Imagine having no dining room table to gather for dinner as a family, no secure home to host play dates or celebrate birthdays or holidays and no place to work on homework. Families that have encountered the very worst kind of situations do not only have the need to have their basic needs meet, but desperately need an environment that offers comfort, inspiration and a sense of hope. This hope penetrates into other areas of the family’s lives, resulting in self-sufficiency for the parents and improved academic performance and behavior for the children. Dwell with Dignity believes that hope begins at home.
Poverty rates in Dallas are currently widespread, holding the third highest child poverty rate, with 30.6% of children living at or below the federal poverty line. Dwell with Dignity seeks to end family homelessness by partnering with accountability-based agencies to gift deserving families with a fully-furnished home interior to bring transformative design to those who have formerly been homeless, ending family’s cycles of poverty one household at a time.
Supporting Dwell with Dignity on North Texas Giving Day does not just help homeless families overcome poverty, but it helps children grow up in an environment that offers hope. Every dollar counts to make stories like this possible:
Janice* and her family were introduced to Dwell with Dignity when they were nominated to us by The Family Place. Janice* and her five children, ranging from 14 to 4 years old, had been through numerous difficult struggles throughout the year, including homelessness, severe abuse, and trauma. Through mom’s courage and tenacity and the assistance of The Family Place, this family got back on their feet and into a home of their very own. Mom works hard to support her five children as a hair stylist, and her children are working hard in school. Janice* has been able to open up her own business styling hair independently, her children are all thriving in school, and they finally have a place to come together to have dinner as a family every evening. This family’s grit and determination was a true inspiration to everyone at Dwell with Dignity, and it was a privilege to turn their apartment into a home in which they can thrive and continue to build memories together as a family.
As Dwell with Dignity completes its 130th home installation this fall, we hope to broaden our impact and work with an even greater number of families. Get up and Give to Dwell with Dignity on September 20th and create a legacy of hope for families in desperate need.
By Ashley Agnew, Dwell With Dignity executive director
* Graphic and photo provided by Dwell With Dignity ** Name has been changed.
In nine years, Communities Foundation of Texas‘ North Texas Giving Day has pumped more than $195 million into the North Texas community. In 2017, $39 million was raised through more than 118,000 gifts benefiting over 2,000 nonprofits.
On Thursday, September 20, support Dwell With Dignity by linking here and spreading the word. #NTxGivingDay