Gift idea full of goodness and hope!

I "lifted" this commerical message right off of Janet Morrison's weblog. Thought you might be interested in the unique opportunity!

Christmas presents you can feel good about!

Want something fun to give this Christmas?

Christmas is a time of giving to more than just those around you; Christmas is about helping others. However, this Christmas looks to be a little more challenging than most we've experienced. With limited funds, it will be difficult to provide gifts for family and friends, while also donating to your favorite non-profit organization.

But we have a solution!!

The 2nd-5th graders at the After-School Academy have been hard at work learning how to use Microsoft Publisher and creating pages for our First Annual CDM cookbook--Food for Thought!

The 8 1/2" x 11" cookbook is full of recipes from our Central Dallas Ministries' staff, volunteers, friends, family, and our community.

As an added benefit, you will also get some of the kids' very own recipes!

As I taught the technology class this semester, some of the kids insisted they wanted to type in the recipes. Week after week I tried to explain to them, "Just make the backgrounds! We will insert the recipes later!"

Finally, Melvin, seeming somewhat frustrated, explained to me, "I already know the recipe!!" He went on to explain how you, "open the box, pour the cake mix in, add other ingredients, stir, etc."

Probably just as frustrated as he was, I said, "Fine. Go ahead and write your recipe." (I should know by now that my ideas aren't always the best ones). As a result of Melvin's insistence, we now have cool recipes like:

"Brownies to Die For" To make the brownies with nuts, first you will need Cake Mix, 2 eggs, water, and oil. Now when you got that let's cook. Pour the cake mix, put 2 eggs, and nuts. Pour 1/2 cup of water. Now pour 3/4 cup of oil. Stir real good. Now get a pan but spray it with butter. Now pour mix in the pan. Put in oven. Take it out. Put the nuts in the cake. Now put the chocolate icing on it.

But that's not all!! (isn't that what they always say in the info-mercials? :)

The cookbook not only provides a variety of recipes, but shares the story of the CDM mission and the great programs that support our neighbors and friends in the community. The great thing for the kids who designed the cookbook is that...

All proceeds received from the sale of "Food For Thought" will go to support the After-School Academy in their efforts to provide technology classes, chess classes, art classes, interactive science, financial literacy, family game days, and so much more!!

Buy them for friends...family...co-workers. They are only $10 (please include an extra $2 if you would like them shipped to you). Hurry, though! Orders are due by THIS FRIDAY, DECEMBER 12!!

To place a quick order:

Go to www.centraldallasministries.org/donate.

After filling out the first page, click "continue" to go to the second page.

You can either check one of the set amounts...or click on "Other" and tell what amount you are giving.

In the "designation" box, scroll down and choose, "Children's education and after-school programs."

In the comments section make sure to type in COOKBOOK (otherwise, we will have no idea you want a cookbook!) and...

Make note of whether you will pick up the cookbook(s) or whether you wish to have them mailed to you. If you wish to have it mailed, please include the address in the memo box.

The cookbooks will be ready December 19th-December 24th (noon) at 409 N. Haskell, Dallas, TX 75246, if you would like to pick them up yourself.

THANKS FOR THE SUPPORT OF THE CHILDREN'S LEARNING EXPERIENCES!!

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"All my adult life in South Dallas"

Wow!

Janet Morrison is right. She has lived all of her adult life in South Dallas! I hired her in 1995 and she has been making things better for this city ever since, with no sign of letting up.

The comment about where she has lived since moving to Dallas to begin her "adult life" appeared in a great Op-Ed piece that The Dallas Morning News published on Friday, October 24, 2008.

Here's how Janet begins:

Ever wonder why people in our inner cities are angry?

Since the slated demolition of the Turner Courts housing development in South Dallas, my office and our After-School Academy have moved to Roseland Townhomes, a Dallas Housing Authority property in the City Place area.

As I left my new office at 7 one Friday night, 30 to 40 people rounded the corner of the recreation center, running toward a fight. My co-worker quickly called 911 and, before I could even leave the apartments, her call had produced an immediate police response.

Within five minutes, one police car had blocked off traffic while two others jumped the curb and sped across an open lot. As I drove off, yet two more police cars rapidly approached from another direction and a police helicopter hovered overhead.

I know I should be elated by the quick response of our very capable Police Department. Instead, I was extremely angry, and my blood pressure rose each time I heard another siren.

Wonder why she was angry?

Read the entire article here.

Janet understands.

Your reactions are welcome, as always.

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Hope in the face of challenge

Looking for a bit of inspiration drawn from the real world of a tough inner-city neighborhood?

Take just a minute to check out this link and go to the entry for Wednesday, January 23, 2008:

http://janetmorrison.blogspot.com/.

I predict reading about the work being done in arguably the toughest neighborhood in Dallas will lift your heart.

After you've seen it, tell me if I'm right or not.

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Taking a step of faith

Community organizing is an essential tool for the work of neighborhood revitalization. Organizing is an imperative if justice is the goal.

My hat's off to Dr. Janet Morrison, her team at Turner Courts and to those members of the community who are stepping up to demand improvement and to work for a better home for themselves and their children.

Central Dallas Ministries has been providing after school programming and other services in the Turner Courts housing development since 2000. The real measure of the success of any of our efforts is always going to be reflected in the quality of the nature of our relationships with our neighbors who live in the places where we also live and work. It may seem strange that an after school initiative would lead to what is described below. To me it is the most encouraing news I've heard in a while.

What follows was lifted directly from Janet's blog on Saturday, Januray 5, 2008(http://janetmorrison.blogspot.com/). Put her site on your favorites list and check in on her whenever you have a moment. I think you'll be encouraged by what she reports.

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We are starting our new year off right in Turner Courts. This morning we had a meeting with the city. Yes, the city.

We had a representative from each of the following departments: Public Works, Animal Control, Dallas Police Department, Community Prosecutor's office, DART, City Planning Commission, City Parks and Rec, City Council... along with a few others.

The show from the city was quite impressive... especially to those of us who have been in Turner Courts for many years and have often dealt with ignored 3-1-1 calls to the city, neglect in repairs, and a feeling of being completely forgotten and left out.

It was also quite impressive because we knew (and warned the city officials) that our first meeting was not going to be big. We had about 9 people attend...some current residents, some former, and some of us who work there but don't live there. Yet, they came anyway.

The meeting was good, but the best part of the whole day for me came when the meeting was over.

Ms. Haynes had come to the meeting...despite her semi-protest a few weeks ago as she explained to us that she didn't want to be involved in anything like that because it makes her blood pressure go up. She explained that she had done her part by reporting things and the city hadn't responded quickly, if at all.

Yet she showed up.

After it was all over, she sat down at the table. After the room had pretty much emptied out, Ms. Haynes (a resident in Turner Courts for many years) turned to Sylvia, Wyshina and me saying, "I really enjoyed that. You guys are really to be commended for bringing this together."

I asked her what it was that she enjoyed about it.

"I was able to get all of my issues out there."

Ms. Haynes voice was heard.

That's what matters.

We have gotten to know Ms. Haynes over the past few months because she utilizes our computer lab on a regular basis. As I approached her with the thought of working with us to hold the city accountable and helping make our community stronger, Ms. Haynes balked. See...Ms. Haynes has lived in Turner Courts for a long time. During that time she has made calls to the city, made police reports, reported street lights that are out...and got a slow response at the very best. Her doubt and skepticism is understandable. Why should she spend her time spinning her wheels on issues that won't be addressed anyway?

We have a LOT of work to do and a lot of issues to solve. But our biggest job is going to be earning the trust of the community so that they will begin coming out to help us move forward and hold the city accountable. Turner Courts and the people in that community have been left out for too long. Convincing people that their voice matters is going to be a long process.

The smile on Ms. Haynes' face and her very genuine compliments today tell me we may have gained one more core person to our efforts. Knowing that people are being heard, are regaining trust, and are willing to try putting effort into their community again (although cautiously) puts a smile on my face.

Turner Courts--rough neighborhood, bright and eager students

Some say, and I happen to agree, that Rochester Park is about as rough and tough as it gets in inner city Dallas. The neighborhood the city forgets. This in spite of the fact that this community is among the most historic and significant in the city.

Right in the heart of this community, in the middle of a public housing development, sits Central Dallas Ministries' After School Academy where we've been at work since 2000.

I expect you receive all sorts of invitations to view video presentations online. So, forgive me, but the collection of still photography in this link from The Dallas Morning News is a must-see for anyone who cares about our urban communities, the education of children and the uplift of everyone who is striving for a better life.

Take a look. You won't be sorry that you did.

http://www.dallasnews.com/s/dws/photography/2007/turnercourts/


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After School Academy enjoys feature story

Yesterday's edition of The Dallas Morning News carried an in-depth report on Central Dallas Ministries' After School Academy at Turner Courts.

If you care about children and the challenges they face growing up in inner city neighborhoods, you'll defintely want to read the story.

You can find it at:

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/ dws/dn/opinion/columnists/cnelson/stories/121607
dnedinelson.1fe48a1b.html

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The numbers game

Often, people look at our organizational chart ask me questions like, "Why do you have such rich staff resources assigned to places serving relatively few people compared to some other parts of your organization?"

Fair question.

And, it is true.

Take our children's education efforts among the folks who live at Turner Courts in far South Dallas. We serve fewer than 30 children in our "little" After School Academy. One obvious reason for this is that we just don't have room for any more children, at least not yet. But, we are staff rich, if you are looking only at the number of students involved.

What most people overlook is how it is we are working with these 30 children.

For one thing, activities offered by the After School Academy are experientially rich and varied--photography, ballet, chess, golf, art, field trips, to name a few of the activities our children are exposed to.

And, our efforts at Turner Courts are not just about the after-school hours or the programs offered to the children.

Dr. Janet Morrison and her dedicated team work with parents, grandparents, facility staff members, Dallas Housing Authority professionals, community leaders and other residents who don't even have children signed up for our after-school activities. So, we are doing much, much more in the community than the after-school efforts.

At this point, I feel a need to draw an important philosophical contrast.

If our only concern is to manage programs involving large numbers of people, then our efficiencies could be expected to increase, along with program scale. In addition, our staff-to-participant ratios could improve, from a cost-benefit perspective, and people would stop asking us questions!

Of course, if scale was our most important consideration, we would never work in a community like Turner Courts. The physical space limitations alone would cause us to rule out this neighborhood if the number of children involved was are chief concern.

But, if our real desire is to play a part--never the only, nor the most important part--in community renewal, our resource mix in a community like Turner Courts always will be rich and complex. In addition, measuring outcomes in such neighborhoods will be more of a challenge.

Further, it is important to distinguish between "regional" service efforts and localized, neighborhood efforts. Both approaches are valid and necessary. But, our role in each is very different.

For example, our Community Resource Center or Nurture, Knowledge and Nutrition, our summer lunch and reading program, are examples of initiatives designed to serve individuals, families and partner organizations across several counties. Obviously, our After School Academy is all about one neighborhood and one group of children.

There is a real difference in the two approaches. It is hard for outsiders or for those who've never been embedded in a community to really understand. In either case, I want to see us come down on the side of improving community vitality every time. Both approaches are valid and needed in Dallas.

Talk to Janet. She will gladly tell you about the progress of "her kids" who attend the After School Academy. She may even mention the fact that last semester 23 students who had come through her program in the past were enrolled in college.

But, listen longer and you'll hear her talking about parents who are more engaged and committed to their children's education, parents who are enrolling in college themselves, parents who have gone back to work. She may even talk about neighborhood safety, crime statistics and nutrition education. The stories go way beyond our after-school activities and the children who eagerly attend.

It always works this way when we find ourselves involved in community building partnerships.

Some of our approaches involve hundreds of people and families. Others focus on relatively small groups. As long as we remain true to our values and our operating philosophy, both are needed, very different and always valid.