AVANCE Dallas
A non-profit organization that strives to improve the educational outcomes of North Texas Hispanic students by seeking a major paradigm shift in parenting through greater parent education and parent involvement in the form of reading to their children. Open since 1996, AVANCE Dallas has served over 5,000 parents and children at its fourteen sites and hopes to continue improvements in education and promote sweeping, positive social change.
Brother Bill’s Helping Hand
Originally established by Bill Harrod as a fund to provide food, clothing, and medicine to the residents of West Dallas, Brother Bill’s Helping Hand registered as a non-profit organization in 1961 and continues to serve the West Dallas area by “enriching the lives of men, women, and children in the community of West Dallas by empowerment through learning, encouragement through relationships, and ensuring the essentials of life.” The organization’s offerings include a free mini-grocery store; a bible study; and ESL, computer literacy, and nutrition classes.
Builders of Hope
A non-profit that provides quality affordable housing in an effort to assist with the revitalization of West Dallas and the development of a safe and healthy community. Formerly part of the Voice of Hope Ministries, Builders of Hope also works to improve the living condition and value of existing homes in West Dallas, offers homebuyer education and counseling, provides family support services, and promotes community mobilization.
Dallas Area Habitat for Humanity
A non-profit, Christian ministry that builds quality affordable homes in partnership with deserving families. Serving as a catalyst for community revitalization, Dallas Area Habitat for Humanity has been homebuilding since 1986 and has built over 700 homes available to families who meet specific income criteria and are willing to be involved in the construction of their home.
Dallas Faith Communities Coalition
The Dallas Faith Communities Coalition (DFCC) recruits seed capital and human resources to support collaborative efforts between community organizations, the City, centers of higher education, philanthropists, investors, and Dallas’ faith communities, assisting them to implement holistic solutions to some of the city’s most intractable community issues. The DFCC is also responsible for maintaining this website.
Dallas Pregnancy Resource Center (DPRC)
This organization has been operating since 1983 and assists women facing needs due to an unplanned pregnancy. The DPRC offers women a variety of services, including pregnancy testing, birth control consultations, material assistance for mothers and their children, as well as other services. The DRPC’s overarching mission is to provide pregnant women with reliable information and support that “empowers women and their partners to choose life.”
Goodwill Dallas
One of the oldest non-profits in the Dallas area, Goodwill Dallas provides services which create opportunities for disabled and disadvantaged individuals to sustain employment and self-sufficiency. The organization primarily engages in this pursuit by providing these individuals with education, training, and placement for both professional and industrial jobs as well as managing the collection and distribution of donated goods.
Lakewest YMCA
One of the twenty-three branches of the Dallas YMCA. The YMCA strives to put Christian values into practice through programs that build a healthy spirit, mind and body for all. The YMCA wishes to instill values into kids, strengthen families, and promote safe community environments.
La Voz del Anciano
A bilingual organization dedicated to meeting the needs of the Latino elderly in West and South Dallas. The organization serves as a resource for these residents to locate government assistance, opportunities for health and parenting education, and community forums.
Los Barrios Unidos Community Clinic
This bilingual community clinic provides comprehensive medical and dental care to the residents of West Dallas and handles some 70,000 patient visits per year. The clinic is funded by the federal government and patient fees paid on a sliding scale based on income. Due to its success and over thirty years of experience, Los Barrios Unidos serves as a model and provides guidance to other community clinics.
Mercy Street
Following the ministry of Jesus Christ, Mercy Street is an organization devoted to the strengthening of the West Dallas community through the glorification of God and becoming involved in the lives of orphans and widows in the area. Mercy Street addresses the dire educational situation in West Dallas by pairing public school students in the fourth grade and up with Christian adults from churches around the city that serve as mentors to the students. In addition to the mentoring program, Mercy Street also hosts weekly bible clubs, runs several sports leagues, and takes kids to various summer camps.
Southern Methodist University
SMU is pleased to partner with the Dallas Faith Communities Coalition and the West Dallas Education Task Force to explore the area’s needs and goals for access to high-quality K-12 schools. Drawing upon the programs and expertise of SMU’s seven schools, the University will take a multidisciplinary approach to learn how best to support the community’s goals. SMU’s tools for making an impact include assessment and research, strong academic programs, student placements and internships and a commitment to community engagement as part of its mission of teaching, research and service. More details will emerge in collaboration with community and school officials.
St. Mary of Carmel Catholic School
Founded in 1944, St. Mary of Carmel is a private school in West Dallas that takes a holistic approach to the development of its students. The school serves students from pre-kindergarten to 8th grade in a faith-filled Catholic environment that promotes spiritual, intellectual, emotional, social, and physical growth. The school’s high level of achievement is reflected by the accomplishments of its students and graduates, many of whom go on to enjoy successful academic careers at Jesuit College Preparatory, Ursuline Academy, and Bishop Dunne as well as Dallas magnet schools.
Trinity River Mission (TRM)
A volunteer-based community learning center committed to the educational needs of West Dallas children and adults by promoting literacy, language proficiency, and academic achievement. The organization now offers a family connection program that allows West Dallas parents and their children to volunteer at least 60 hours per family per year in exchange for school supplies, school uniforms, and Christmas gifts for the children. Beyond the material exchange, and perhaps more importantly, this program serves as an outlet for passionate parents to give back to the Trinity River Mission and the local community as a gesture of gratitude for the goods and services already received from the TRM.
Vecinos Unidos
A community housing development organization assisting residents in West Dallas to develop neighborhoods that provide quality affordable housing and economic opportunities for residents. In addition to constructing homes and attracting businesses to West Dallas, the organization also offers residents education and assistance with regards to credit, loans, budgeting, and general homeownership.
Voice of Hope
A Christian community center that provides academic support, strong character models, and family support to the children of West Dallas. The center offers after-school and summer programs for all K-12 students as well as mentoring programs targeted specifically at teenage males. Voice of Hope also distributes food through its food pantry to the families of West Dallas students and hosts a weekly bible study for widows and seniors.
Wesley Rankin Community Center
A faith-based organization serving Dallas for over 100 years, primarily concerned with assisting families in need with regards to raising their children. After several location changes throughout its history, the Wesley Rankin Community Center finally settled in West Dallas. There it runs a wide variety of programs for children, youth, adults, and families that include after school and summer programs, computer-based learning, and volunteer opportunities.
West Dallas Community Centers
An organization with several facilities in West Dallas that offers local youth a wide variety of classes that supplement school education as well as teach life-skills such as sewing, financial literacy, nutrition, computer literacy, fashion, and grooming. Youth can also access ESL classes, take classes to earn a GED, and receive assistance in locating employment.
West Dallas Community Church and School
Founded in 1995, the West Dallas Community School is K-8 private school that provides students with a classical Christian education, drawing on the rich heritage of Western civilization and encouraging students to develop a worldview that integrates Christian faith into all areas of learning. The school believes that students should be respected as unique individuals and strives to help its students to realize their highest potential spiritually, intellectually, physically, socially, and creatively.
West Dallas Weed and Seed
The West Dallas arm of a U.S. Department of Justice initiative begun in 1991 that brings together Federal, State, and local crime fighting agencies, social service providers, business owners, and residents to control violent crime, drug trafficking, and drug related crime. Weed and Seed gets its name from its two-pronged strategy that includes:
Ultimately, the initiative aims to provide safe environments for the residents of communities like West Dallas that will allow these communities to grow and thrive.
