“Nonprofits fighting poverty in North Texas are facing an uphill battle. With one of the highest poverty rates in the country and a rapidly growing population, this recipe yields a growing mass of people struggling to survive. On top of that, nonprofits are strapped for resources to meet these growing challenges.
“It’s in this desert of resources that the North Texas Giving Day provides an oasis to replenish and restore hope to our city. They allow us to raise our flag to encourage every-day citizens to be a part our team, support our cause, and join the mission.
OurCalling*
“And what does a small nonprofit like OurCalling do with money from local donors? We work on projects like our mobile app to help the homeless (ourcalling.org/app). The Dallas Morning News, The New York Post and countless other media outlets throughout the country have written about our app. It’s unlike any other app on your phone. It enables every cell phone user in Dallas to assist the homeless by pointing to shelters, rehabs, domestic violence centers, food resources and more. The app uses your GPS location to show you the closest resources to where you are standing. It also uses your location to allow you to report a homeless encampment so our qualified teams can respond, visit that location and help the people living on the streets.
OurCalling*
“There is no other app like this on the App Store and this is another example of Dallas leading in the fight to help the homeless. Nonprofits from the East coast, West Coast and throughout the country have contacted us about how to develop similar apps. We also produce a printed booklet listing the top 50 most accessible service providers in Dallas County (ourcalling.org/directory). This provides a handy and healthy alternative to give to someone on the streets. These projects and more are funded by local Dallas donors to help local Dallas needs.
“We also use funds from Giving Day to feed hungry people, support addiction recovery classes, provide daily Bible studies, life skills classes, and support mentoring programs to help rebuild and transform homeless individuals.
“Giving Day is a beautiful day for nonprofits like OurCalling. We serve 8,500 homeless individuals living in 1,200 encampments throughout the city of Dallas. We couldn’t do this without community-wide support driven by the North Texas Giving Day. This year, one of our great donors has provided a matching grant to be a catalyst for even more giving. What an exciting opportunity!”
-By Pastor Wayne Walker, OurCalling Executive Director
* Graphics provided by OurCalling
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In seven years, North Texas Giving Day has pumped more than $119 million into the North Texas community. In 2015, $33 million was raised through more than 118,000 gifts benefiting over 2,000 nonprofits.
On Thursday, September 22, support OurCalling by linking here and spreading the word. #NTxGivingDay