Nov. 16, 2017 – The Dallas Morning News – Nanette Light
…This year’s campaign launched with more than $545,000 already in its coffers — the largest fundraising kickoff amount in the Charities’ 32-year history. It included a $100,000 donation from an anonymous donor, along with support from the J.L. Williams Foundation, United Way of Metropolitan Dallas, the Hertich Estate Fund at the Community Foundation of Texas, 2017 North Texas Giving Day, The Dallas Foundation, employees of The Dallas Morning News and The Murrell Foundation.
New to this year’s campaign is honorary chairman John Murrell, a Dallas businessman. He stressed at Wednesday’s launch the importance of stewardship and that those who are more fortunate should help those in need.
“Leadership, compassion, stewardship, and service to country and the community. Those are the tenets that good responsible people should do,” he said. “Everybody should contribute.”
Buchanan said The Stewpot will use funds raised from the drive to support its casework services such as identification documentation, which helps people secure IDs to qualify for other programs like housing.
He said affordable housing in Dallas has been decimated as new residential units have risen up and is one of the nonprofit’s — and the city’s — biggest struggles.
“People who are vulnerable, working full time at minimum wage [jobs] cannot afford housing in Dallas,” he said.
Columnist Robert Wilonsky, who writes about the city of Dallas for The News, echoed this sentiment, saying he spends most of his time at Dallas City Hall listening to leaders talk about how the city needs to help people without homes.
“City officials can only do so much,” he said. “The real work is being done by you. The men and women serving food, teaching skills, providing clothes, offering shelter — the organizations that benefit from The Dallas Morning News Charities.”…