Dallas Leadership Foundation (DLF) will host its' annual city-wide work day Saturday, June 22, 2013 in under resourced Dallas communities. Celebration of Hope will bring together stakeholders (Neighborhood associations, churches, corporations, small businesses, etc.) to address the plight of residents in low-income areas of the city by repairing and painting the homes of qualifying residents free of charge. A list of participants is included. "When it comes to helping seniors who desperately need repairs on their homes, persons with disabilities who need accommodations, residents who are being served notices of code violations, streets that are unsafe and not maintained; everyone in the community is a stakeholder," said Wil McCall, DLF president. "We feel it is our duty to engage the public in developing collaborative and cooperative solutions to poverty and hopelessness in every part of our city," McCall continued. The Celebration of Hope will allow DLF and its partners to further test their capabilities to respond to the needs of citizens across Dallas. DLF will rely on volunteer manpower from a variety of groups across racial, economic, and denominational lines. DLF staff and volunteers have been preparing for months to bring visible change to some of Dallas' most disenfranchised neighborhoods in areas being targeted. Areas of the city targeted are located in North Dallas, Southeast Dallas, Oak Cliff, and West Dallas. This work day allows us to bring community, business, and church leaders to the table to work together to address the complex issues related to neglected streets, declining housing stock, and deteriorating neighborhoods. Our ultimate goal is to offer hope across the city that will produce lasting change," McCall added.
For more than fifteen years, DLF has concentrated its community development activities in several southern sector neighborhoods. In recent years, DLF has expanded its' outreach to include providing services in East and West Dallas as well. Other DLF initiatives include organizing crime deterrent projects, assisting those previously incarcerated, mentoring at-risk youth, and both encouraging and equipping the leadership in target neighborhoods. For information about Celebration of Hope, or to volunteer, contact Robert Manley at DLF at (214) 777-5520.
