This morning the leadership of Family Gateway held a breakfast to announce a collaborative efforts by area non-profits, business and government organizations to end child homelessness in Dallas by 2017.
Rob Alberts
In the Omni Dallas Hotel’s West End Suite, Family Gateway CEO Rob Alberts said, “Family Gateway is leading the campaign for Dallas to become the first major city in the United State to end child homelessness. We have assembled a team of dedicated professionals and community leaders who believe in our mission.”
Among those leaders who were present and spoke were developer Jack Matthews, Metro Dallas Homeless Alliance CEO Mike Faenza, Dallas Housing Authority Brooke Etie, First Presbyterian Church Senior Pastor Joe Clifford, philanthropist Hunter Hunt, Director of Criminal Justice for Dallas County Ron Stretcher and Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings.
Rob went on to emphasize, “Dallas has become a world-class city, yet every night, five thousand children and their families do not have a safe place to sleep.
“We are audacious enough to think that, as a community that cares about ‘the least among us’, this community of providers and funders, civic leaders and housing providers can provide for those children.”
As for how the program would work, he explained, “A plan that has broad input and buy-in has a much greater chance of success than one we might create on our own – therefore we are not rolling out a finished plan, but instead calling for collaborative planning with housing and services providers, government, business, and philanthropy over the next several months.”
Hadeshia Thompson
While the various leaders reiterated the importance and support of such a goal being accomplished, many listened most closely to the story told by Hadeshia Thompson, who had firsthand knowledge of homelessness.
Her father was killed when she was three. She became a mother at the age of 14. Then a second child was born when she was 16. By 18 she was in an abusive marriage. At 21 she was homeless with two children. At that point, she considered “giving my children” away in order to survive. It was at that breaking point in her life that she realized that she didn’t have the tools to survive, much less to thrive. It was Family Gateway that not only assisted her in turning her life around, but also helped her connect with services and organizations that could help her keep her family together and advance.
Hadeshia’s talk was passionate, articulate and impactful. The reason? In a city that can raise money to build world-class institutions, have Noble prize winners and achieve greatness time and time again, it’s still amazing to think thousands of children do not have a sanctuary called home.
Within the next four years, Dallas has the opportunity to change that situation and set an example for others to follow. But it will only be achieved by a word that was repeated again and again at the breakfast — collaboration. Through the Family Gateway’s program, it is possible.