of feeding 1,000 of the city’s poorest individuals on Christmas Day, he thought back to his sailor days in Liverpool, England. He remembered a large, iron kettle called “Simpson’s Pot,” located at Stage Landing, where the boats came in, where passersby could toss in their coins to help the poor.

The next day, Captain McFee placed a similar pot at the Oakland Ferry Landing at the foot of Market Street. Beside the pot, he placed a sign that read, “Keep the Pot Boiling.” He soon had the money he needed to feed the poor at Christmas.

Six years later, the kettle idea spread from the West Coast to the Boston area. That year, the combined effort nationwide resulted in 150,000 Christmas dinners for the needy. In 1901, kettle contributions in New York City provided funds for the first mammoth sit-down dinner in Madison Square Garden, a custom that continued for many years. Today in the U.S., The Salvation Army assists millions of people during the Thanksgiving and Christmas time periods.

Captain McFee’s kettle idea launched a tradition that has spread not only throughout the United States, but all across the world. Public contributions to Salvation Army kettles enable the organization to continue its year-round efforts to help those who would otherwise be forgotten.

Every December for many years, I have had the opportunity to ring the bell for the Salvation Army. A friend from the photography department at The Dallas Morning News sponsors the kettle at NorthPark Mall on Mondays throughout the holiday season between Thanksgiving and Christmas, and he always invites us to participate. We fill several slots with faculty, staff, and students at Lakehill Preparatory School, and my family and I always volunteer for a shift together.

Celebrating more than 125 years, the Salvation Army’s traditional red kettle is an integral part of the holidays, with millions of dollars donated each year to aid needy families, seniors, and the homeless, in keeping with the spirit of the season. Donating to a red kettle is easy – spare change helps change lives.

Volunteer groups are needed to staff red kettle sites for a minimum of a full day. This is a great way for organizations to help raise important funds that make an immediate difference in the community. It is a fun activity for any age, and even more enjoyable when done with friends or family. The day can be divided into multiple shifts, to make it easy for volunteers to get involved. Find out more.

Week 48. Feed My Starving Children

lakehillprepLeave a comment

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 39: Bye Bye Bags for Vogel Alcove

lakehillprepLeave a comment

September 28, 2018

During my 39th week of service, I worked with my Community Connections members at Lakehill Preparatory School on a project for our friends at Vogel Alcove.

We prepared Bye-Bye Bags, which are snack bags that are distributed to the children served by Vogel Alcove at the end of the day, giving them additional nutrition when they are away from the facility.

Each volunteer decorated several paper lunch sacks with uplifting messages. We set out a variety of healthy snack items on tables, such as applesauce, cereal, fruit snacks, tuna, and crackers. After decorating a bag, volunteers moved through the line, selecting one item from each category to place in their bag. We boxed up all the bags – about 200 in total – and delivered to Vogel Alcove to distribute as needed.

Vogel Alcove serves as many as 200 homeless children each day, allowing them to learn and thrive in a place free from hunger or trauma. Parents – most of whom are single mothers – have the opportunity to work, look for work, or go to school, knowing that their children are in good hands. Since 1987, Vogel Alcove has served more than 15,000 children and their families.

I am always surprised to read that Dallas has the highest child poverty rate in the country among cities with more than a million people. Thirty percent of Dallas children grow up in poverty. While there are many reasons for family homelessness, poverty is an overriding factor.

By providing education and a broad array of therapeutic services, Vogel Alcove is dedicated to helping children who are experiencing homelessness cope with the physical, emotional, and mental trauma so that they might succeed in life despite their circumstances.

Preparing Bye Bye Bags is just one of the many ways to help children at Vogel Alcove.

Find out more ways to get involved here.

 

Week 35: Peanut Butter Drive for North Texas Food Bank

lakehillprepLeave a comment

September 2, 2018

Hunger can be a hidden issue in any community. It’s amazing to me that one in four children right here in North Texas may not know where they will get their next meal. There are more than 300,000 hungry children right here in our neighborhoods. Fortunately, there is something we can do to help.

September is Hunger Action Month, when people across the country work together to fight hunger. Every gift you share with the North Texas Food Bank makes a difference for families in North Texas.

The City of Plano hopes to raise awareness about the issue of food insecurity for children, families, and seniors and to get others get involved in the fight against hunger. The mayor and City Council have partnered with the North Texas Food Bank to help feed hungry children and families with the fifth Plano Peanut Butter Drive. Their goal is to collect 50,000 pounds of peanut butter. Donations of regular-sized (16 oz.) plastic jars of peanut butter or similar spreads like almond butter or sunflower butter are requested.

For the entire month of September, the North Texas Food Bank will be collecting regular-sized, plastic jars of peanut butter to help feed hungry children and their families. Your company or organization can register to host your own drive, or you can collect jars and drop them off at the five public drop-off sites throughout Plano.

Public Drop-off Sites:

Davis Library | 7501-B Independence Pkwy. | Plano, TX 75025

Plano Municipal Center | 1520 K Ave. | Plano, TX 75074

Carpenter Park Recreation Center | 6701 Coit Rd., | Plano, TX 75024

The Shops at Willow Bend (Lower-Level Court) | 6121 W. Park Blvd. | Plano, TX 75093

North Texas Food Bank’s Perot Family Campus | 3677 Mapleshade Ln. | Plano, TX 75075

My family and I dropped off several bags of peanut butter over Labor Day weekend. I plan to continue the drive with my Community Connections volunteers at Lakehill when we meet later this month by asking each of them to bring a jar of peanut butter to our meeting.

Find out other ways to donate healthy food, and learn bout hosting a canned food drive here.

Week 24: Community Connections Camp

lakehillprepLeave a comment

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 21: Austin Street Center

lakehillprepLeave a comment

May 27, 2018

I can’t believe I am already on Week 21 of my 52 weeks of service! I have worked with 21 different organizations so far (actually more, as Week 5 had multiple projects), and have thoroughly enjoyed every experience. While I have not missed a week of volunteering, I have struggled to post to my blog each week. I am doing my best to catch up, and to have my writing keep pace with my volunteering!

For Week 21, I volunteered with one of my favorite organizations, Austin Street Center. Founded in 1983, Austin Street Center is an emergency shelter that serves men ages 45 and older and women ages 18 and older. Each guest at the shelter is provided a safe place to sleep, showers, clothing, and meals. Austin Street Center believes that once their basic needs are met, guests can begin working on other aspects of their lives that will help them transition out of homelessness.

Austin Street Center offers a variety of services, including specific programs focused on women, veterans, and work readiness, onsite partnerships with local hospitals and clinics; substance abuse support, spiritual guidance, and Pathway House, a special program to help prepare guests for the transition to permanent housing.

There are numerous ways to get involved at Austin Street Center, both for individuals and groups. Individuals might assist at the front desk or in the computer lab, distribute items in the clothing room, sort donations, or help staff check in guests during the intake process.

Groups might help with a morning of cleaning at the shelter or by preparing and serving lunch. All lunches are prepared off-site and served at the shelter by volunteers. Austin Street Center will even provide you with recipes, if needed. Other great projects can be done at home or at school, such as holding a donation drive for clothing or toiletries, or making sandwiches to deliver to the shelter.

I have taken several Lakehill groups to volunteer over the years and have worked on a variety of projects. My Community Connections campers love visiting Austin Street to play Bingo with the guests, passing out the bags they made full of prizes to the winners. We have also cleaned, painted a room (definitely not our strongest skill), held donation drives, and made sandwiches to deliver. Now that I know how to cook for a crowd, I would love to lead a group in preparing and serving a meal.

This week, I volunteered with my dear friend Cathleen. She and I taught together for many years at Thomas Jefferson High School in Dallas, and share a love for volunteering and helping others develop a passion for service. We signed up to help with the intake process, but because of the high temperatures that day, guests were let in early, before we arrived. The staff had no trouble keeping us busy, and we jumped in to help serve the afternoon meal: delicious smelling brisket, Bar-B-Q sauce, green beans, rolls, and watermelon. Cathleen commented on what I have noticed every time I visit Austin Street: the sincere appreciation from the guests who we served.

Week 8: Crossroads Community Services

lakehillprepLeave a comment

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.

 

 

Week 7: Jewish Family Service of Greater Dallas

lakehillprepLeave a comment

February 16, 2018

I love volunteering with my family. We try to volunteer together whenever possible, and have several special service projects we look forward to every year. With a long weekend for Winter Break, my 16-year-old son and I signed up for a shift in the Food Pantry at Jewish Family Service of Greater Dallas. We enjoyed a tour of the facility and a visit with the volunteer coordinator. We spent the next two hours stocking shelves with staples, trying not to get in the way of the shoppers and volunteer assistants. We were amazed at the variety of items in the small grocery store and storage area above, and in the efficiency of the operation.

Jewish Family Service of Greater Dallas (JFS) is a nonsectarian mental health and social services agency that impacts more than 13,000 lives a year. For more than 65 years, JFS has welcomed those in need regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, or the ability to pay. Their mission is to provide professional, effective, and affordable mental health and social services that promote lifelong self-sufficiency and well-being for anyone in need.

The Jewish Family Service Food Pantry is an affiliate of the North Texas Food Bank, providing food for qualified families and individuals in 20 North Dallas and Carrollton zip codes.

The Food Pantry is open by appointment on Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday from 9:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. Individuals are able to choose food items just as they would in a grocery store. Home delivery for the home-bound or disabled individuals is also available.

Volunteers are asked to first fill out an application. One person may complete the application for all members in a group. Volunteers may work in the Food Pantry, or in a variety of other roles. Individuals and groups are also needed for one-time special events. Students 16 years and older are encouraged to apply for the Internship Program.

Week 1: VNA Meals on Wheels

lakehillprepLeave a comment

What better way to start the new year and my 52 weeks of service than with an organization that is already near and dear to my heart. At Lakehill, we embarked on a regular Meals on Wheels route six years ago, delivering to 18 clients in a nearby apartment complex. During our inaugural year, I delivered meals with two colleagues. Since then, each year’s sixth grade students have adopted Meals on Wheels as a class project. We take groups of two or three students with us on the first, third, and fifth Wednesday of every month to deliver meals.

VNA Meals on Wheels supplies hot, nutritious, freshly prepared meals five days a week to Dallas County residents who otherwise might go hungry. The program helps seniors to maintain independence in their homes by providing daily meals and social contact. We know our clients by name, and look forward to seeing them each time we visit. For many of them, I know that we may be the only smiling faces they see all day.

In 2017, VNA Meals on Wheels provided 1,602,502 home-delivered meals, benefitting some 7,000 individuals. While the organization needs volunteers to drive regular routes, short-term and one-day projects are also available to volunteers of all ages.

Meals on Wheels operates in virtually every community in America through a network of more than 5,000 independently-run local programs. In the Dallas area, find out more about Meals on Wheels and how you can help, or search for opportunities in your area.