Today’s downpour and chilly winds make it great to stay inside with a warm mug of coffee. If you don’t have to go out, you don’t. If you do, then you can bundle up, get in the car, turn on the seat heater and be on your way.
Not everybody is that lucky. As hard as it is to believe in the prosperous North Texas community, there are thousands of homeless people. In addition to not having a place to stay, they also seem to be hopeless about the situation ever changing.
However, back in 2008 The Bridge North Texas opened to address that very situation. Collaborating with area services like Metrocare Services, Parkland Health & Hospital System, Workforce Solutions, Veterans Affairs, Dallas Police Department, Downtown Dallas Inc., The Stewpot, Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas, the Status of Texas, Dallas County and the City of Dallas, it tackled the problems of this segment of society.
As Mayor Mike Rawlings (formerly known as the Homeless Czar) put it, The Bridge was to be “a springboard — not a shelter.”
Here people found “meals, shelter, primary and behavioral health care, job placements and housing to around 85% of Dallas County’s homeless population.” In 2014 The Bridge assisted 8,600 clients.
Thanks to its efforts, The Bridge
- has contributed to the revitalization of downtown and its surrounding neighborhoods by serving as a magnet for the homeless community that otherwise would be roaming the streets.
- is a great neighbor, as evidenced by the relocation of its entrance to accommodate the Farmers Market stakeholders.
- saves taxpayers tens of millions of dollars annually by keeping the homeless out of the county’s criminal justice and hospital systems.
- served more than 8,600 individuals experiencing homelessness in 2014.
- has made more than 2,100 permanent supportive and affordable housing placements since opening!
According to The Bridge records, serious crime in downtown Dallas “has dropped more than 49% since The Bridge opened in 2008.”
But all this success requires ongoing support. That’s why Megan and Casey McManemin are co-chairing this Friday’s 2015 Breakfast For The Bridge at which time Larry Sykes, who has volunteered more than 800 hours at The Bridge, will be presented the Bridge Builder Award. According to Larry, “Our guests are just like us. Many have college educations and good job history, but life got in the way and their support systems weren’t what we had. It is an honor to serve them.”
Another highlight will be keynote speaker Willie Baronet. Now, who is Willie Baronet and why should he be the keynote speaker? Did he used to live on the streets? Nope. In fact, he had a successful design firm that he sold in 2006, got his MFA in 2011 from the University of Texas at Dallas, and has been the Stan Richards Professor in Creative Advertising at SMU. In 2013 he was named an AIGA Fellow “for making a significant contribution to raising the standards of excellence in practice and conduct within our design community. This is the highest honor an AIGA chapter can bestow upon one of its senior-level members.”
So, again why is this guy featured speaker at an event about the homeless? Oh, you’ve just got to get up early Friday and head to the Omni Dallas Hotel to find out. You’ll learn about Willie, have a great breakfast, be on your way by 9:30 and you’ll be helping to provide funds for The Bridge Homeless Recovery Center.
But if you really need sleepy time and can’t make it, then think about donating or volunteering.