January 5, 2019 – Dallas Morning News – Nanette Light
The Dallas Morning News Charities has reached an important milestone, surpassing the million-dollar mark in the campaign’s final month.
As of Friday, 1,060 donors had contributed more than $1.05 million to the drive, which benefits 20 nonprofits that serve the homeless, hungry and unemployed in North Texas.
Camille Grimes, executive director of The Charities, said reaching the million-dollar point is significant for the agencies.
“It’s crystal clear that our donors have an enormous desire to make a difference in the lives of North Texans in need,” she said. “By the simple act of giving, people can change the course of another person’s life.”
The drive launched Nov. 14 with a kickoff event at the Winspear Opera House downtown.
The campaign runs until Jan. 31 and has a goal of $1.5 million. Last year’s drive raised over $1.25 million through roughly 1,550 donors.
Since 1986, The Dallas Morning News Charities has raised nearly $32.2 million. The News covers all administrative costs so that 100 percent of donations benefit the 20 charities.
This year’s campaign started with over $363,000 already in the coffers. That money was distributed in checks during the November kickoff event.
Brenda Ewing Snitzer, executive director of The Stewpot, said the campaign helps the nonprofit fund its casework services critical to helping the roughly 15,000 homeless men and women it serves get into housing and off the streets.
Last year’s annual homeless census showed a 9 percent increase from the year before in the number of people living on the streets of Dallas and Collin counties. The number of unsheltered — those who don’t seek housing in shelters and live on the streets — rose 23 percent, according to same census.
And Snitzer said affordable housing continues to be an issue because Dallas doesn’t have enough of it to get people out of emergency shelters quickly and into houses or apartments.
“It just seems to continue to grow,” Snitzer said of the number of homeless men and women. “We are getting people housed, but there’s still many, many more that are not housed.”
Funds from the campaign also will support The Stewpot’s counseling services, aimed at helping people with trauma that either happened to them while living on the streets or in a shelter or preceded the homelessness.
Short-term counseling is a relatively new offering at the agency this year, with a dedicated staff member overseeing it for both individuals and groups.
“Because a lot of people who come to us that have been on the streets or been in shelters have a lot of trauma,” Snitzer said.
2018-19 DMN Charities recipients
Family Gateway
Shelter and supportive housing programs for children and families affected by homelessness with wrap-around services including case management, adult and children’s services and an education program.
Click here to read full story & see all recipients.